Judge Loosens Library Gag (Courant.com) BRIDGEPORT -- In what could become a landmark First Amendment case, a federal judge in Connecticut ruled Friday that the FBI cannot "gag" several librarians from revealing that they were ordered to produce library patron records in the course of a national security investigation.

The decision could have a profound impact on the national debate over the sweeping powers the USA Patriot Act has conferred on law enforcement officials in the name of counterterrorism and national security.

U.S. District Court Judge Janet C. Hall ruled - after privately reviewing classified documents about the investigation in question - that there was no compelling reason in this particular case for the government to suppress the identity of those who recently received FBI "National Security Letters" demanding information about Internet use by a certain patron or patrons.

Hall ordered that the gag be lifted, but postponed the effective date of her order until Sept. 20, to permit the government time to appeal the case, John Doe et al vs. [U.S. Attorney General Alberto] Gonzales.

"Once revealed, Doe cannot be made anonymous again," she wrote of the harm to the government if the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals were to reverse her order after the identities of the librarians were made public.

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