The phone in question in Orenstein’s court belonged to a criminal in a drug case. In California, the cellphone belonged to a criminal who was responsible for killing 14 people in San Bernardino, CA. The judge in the California case is not obligated to follow Orenstein's ruling.
The government continues to want access to cellphones encryption systems so that it can solve crimes or stop terrorism before it occurs, it claims. The Justice Department was not pleased with Orenstein's decision and says it will try to get a higher judge to rule in favor of forcing cellphone companies to hand over the keys to get access to cellphones.
The issue centers on the interpretation of the All Writs Act (AWA), a term that stems from the Constitution. The FBI says the AWA gives them the right to make such demands. Orenstein's decision basically says that the AWA does not give them that right because that was not the intention of the writers of the Constitution.
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Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-encryption-deny-idUSKCN0W22Q0
http://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/29/ny-judge-rules-in-apples-favor-on-unlocking-issue/
Photo: Unchanged; by Linda Flores
Keywords: Apple, Judge Orenstein, cellphone, case, Apple, decipher, Justice Department