Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!wrf
From: wrf@mab.ecse.rpi.edu (Wm Randolph Franklin)
Subject: Re: How will the police react to secure communications?
Message-ID: <pd4fmh+@rpi.edu>
Nntp-Posting-Host: mab.ecse.rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY
References: <17246@venera.isi.edu> <GUEST.91Mar21181813@geech.ai.mit.edu> <1991Mar22.084413.25223@looking.on.ca>
Date: 23 Mar 91 22:43:27 GMT
Lines: 21

In article <1991Mar22.084413.25223@looking.on.ca> brad@looking.on.ca (Brad Templeton) writes:
>
>Will the courts be able to force you to reveal your code, or will this
>be considered unfair self-incrimination under the bills of rights?

Well, the courts already have forced people to sign orders to foreign
banks telling the bank to reveal the person's account info.

Sorry, I lied.  The courts didn't FORCE anyone to do anything; just made
it a condition of their purging a charge of criminal contempt (for
refusing to reveal the info in the first place) and getting out of jail.
Contempt is a crime with a life sentence w/o parole.

One way to avoid bill-of-rights problems (and beyond-reasonable-doubt
problems) is to make it a civil case.

-- 
						   Wm. Randolph Franklin
Internet: wrf@ecse.rpi.edu (or @cs.rpi.edu)    Bitnet: Wrfrankl@Rpitsmts
Telephone: (518) 276-6077;  Telex: 6716050 RPI TROU; Fax: (518) 276-6261
Paper: ECSE Dept., 6026 JEC, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy NY, 12180
