rogue@well.sf.ca.us (L. Brett Glass) (01/18/91)
Last night, I was considering what would happen if (for some reason) the FBI or Secret Service conducted an unwarranted raid on my premises. I understand the most fundamental guidelines: Don't say anything without a lawyer present, don't sign anything, etc.... However, should I be offered an opportunity to call for a lawyer, I wouldn't know who to call. (I don't normally deal with lawyers at all, and clearly it takes a special breed to deal with issues like these.) And what if I were brought down to the station house, detained, allowed to make one phone call? How could I guarantee that I'd reach someone who could help? I'm sure that many of us are in this same position. I'd therefore like to propose that the EFF establish an "EFF Hotline," where one could -- with a single phone call -- arrange for legal counsel and other competent help. I'd be willing to help set up such a service -- either by playing host to the answering machine and relaying calls, or by establishing a list of competent lawyers to whom cases can be referred. How about it? If we establish such a service, and publicize it widely, it's less likely that people investigated for alleged computer-related crimes will be subjected to the sort of intimidation which Len Rose experienced not long ago. <rogue>
david.kaye@f111.n125.z1.FIDONET.ORG (david kaye) (02/15/91)
Well, the mechanics of the lawyer hotline are easy. I used to manage a voicemail company with nationwide 800 numbers. The system can be set to dial out to any pager or notification system in the US or Canada for 9 a call, and the voicemail cost is $20 a month plus 29 a minute (calculated in .1 second increments). So, all the MECHANICS of it are available and at a cheap price, in an easy form.
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But the question is, will people pay enough for such a service to make it worthwhile? I have no problem with volunteer efforts, but something like a lawyer referral hotline would get no feedback from users, unlike a BBS where sysops can feel the strokes as they read messages.
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david kaye - via FidoNet node 1:125/777
UUCP: ...!uunet!hoptoad!fidogate!111!david.kaye
INTERNET: david.kaye@f111.n125.z1.FIDONET.ORGzane@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Sameer Parekh) (02/24/91)
I think all we need is a few good lawyer's phone number's published, and these lawyers would have pagers. . .we don't need an 800 number, you are allowed a phone call, not a local phone call, and I don't think that people will worry that much about a $10 phone call when thousands of dollars of equipment are on the line. -- zane@ddsw1.MCS.COM