Doe v. Ashcroft (Doe I)
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
334 F. Supp. 2d 471 (2004)
Relevant factsFree
Under 18 U.S.C. § 2709, part of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the FBI could order internet service providers to produce customer records relevant to terrorism or intelligence investigations using secret "national security letters" (NSLs), which also barred recipients from ever disclosing that they received one. John Doe (plaintiff), an internet access firm that received an NSL, refused to comply and sued to challenge the statute's constitutionality.
IssueFree
Whether a surveillance statute that implicates Fourth Amendment or other fundamental rights must contain a judicial review procedure to ensure those rights are not infringed.