- Some of the fundamental changes to Americans' legal rights
by the Bush administration and the USA Patriot Act following the terror
attacks:
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- * FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
- Government may monitor religious and political institutions
without suspecting criminal activity to assist terror investigation.
-
- * FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
- Government has closed once-public immigration hearings,
has secretly detained hundreds of people without charges, and has encouraged
bureaucrats to resist public records requests.
-
- * FREEDOM OF SPEECH
- Government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any
other records if they tell anyone that the government subpoenaed information
related to a terror investigation.
-
- * RIGHT TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION
- Government may monitor federal prison jailhouse conversations
between attorneys and clients, and deny lawyers to Americans accused of
crimes.
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- * FREEDOM FROM UNREASONABLE SEARCHES
- Government may search and seize Americans' papers and
effects without probable cause to assist terror investigation.
-
- * RIGHT TO A SPEEDY AND PUBLIC TRIAL
- Government may jail Americans indefinitely without a
trial.
-
- * RIGHT TO LIBERTY
- Americans may be jailed without being charged or being
able to confront witnesses against them.
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- First Published 9-5-02
- Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press
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