Chief Justice John Roberts has appointed Eastern District Judge Raymond Dearie to fill a seat on the special court that oversees warrants for government surveillance in spy and terrorism cases. Dearie, who will serve a seven-year term on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, replaces Judge Malcolm Howard of North Carolina, whose term expired in May. Both Dearie and Howard were nominated to the federal bench by President Ronald Reagan.
The court is made up of federal judges from around the country who meet in secret to hear classified evidence from government attorneys. At least one of its 11 judges is on call to issue warrants any time of the day or night.
