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Nick Gillespie | September 10, 2004

John Gilmore's continuing legal case for freedom of movement within the United States. As Gilmore's media liaison, Bill Scannell, writes:

Lawyers for John Gilmore filed their opposition to a Department of Justice attempt to file a secret brief in a case that involves secret law.

The case, Gilmore vs. Ashcroft, is now before the 9th Circuit Court of
Appeals. DOJ filed a motion last Friday asking the Court's permission to file their arguments in secret, allowing only the judges to read their full brief.

DOJ is trying to distract the Court and the public from the real issue in the case, which is whether or not American citizens can travel in their own country without official government paperwork.

Their method of distraction: secret law.

In a sharply-worded objection to the government's motion, Gilmore's lawyers stated that the government's "extreme cry for secrecy, preventing even plaintiff?s counsel from being privy to their legal arguments because plaintiff?s counsel does not meet defendants; self defined 'covered persons who have a need to know' criteria, is disturbing and illustrates the dangers of secret law."

Details here.

For Reason coverage of the Gilmore case, go here and here.