| | USA PATRIOT Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
 | | Originally passed after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Act (full text) was formed in response to the terrorist attacks against the U.S., and dramatically expanded the authority of U.S. law enforcement for the stated purpose of fighting terrorist acts in the United States and abroad. |
 | | January 23, 2004, U.S. District Judge Audrey Collins ruled that Section 805 (which classifies "expert advice or assistance" as material support to terrorism) was vague and in violation of the First and Fifth Amendments, marking the first legal decision to set a part of the Act aside. |
 | | The Sedition Act of 1918 is sometimes compared to the USA PATRIOT Act because of the latter's perceived chilling effect on free speech. |
| en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Patriot_Act (6184 words) |