Spy Court Judge Slams Proposed Privacy Advocate

[Turk]

By Stephen Braun and Kimberley Dozier 59 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The former chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court is slamming the idea of having a privacy advocate on the secret court. He says it's unnecessary and possibly counterproductive.

A presidential advisory panel on National Security Agency reform recommended adding such an advocate. FISA court judges now hear only from the government seeking a spying warrant.

In a letter to the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates says appointing an independent privacy advocate to the secret surveillance court would "hamper" the court's work.

Bates also rejected the panel's recommendation that the government seek court approval every time the FBI wanted to obtain information in cases of national security, known as a national security letter.
http://news.yahoo.com/spy-court-judge-slams-proposed-privacy-advocate-200020078--finance.html