peterm@rwing.uucp (Peter Marshall) (12/16/90)
The WA Utilities and Transportation Commission, often considered "progressive" in various areas, issued a statement 11/30, disagreeing in large measure with recently-released recommendations by its staff. E.g., a recommendation not to allow Caller ID for the time being, which was based on a legal analysis and a sampling of public opinion. The Commission initiated neither a rulemaking nor legislative recommendations; instead, inviting telcos to propose trials, to include both per-call and line blocking. The first such is expected from a Pacific Telecom subsidiary, at the apparent instigation of Northern Telecom. On the other hand, a formal complaint at the WUTC against US West for allegedly "selling" an unlisted number to entities including a Sprint 900 service, is thought likely to provide more focus here on IXC use of ANI in the state. WA also apparently has its first e-mail privacy case, via a legal action filed several months ago by the WA Federation of State Employees against the state Dept. of Labor and Industries. With no relevant state policies in place, and with this suit still in process, new policy being developed via the Governor's Cabinet is expected to be reflected in a forthcoming Executive Order. Another possible "first" for WA, under its still relatively new and largely untested Computer Trespass statute, is the recently-concluded case in Kitsap County of State v. Riley. In the first case of its kind in this county, tried by a new judge and a controversial and outspoken prosecutor, yet remininiscent of other such cases discussed in the Digest, the defendant, a 41-year-old neurosciences Ph.D., was convicted on charges of computer trespass and possession of stolen access devices, for allegedly entering several LD reseller systems, and elements of sentence very similar to what has occurred in more well-known cases. The case is now in appeal, with a jail sentence stayed pending appeal. Interestingly, the EFF seems interested in both this case the e-mail privacy case above.