Judge Denies AT&T Request to Discuss Closing Courtroom

The following was released by EFF today:

May 16, 2006

Wednesday's Arguments on Sealed Documents Set for 10am

San Francisco - The judge in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF's) class-action lawsuit against AT&T denied a request for a conference today about closing the courtroom from reporters and spectators for tomorrow's hearing in the case, set to begin at 10 a.m. at U.S. District Court in San Francisco, courtroom 6.

EFF's suit accuses AT&T of illegally handing over its customers' telephone and Internet records and communications to the National Security Agency (NSA). Earlier today, lawyers for AT&T asked the judge in the case to close the courtroom during the discussion about unsealing critical evidence in the case -- including a declaration by Mark Klein, a retired AT&T telecommunications technician, and several internal AT&T documents that support EFF's allegations. AT&T wants the documents returned and argues that they should not be used as evidence in the case.

For more on the AT&T case:http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/att/