Docs accused of writing WI protest excuses under investigation

Well, a bit of interesting news. Now even the Docs think they are above the law. No doubt they will get off the hook on this, but let them sweat it out and spend a few bucks on lawyers. Only fair don’t you think?

The state Department of Regulation and Licensing and the Medical Examining Board said Wednesday that they had opened investigations into eight individuals who allegedly wrote doctor excuse notes for protesters at the state Capitol during rallies in February.

Last month, the Department of Regulation and Licensing said it had identified 11 people who may have provided the medical excuses, and it asked them to submit information about their activities at the Capitol.

The 11 were identified by complaints to the department. Nine of those named are licensed physicians and two are unlicensed, the department said.

At the conclusion of each investigation, recommendations will be made about whether disciplinary action should be pursued.

The state Department of Regulation and Licensing previously has said disciplinary action could include a reprimand, license limitations, suspension or revocation.

Rest of the story JSOnline

Police Can Download Your Personal Data Against Your Will

Of course this comes as a surprise now doesn’t it? Anyone think that this is not in use by the Feds under the rubric of Anti-Terrorism Legislation and  protecting us from Terrorism? Here tis:

Michigan State Police have technology that can download cell phone data wirelessly during a routine traffic stop. So if you’re pulled over for rolling through a stop sign, the cops can now take everything on your cell phone against your will and without even telling you about it. This was uncovered and is now the subject of an ACLU request which, of course, the state police refuse to grant.  Via Duane Lester:

A US Department of Justice test of the CelleBrite UFED used by Michigan police found the device could grab all of the photos and video off of an iPhone within one-and-a-half minutes. The device works with 3000 different phone models and can even defeat password protections.

A project of the Michigan State University College of Law, has a long description of the worrisome ramifications of this new policy.

No, Michigan State Police Officer, you absolutely, without a doubt, positively, MAY NOT suck all the data out of my cell phone with your handy “extraction device.” … The Fourth Amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government. Since we’ve got government actors in the form of state police officers, the Fourth Amendment applies. The first question is whether cell phone owners have a reasonable expectation of privacy in what is stored on their phone when they are pulled over. The reasonable expectation has long been defined by the Supreme Court in Katz. Justice Harlan explained that there is a reasonable expectation of privacy if 1) the subject of a search expected privacy, and 2) society generally agrees that such an expectation of privacy exists.

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