Supreme Court could weigh in on NSA case, justice says

By Gabe LaMonica, CNN

updated 11:51 AM EDT, Fri April 18, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- A Supreme Court justice Thursday night suggested the legality of National Security Agency activities could be decided by the court.

Three days after Pulitzers were awarded to newspapers that revealed the NSA's surveillance activities, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg deflected a question about Edward Snowden, who leaked NSA data.

When asked, "Do you believe that Snowden is a whistleblower or a traitor?" Ginsburg, who was joined by Justice Antonin Scalia, told an audience at the National Press Club in Washington that she could not say.

"It's also possible, is it not," she said, "that the question you raise could come before the court. And we are not at liberty to preview."

If Snowden is extradited to the United States and charged with federal crimes for his leaks, his case could come before the court.

In June of 2013, The Guardian and The Washington Post published reports that revealed the NSA's bulk collection of U.S. citizens' phone records and other clandestine surveillance activities. That sparked a firestorm concerning Fourth Amendment protections for U.S. citizens from "unreasonable searches and seizures" and the issue of where that protection weighs in the balance between national security and personal privacy.

On Thursday, the two justices were asked whether The Post deserved the highest accolade in journalism, a gold medal for public service administered by Columbia University in New York City for nearly 100 years.

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Supreme Court could weigh in on NSA case, justice says