Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.news
Path: sparky!uunet!usc!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!eff!ckd
From: Shari Steele <ssteele>
Subject: New case for EFF, ACLU, and CPSR
Message-ID: <CKD.93Jan22135355@loiosh.eff.org>
Followup-To: comp.org.eff.talk
Sender: use...@eff.org (NNTP News Poster)
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Organization: Electronic Frontier Foundation Tech Central
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 18:53:57 GMT
Approved: e...@eff.org
Lines: 25

On the evening of November 6, 1992, approximately 30 computer enthusiasts,
who had gathered for a meeting of 2600 magazine readers at the food court
at Pentagon City Mall in Arlington, VA, were detained and searched and had
some of their possessions seized by about half a dozen mall security guards
acting under the direction of the Secret Service.  Somewhere between two
and five officers from the Arlington County Police were there, as well,
having responded to a call about fraud.

Several of the attendees are interested in suing the mall, police and
Secret Service, and EFF and CPSR have done some preliminary research into
the case to determine what, if any, civil liberties violations were
involved.  After interviewing about a dozen people who were there, we have
determined that the Secret Service does seem to have been involved (a
county police officer on the scene confirmed that), and we are ready to
proceed with the case.

We contacted the Virginia ACLU, which has found a litigator in Northern
Virginia who wants to litigate the case.  EFF, the ACLU and CPSR are
currently doing research on the legal theories we will need to pursue.  EFF
is very committed to standing up for the civil liberties of those who
attended this open, publicized and nondisruptive meeting.

Shari Steele, Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation
--
 * Christopher Davis * <c...@eff.org> * <c...@kei.com> * [CKD1] * MIME * RIPEM *