Northwest Airlines last week began
court-authorized searches of the home
computers of flight attendants whom the airline
suspects organized a sick-out over the New
Year's holiday. Two computer forensic experts,
hired by Northwest, seized the computers of a
They didn't seize his computers. He gave them to the "investigators" in response to a court order.
He could have refused.
rank-and-file flight attendant who operates a web
site and electronic bulletin boards, and copied
the hard drives from the computers of 21
individuals,
Again, these people permitted the search under threat from a court order but they could have resisted.
One possibility - "I am not saying whether or not I own any computers (actually printouts or digital storage media) or where they are - prove I do you copraphaegic cretins."
I'd love to see a copy of the order.
No warrants were issued.
Imagine the challenge of proving that someone *owns* a computer in their home without entering it (or even *after* entering it). One can read and write email without using a computer (or a computer with a hard drive). One can also use a computer one does not "own and control". It bugs me when people just comply without argument, litigation, self-help or flight.
Since court orders to turn over computers don't require you to actually be anywhere or say anything, a judge would have to order a person to present himself for testimony under oath relative to his ownership of computers (similar to the compelled testimony of a debtor concerning assets). Only then could he actually be compelled to discuss the matter.
DCF
