E-mail wiretap ruling [1st Circuit] News
E-mail wiretap ruling [1st Circuit]

US v. Councilman, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, August 11, 2005 [ruling that the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which updated the Wiretap Act to include electronic communications, should be broadly interpreted to allow an e-mail provider alleged to have read correspondence in transit to customers to be tried on federal charges]. Read the full text of the opinion here [go to Opinions, case number 03-1383]. Reported in JURIST's Paper Chase here.

THIS DAY @ LAW

First gay civil union law goes into effect

On October 1, 1989, the Registered Partnernship Act went into effect in Denmark. It was the first law in the world that allowed civil unions between homosexual couples. While other nations have since fully legalized full gay marriage through the courts or legislations, Denmark is still trying to pass a fully gender-neutral marriage law.
Read a report on the world's first civil unions from the New York Times.

Chief Justice Rehnquist born

On October 1, 1924, William Rehnquist, late Chief Justice of the United States, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Listen to remarks by President Ronald Reagan at the swearing-in ceremony for Chief Justice Rehnquist (joined by new Associate Justice Antonin Scalia) in 1986 (via the History Channel).