Court Opinion

ID: 9695740
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 18:28:25.827049+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:15.885939
License: Public Domain

*466VAN der VOORT, Judge,
concurring:
I strongly support the rationale and thoughts expressed in the opinion authored by Judge Price. I not only believe it improper for our Courts to exclude evidence obtained lawfully in one of our sister states, but feel that the legislators in our Commonwealth should reexamine our own laws with respect to wire-tapping.
There has been a great advancement in technological progress in the field of communications. Organized crime networks, such as those involved in our horrible drug traffic, have to make use of communications to advance their illegal schemes, and they certainly must and do take advantage of improvements and sophistication in communications techniques. The need for fast and unhampered communications is the “Achille’s heel” of organized crime and their interception offers the only hope of society’s being able to cope successfully with it. I believe that a careful balance can be struck which would permit our law enforcement officials to make controlled interceptions of such communications, while preserving the principles of privacy which we all hold so dear.
Our federal statutes permit wiretapping and other mechanical interception of wire and oral communications in limited circumstances and with stringent safeguards. See 18 U.S.C. § 2510 et seq. Similar concepts, with provisions for court authorization upon appropriate application and oath by a highly responsible Commonwealth official, such as the Attorney General, deserve strong consideration by our legislature.
Our law enforcement personnel must be afforded the modern tools necessary to repair the havoc caused our society by those who flaunt our criminal laws in ever increasing numbers and ways. While the constitutionally mandated rights of all citizens must be zealously protected, a balance between those rights and effective law enforcement is both possible and necessary. The ability of law enforcement personnel to intercept oral communica*467tions, with strong safeguards to protect individual liberties, can be provided for in our statutes. I strongly urge our legislators to consider such steps.