Jul 7, 2008 9:09 pm US/Mountain
Secret Service Doesn't Plan To Search Protesters
DENVER (AP) ―
The Secret Service has no plans to search everyone entering a fenced-off protest area at the Democratic National Convention, according to a motion filed by in federal court on Monday.
The U.S. attorney's office made the statement in a motion to dismiss part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups over protest plans for the convention, which starts Aug. 25. The groups want to change the size and location of the protest zone and to bar authorities from conducting pat-down searches of protesters who enter the demonstration area unless officials have reasonable cause.
The groups have alleged that the Secret Service plans to conduct searches of protesters under the premise that anyone who enters the protest zone has given their consent to be searched.
In the filing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Rocque said their claim about warrantless searches should be dismissed because the Secret Service has no plan to assume that everyone in the zone has consented to a search.
"Indeed, to put it more broadly, the Federal Defendants have no plan to conduct warrantless searches of persons entering the Public Demonstration Zone," she said.
Rocque said the agency could provide a declaration to that effect.
Additional Resources • For complete coverage of the planning for the 2008 Democratic convention in Denver, as well as information about how to volunteer and for a list of helpful links, visit the Denver 2008 DNC Convention Section.
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