Rep. John Taylor (R-Philadelphia) is co-sponsoring legislation to amend the Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act of 2006 (WESCA) to keep the law from expiring at the end of the year.
WESCA, which permits the state attorney general, district attorneys or their designated deputies to petition any Superior Court judge for an order authorizing the use of wire, electronic or oral communication for surveillance purposes, is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2008.
“The law has proven its usefulness in the investigation of drug trafficking in the state, which accounted for roughly 87 percent of the cases in 2006,” said Taylor. “Other intercepts that year advanced homicide investigations and violations of corrupt organizations.”
Attorney General Tom Corbett has stated that the wiretapping and electronic surveillance statutes are the most effective law enforcement tools available to fight drug trafficking in the Commonwealth.
“The legislation I am supporting will permit prosecutors to continue using wiretapping and electronic surveillance to identify and prosecute some of the state’s most serious criminal offenders,” Taylor said.
Rep. John Taylor
177th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
(215) 425-0901
(717) 787-3179
(717) 260-6452
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE