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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
- i -
REPLY MEMO ISO VERIZON’S MTD PLS’ MASTER CONSOLIDATED COMPL.
MDL NO. 06
-
1791 VRW
I.
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................
1
II.
ECPA DOES NOT APPLY TO THE ALLEGED COLLECTION OF RECORDSFOR NATIONAL SECURIT
Y INTELLIGENCE PURPO
SES.........................................
2
A.
ECPA Lacks the Required Clear Statement............................................................
2
B.
The AUMF Provides Statutory Authority...............................................................
5
C.
Ashwander
a
nd State
-
Secrets Comp
el This Result.................................................
7
III.
THE RECORDS CLAIMS S
EEK TO IMPOSE LIABILITY FOR ALLEGEDACTIVITY PROTECTED BY THE FIRST AMENDMEN
T............................................7
A.
Defendants’ First Amendment Argument Is Narrow..............................................
8
B.
Defendants Cannot Be Held Liable for Their Alleged Speech.............................12
1.
Applying ECPA t
o the Facts Alleged Would Fail Strict Scrutiny............12
2. Applying ECPA to the Facts Alleged Would Fail Intermediate
Scrutiny.....................................................................................................16
3.
Applying ECPA to the Facts Alleged Would Violate the First
Amendment under
Bartnicki
.....................................................................18
C.
The Alleged Communication of Records I
s Protected by the Petition
Clause....................................................................................................................19
IV.
ECPA CAN AND MUST BE CONSTRUED NOT TO AP
PLY.....................................21
A.
ECPA’s Prohibition on “Divulgence” Does Not Apply to the Facts Pled............22
B.
ECPA’s Exceptions Apply to the Facts Pled.........................................................25
1.
The Emergency Exception Applies Under the
Facts Alleged...................
262.
The Rights and Property Exception Applies to the Facts Alleged............29
V.
THE CLAIMS BASED ON THE ALLEGED INTERCEP
TION OF CALL
CONTENT MUST BE DISMISSED................................................................................30
A.
Title III Does Not Apply.......................................................................................30
B.
Plaintiffs Do Not Plead, and Cannot Prove, Acquisition of Calls.........................32
C.
The FISA Claim Must Be Dismissed....................................................................34
VI.
THE REMAINING CLAIMS
MUST BE DISMISSED...................................................34
A.
Claim 4, Under 47 U.S.C. § 605, Must Be Dismissed..........................................34
B.
Claim 1, Under 18 U.S.C. § 2702(a)(1) & (2), Must Be Dismissed.....................35
C.
The State
-
Law Claims Must B
e Dismissed...........................................................35
VII.
THE STATE-
SECRETS PRIVILEGE MA
NDATES DISMISSAL................................37
VIII.
CLAIMS AGAINST MCI ARE BARRED BY THE BANKRUPTCYDISCHARGE....................................................................................................................38
IX.
CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................
40
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