William Porter

William Porter is a magistrate judge who recently ruled in a case involving the Department of Justice (DOJ) and The Washington Post. He is newsworthy because he prohibited the DOJ from directly searching electronic devices seized from Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson. The DOJ had sought a search warrant as part of a national security investigation. Judge Porter criticized the Trump administration for omitting relevant case law in its application for the warrant. Instead of allowing the DOJ to conduct the search, Judge Porter ruled that the court itself would review the devices to identify documents pertinent to the investigation. This decision is significant because it involves First Amendment rights and the protection of journalistic materials. The Washington Post has demanded the immediate return of all seized materials, calling the seizure 'outrageous'.