U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken in Oregon shot down 2 parts of the U.S.A. Patriot Act. She said the amendments to FISA allowed the government to conduct searches and monitor American citizens without probable cause, a violation of the U.S. Constitution's 4th Amendment. In her ruling she said that the U.S. government "is asking this court to, in essence, amend the Bill of Rights by giving it an interpretation that would deprive it of any real meaning. This court declines to do so." (Reuters) Finally. This isn't the end of it. There's plenty more bad stuff in this Act but those issues weren't before the court. Hopefully, if Congress fails to act to repeal this thing, the courts will -- little by little- strike down the whole thing.

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