ALA signs on to create amicus curiae brief to US Supreme Court

At the latest executive board conference call meeting held September 28th:

First, the Executive Board considered a request to participate in anamicus curiae brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Support of a Petitionby Sibel Edmonds for a Writ of Certiorari. The case relates to acontract FBI translator who was fired after complaining about securitybreaches. After briefing Congress and releasing information surroundingMs. Edmonds' allegations and other details about her, the JusticeDepartment retroactively classified information that was crucial to herpursuit of the case. ALA had signed on to an amicus brief in this casewhen it was brought before a lower court.

The Board also approved participation in an amicus brief in a case inwhich the ACLU is challenging the PATRIOT Act statute authorizingNational Security Letters (NSL). The ACLU is representing "JohnDoe," an ALA member in Connecticut who has been served with an NSL.The Freedom to Read Foundation is also signing on to this amicus brief.On Friday, the Board confirmed via email that ALA will also be signingon to a brief in support of an Emergency Application to Vacate the Stayentered by the District Court, which prevents release of the name of theLibrary that received the NSL. The ACLU will be filing the applicationin the United States Supreme Court on Monday in support of theiremergency application. The Freedom to Read Foundation, AmericanAssociation of Publishers and American Booksellers Foundation for FreeExpression are also expected to join in the brief.