How the Patriot Act can affect a Criminal Case

Ever since the September 11^th attacks on the twin towers the US government (not the current White House but there are still some departments that care about America in the federal government) has significantly increased the amount of surveillance that goes on into uncovering and investigating possible terrorist activity. According to opponents of such surveillance, the government essentially throws out a net to catch anything out of the ordinary and this compromises the privacy of the American people.

But if you are not a terrorist so what right? Who cares if someone is listening to your conversation or checking your email? You will never know about it and as long as you do not say or type certain words or phrases you should be fine anyhow.

We have seen this in the show The Good Wife. The NSA was listening in on Alicia Florrick’s (Julianna Margulies), Eli Gold’s (Alan Cumming), and other peoples’ phone calls in their circle more closely than other Americans. Is this wrong? Well, do you want another 9-11 or something worse? With Obama allowing terrorists to leave Guantanamo, it seems America is setting itself up and certainly other parts of the world for some troubling times. Gambling with your life when it is not necessary is just asinine.

Melbourne, FL criminal defense lawyers know that many times when the government throws out such a figurative “net” they discover people doing illegal things which are not of a terrorist nature but nevertheless are still illegal. The debate is – should the government be able to take action against these people who are found out while the government was not even directly looking for them?

Some people think that they should take action while others believe that it would not be constitutional and is an invasion of their privacy. The pivotal point to remember here is that the government obtained this information without a valid search warrant which irks some criminal defense attorneys in Florida.

What exactly is the Patriot Act?

Post the twin tower attacks, the government decided that it was high time to lift the restrictions on the amount and type of surveillance that can be executed. The USA PATRIOT Act was passed for this purpose on October, 11^th 2001. The PATRIOT Act stands for “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act”. That is a long acronym!

The passage of this law also consequently loosened the amount of personal information and the type of personal information that the government could seek from citizens and non-citizens.

Snowden Disclosure

Edward Snowden, a former contract worker of the government, is considered a modern day hero by some for blowing the whistle on the government and exposing to the public that the government could basically tap into any of their electronic communications including emails, text messages, phone calls, etc. Most Americans though consider him a traitor and a poor decision maker.  

Criminal defense lawyers in Melbourne, FL believe this is when the implications of the Patriot Act on criminal cases had to be considered.

Criminal Cases and the Patriot Act

The Patriot Act has now uncovered and continues to uncover thousands of criminal activities. The question is, since the government stumbled upon this information while looking for potential terrorist activity and without a warrant, can this information be used for the purpose of evidence and prosecution?

According to legal experts, the 4^th amendment of the US Constitution protects us from unwarranted searches and seizures. Technically, when the government discovers criminal activity through the Patriot Act, it is not through a search warrant and hence they should not act on this information as already insinuated. So they should just allow a murder or a store robbery go into effect?  

If you or someone you know are being targeted unfairly with criminal charges stemming from surveillance provisioned by the PATRIOT Act, you need to ensure that you reach out to a criminal defense lawyer in Florida as soon as possible. You will need to get started on building your defense in order to beat your case and dismiss the charges against you.

The government has digital technology to use in their war on terrorism. Well, are you a terrorist? Probably not. You have digital technology on your side too. Click right here: Criminal-Defense.USAttorneys.com. There is not one part of the PATRIOT Act that will stop you from doing that which will enable you to secure the legal help you are entitled too if you are being charged with something. This is not Cuba or North Korea or the Spanish Inquisition, you have rights!