Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ames!sgi!shinobu!odin!elysium!archer
From: archer@elysium.esd.sgi.com (Doctor Benway)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: CNN
Message-ID: <1990Nov19.180551.14566@odin.corp.sgi.com>
Date: 19 Nov 90 18:05:51 GMT
References: <1990Nov16.235831.25433@agate.berkeley.edu> <4948@rsiatl.UUCP>
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Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.  Mountain View, CA
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In <4948@rsiatl.UUCP> jgd@rsiatl.UUCP (John G. DeArmond) writes:

*larry@belch.Berkeley.EDU (Larry Foard) writes:
*
*>It looks like the recent disregard for the constitution is spreading, 
*>according to CNN the FBI took materials without even bothering with a 
*>search warrant. Fortunitly this time they are picking on some one who
*>can defend themselfs. 
*
*
*Defend themselves?  Considering that according to the papers, CNN 
*originally stole these tapes from the government, and that the FBI's
*retrieving them from an abandoned motel room (again, according to the
*paper) was simply a matter of recovering stolen property, it appears to
*me that the FBI is acting quite properly.   As to the question of a 
*warrent, even if the FBI is lying and the guy was in the room, I believe
*the law has a right to stop a crime in progress.  And possesion of
*stolen goods is a crime.  
*
*

Well, it wasn't a motel room, it was a room in the rather expensive hotel
that CNN uses as its home base (sorry, I forgot the name).

The FBI's story is that the reporter who possessed the tapes checked out,
leaving the tapes behind, which were then picked up by the maid and turned
into lost & found.

The reporter claims that she didn't check out, and that her possessions
(including her luggage) were removed from the room without her knowledge.

As far as I know, there have been no allegations as to how CNN came into
possession of the tapes in the first place.  As far as I know, not even the
FBI claims they were stolen.


--
When artistic pretension is combined with abject |  Archer Sully
poverty the results are often VERY STUPID.       |  
		-- Crosley Bendix                |  archer@sgi.com