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Constitutional Limits to
Electronic Surveillance
Dr. Max
Guirguis
Advances in and computer technologies have furnished
government with new tools to combat crime and protect national
security. Preeminent among these tools are hi-tech surveillance
cameras that have been deployed in several major
US
cities and airports to monitor suspicious activity. Some of these
cameras are equipped with facial recognition software sophisticated
enough to compare captured images to preloaded mug shots, and
identify known felons or terror suspects almost instantly. As yet,
the US Supreme Court has addressed neither issue, and thus no clear
constitutional standards have been set on the use of this modern
technology that has given government an unprecedented ability to
engage in electronic surveillance. In his presentation, Dr.
Guirguis will explore the Fourth Amendment issues involved in the
use of government-installed cameras in public places as well as
face-recognition systems, and propose some guidelines to keep the
practice constitutional and minimally intrusive. |
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Dr. Max Guirguis is an
assistant professor of political science at
Shepherd
University. He holds a BS
from New Jersey
City University,
an MS from Long Island
University in Brooklyn,
New York City, and a Ph.D. from
Auburn University, Alabama.
Dr. Guirguis has taught at two institutions within the
Georgia state university system prior
to joining Shepherd faculty in Fall 2004.
Over the past 2 years, Dr. Guirguis has taught 8 different courses for
the political science department, and is currently designing a new
course on First Amendment freedoms to be offered in
Spring 2007. In addition to teaching courses in the areas of
constitutional law and international
politics, Dr. Guirguis serves as the university’s
prelaw advisor. |
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