Federal Judge Says NSA Phone Program Violates Fourth Amendment

A federal judge said Monday that the NSA’s secret phone-snooping program violates Americans’ privacy rights, in a ruling that sets up a major legal and political hurdle for an Obama administration trying desperately to preserve the intelligence tool.

District Court Judge Richard J. Leon’s groundbreaking decision marks the first time a court has ruled against the program. It puts him in conflict with the secret court that usually oversees clandestine operations and has approved the collection of records on most phone calls made in the U.S.

But Judge Leon said James Madison, chief architect of the Bill of Rights, would be “aghast” at what the government is doing.
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