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John D. Bates
U.S. District Judge, Former FISA Court Presiding Judge
FISA Court Judge Who Ruled on NSA Surveillance Legality
Overview
John D. Bates served as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and as Presiding Judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) from 2009 to 2013. He authored critical FISA Court opinions addressing the legality and scope of NSA surveillance programs.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
FISA COURT RULINGS: Authored opinions on the constitutionality of NSA bulk data collection programs
NSA UPSTREAM COLLECTION: Ruled in 2011 that aspects of NSA upstream surveillance were unconstitutional
SECRET COURT: Served on the largely secret FISA Court that approved mass surveillance warrants