Oops.
DETROIT – A federal judge ruled Thursday that the government’s warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional and ordered an immediate halt to it.
U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit became the first judge to strike down the National Security Agency’s program, which she says violates the rights to free speech and privacy as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.
Getting smacked that hard probably hurts, eh?
Both Glenn Greenwald and Eugene Volokh have posted must-read analyses, and Overlawyered also takes a look at the ruling itself.
For those of you who prefer your meat red and your hostility fresh, I recommend here and here.
All in all, a pretty satisfying info-fest.
Update: The Justice Department says it plans to appeal the ruling (duh), and CNN’s bright orange update box says, “Attorney General Alberto Gonzales defends eavesdropping program as effective, adding “We believe that the program is lawful.” (Another duh, this time with an enormous grain of salt.)