Judge blocks access to James Comey emails on lawyer's seized computer

Federal Judge Blocks Access to James Comey Emails in Seized Laptop Case, Fuelling New Indictment Bid

A US federal judge has temporarily halted the Justice Department's access to key evidence it used to pursue charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. The decision, issued on Saturday night, blocks the administration from accessing emails and computer data related to Daniel Richman, a lawyer who had previously sued the government over seized materials.

Richman's lawsuit alleged that prosecutors had violated his Fourth Amendment right by retaining a complete copy of all files on his personal computer without a warrant. The judge agreed with Richman, stating that he was "likely to succeed" in proving this claim.

The Justice Department had been seeking to place new charges against Comey and James after the dismissal of indictments against both individuals. However, the ruling has effectively delayed these efforts until December 12 at 11:59 p.m. ET, unless the court decides otherwise.

Richman's lawyer had asked for a temporary restraining order to prevent prosecutors from using or relying on seized materials without proper authorization. The judge granted this request, stating that the government's actions were "unlawful" and violated Richman's constitutional rights.

The development comes as President Donald Trump has signaled his intention to appeal the dismissal of Comey's indictments. Former FBI Director James Comey had pleaded not guilty to charges related to lying to investigators and obstructing Congress.

Ugh, can you believe this?! A federal judge just blocked access to some super important emails in a laptop case involving those two lawyers, and now it's like the Justice Department is all "oh noes" because they won't be able to get their hands on that evidence. I mean, come on! If the government can't even follow basic procedure, how are we supposed to trust them with our justice system?

And what's going on with these indictments, anyway? It feels like a never-ending game of cat and mouse between Trump and Comey (and Letitia James). Can't they just settle this already?! I'm so over all the back-and-forth. And meanwhile, the public is still stuck in the middle of it all, wondering what's really going on behind closed doors... It's like we're not even getting any real answers.

This recent decision by the federal judge is quite intriguing . It raises questions about the Justice Department's methods and the limits of their authority in pursuing high-profile cases like this one. The fact that Richman's Fourth Amendment rights were being infringed upon suggests a need for greater transparency and accountability from law enforcement agencies.

It's also interesting to note how this development might impact President Trump's plans to appeal the dismissal of Comey's indictments . Will this delay give him more time to strategize his next move, or will it ultimately work against his interests? The uncertainty surrounding this case is a reminder that even in today's fast-paced world of politics and justice, there are still checks and balances in place to ensure that power is not abused.

In any case, the fact remains that Comey and James will have to wait until December 12 at 11:59 p.m. ET for their cases to potentially be revisited . Until then, we'll just have to keep watching this space for further updates .

Oh man, this is like a big twist in a thriller movie! The judge basically said nope, you can't access those emails without a warrant . Like, the Justice Department was trying to get new charges against Comey and Letitia James, but now that's like on hold indefinitely .

I'm not surprised though, Richman's lawyer had been fighting for his client's rights too . And it's all about the Fourth Amendment, which is a big deal in US law . The judge agreeing with Richman means he's likely to succeed in proving that the government was wrong .

This is super interesting because it could be a major delay for Comey and James' cases . And now Trump wants to appeal, which will just add more drama to this whole thing . It's all about the law, but also kinda like a big game of cat and mouse .

Umm what's up with this? So basically, the gov is trying to reopen some old cases against these two politicians and now a judge just blocks them from accessing some emails on a lawyer's laptop... like, who knew that was even a thing? Richman's lawsuit is pretty weak, imo. I mean, you get a seizure notice, what did he expect? The gov is trying to protect its own and this judge just threw up a roadblock. Guess we'll see how the appeals go down...

I'm kinda surprised by this news, you know? I mean, I don't think it's fair that they're being held back from accessing those emails, but at the same time, I get why Richman wanted a temporary restraining order . Like, his client was all "hey, my stuff was seized without a warrant" and the judge is all "yeah, that doesn't sound right". I'm not saying Comey or Letitia James did anything wrong, but it's also not like they can just have their lives back now . The whole thing feels kinda... complicated . Anyway, I guess this means we're gonna be waiting around for December 12 to see what happens next .

omg what a twist this is like something out of a movie, can't believe the judge sided with richman it's like they're trying to block trump's plans but i gotta wonder how far this gonna go will they try to appeal or just back down? either way, justice for james comey and letitia james meanwhile, we'll just have to wait and see what happens next...

I'm thinking about this whole thing with James Comey and Letitia James... it's crazy how politics can get so messy! So, basically, the judge is saying that the government shouldn't be able to access these emails and computer data without a proper warrant, which is a big deal because it could impact the whole investigation into Comey and James. Richman's lawyer is like "hey, you guys have been doing this all wrong" and the judge is all like "yeah, you're probably gonna win this case". I'm not surprised that the Justice Department is trying to find new ways to charge these two, but it seems like they might be getting a bit desperate. The fact that President Trump wants to appeal the dismissal of Comey's indictments just makes things more complicated... like, will we ever get to the bottom of this?

So this is a big deal, right? A judge just blocked the government from accessing some emails and computer data that could have been used against James Comey and Letitia James. It's like they're saying "hey, you can't just take someone's stuff without a warrant". This is because Daniel Richman's lawyer claimed that the government was violating his rights by keeping a copy of all files on his computer without permission.

It's making me think that this whole thing with Comey and James might not be over yet. If the court doesn't lift the temporary restraining order, it means they won't get to use this evidence until December 12th. And if President Trump decides to appeal the dismissal of those indictments... well, that just adds more fuel to the fire . It's gonna be interesting to see how all this plays out!

I'm low-key surprised by this judge's decision . It seems like the Justice Department was trying to use Richman's seized laptop as a way to get more info on Comey and Letitia James, but the law is pretty clear that they need a warrant to do so . This ruling says that's exactly what happened - prosecutors broke the law by not getting a warrant .

This could definitely delay any new indictments against Comey and James, which might be a bummer for the Trump administration . But on the other hand, it's good to see someone like Richman standing up for his rights and fighting for what's fair . It's also worth noting that this case could have big implications for how prosecutors handle seized materials in the future .

This is just so messed up ! I mean, come on, a judge steps in and says "nope, you can't use these emails" and suddenly it's like the whole game of cat and mouse between Comey and the Justice Department has changed direction . I'm not saying this guy Richman isn't trying to protect his rights or anything, but it feels like there's some pretty deep politics going on here . I mean, what if these emails were really that incriminating? Doesn't that kinda make you wonder why the Justice Department was so keen on getting their hands on them in the first place? Anyway, this is just another weird twist in this whole saga, and now it seems like we'll have to wait a bit longer to see what happens next .