U.S. v. Mohamed Mohamud Oral Argument

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral argument in U.S. v. Mohamed Mohamud, a case challenging the National Security Agency (NSA) warrantless surveillance program. Mohamed Mohamud is a Somali-American naturalized citizen who was convicted in 2010 of attempting to set off what he thought was a car bomb at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon. The explosives were fake and part of a sting operation set up by federal agents. Mohamed Mohamud was appealing his conviction and challenging the government’s use of the NSA surveillance program that collects information from online communications and the international phone calls of Americans without a warrant. This was the first time an appeals court would decide if a defendant’s constitutional rights had been violated by the NSA’s surveillance program. Judge Pregerson participated by remote video. close