The Constitution is the highest law, and that which is not Constitutional is, ipso facto, not lawful.
> The patriot act made all these "legal" - but aren't we waiting for a supreme court decision that states that the entire collection is "unconstitutional"?
The Supreme Court doesn't have unique competency in Constitutional cases, it just has final appellate authority. Every decision by a federal court that something is legal includes, either implicitly or explicitly, a decision that it is Constitutional.
In this case, the Constitutional judgement is explicit, not implicit.
¬Constitutional ⇒ ¬Lawful
The Constitution is the highest law, and that which is not Constitutional is, ipso facto, not lawful.
> The patriot act made all these "legal" - but aren't we waiting for a supreme court decision that states that the entire collection is "unconstitutional"?
The Supreme Court doesn't have unique competency in Constitutional cases, it just has final appellate authority. Every decision by a federal court that something is legal includes, either implicitly or explicitly, a decision that it is Constitutional.
In this case, the Constitutional judgement is explicit, not implicit.