Supreme Court rejects suit against John Ashcroft
...But in a unanimous decision in Ashcroft vs. Kidd, the high court ruled the attorney general was immune from such claims. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, in a key concurring opinion joined by three liberal justices, said judges should be wary of allowing suits targeting "national officeholders" working "in the area of national security."

"Nationwide security operations should not have to grind to a halt," he said, while judges decide whether a top official has overstepped his authority....