USA Patriot Act Deemed Constitutional by Federal Judge

Source: The First Amendment Center

By Meghan Winston

According a federal judge, the USA Patriot Act is constitutional in a case in which evidence against a former Naval sailor who supposedly supported terrorism. The USA Patriot Act of 2001 is an acronym for: Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism. The decision applies in the case of Hassan Abu-Jihaad, who allegedly leaked documents to the press about the location of a Naval battle group. The media law issue here is whether or not the defendant should have been punished for leaking these confidential source or whether the First Amendment should provide protection for him.