# Legal Question: In A Criminal Trial, Could the Defense Subpoena The NSA?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-in-a-criminal-trial-could-the-defense-subpoena-the-nsa/663947>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 19, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-in-a-criminal-trial-could-the-defense-subpoena-the-nsa/663947 "2013-07-19T16:03:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-in-a-criminal-trial-could-the-defense-subpoena-the-nsa/663947/1 "2013-07-19T16:03:57Z")

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Suppose you are a defendant in a murder trial. Your alibi could be proven if your now-destroyed emails could be produced. Could your defense lawyer subpoena the NSA to obtain the vital emails? They are your property, but now in government custody.

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**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-in-a-criminal-trial-could-the-defense-subpoena-the-nsa/663947/2 "2013-07-19T16:39:39Z")

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I wonder if NSA is protected by any sort of privilege. I would be shocked if its not.

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-in-a-criminal-trial-could-the-defense-subpoena-the-nsa/663947/3 "2013-07-19T16:54:02Z")

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> [@AK84](#):
>
> I wonder if NSA is protected by any sort of privilege. I would be shocked if its not.

I suspect the state secrets privilege would be invoked.