Press Release: The Multiracial Activist Joins Amicus Brief to Supreme Court Case
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2008
The Multiracial Activist
Contact: James Landrith
Phone: 703-593-2065
Fax: 760-875-8547
Email: james@jameslandrith.com
URL: http://www.multiracial.com
Alexandria, VA — Today, a group of 27 legal scholars and technical experts and 13 privacy and civil liberty groups filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in the case of Herring v. U.S. The Multiracial Activist (TMA) was among the signers of this important brief.
From the Electronic Privacy Information Center on this case:
In Herring v. US, the police searched and then arrested Bennie Dean Herring based on incorrect information in a government database. He was illegally arrested and searched even though he told the officers that there was no arrest warrant, and no officer had seen or could produce a copy of the arrest warrant.
After he was indicted, Herring petitioned the district court to suppress the evidence gathered incident to his unlawful arrest, arguing the exclusionary rule prevented the use of such evidence. But the district court rule against him. Herring then appealed to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed the district court's ruling. Herring then petitioned for cert. to the US Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court agreed on February 19, 2008 to consider the case and decide whether to suppress the evidence obtained.
“The heart of this case speaks to the dangers of bureaucratic information sharing, domestic surveillance and centralization of public and private data in government hands,” stated James Landrith, The Multiracial Activist’s founder. “The crushing power of junk data and gross errors introduced into these massive databases pales in comparison to the damage said errors can visit upon the human being impacted by such mistakes and grossly inaccurate information. Such destruction of careers, families and lives cannot be ignored, politically spun, or brushed aside in favor of authoritarian expediency.”
Landrith further commented that, “As these are issues that TMA has been quite vocal about in the past, the decision to join this case via today’s amicus brief was an easy one.”
Relevant Links:
EPIC’s Herring v. U.S. page: http://epic.org/privacy/herring/
The Multiracial Activist: http://www.multriacial.com
Amicus Brief filed today: http://epic.org/privacy/herring/07-513tsac_epic.pdf
About TMA: The Multiracial Activist is a libertarian oriented activist journal (ISSN: 1552-3446) focusing on civil liberties issues related to multiracial self-identity and interracial relationships. Occasionally, TMA participates in general civil liberties efforts and coalitions.