Judge Napolitano: We're seeing 'slow death of civil liberties in the name of public safety'

By Joshua Nelson

Published April 14, 2020

After "Fox & Friends" anchor Steve Doocy raised concern about the use of drones during the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano on Tuesday highlighted the "extreme overreach" of government quarantine measures during the crisis.

"We are witnessing the slow death of civil liberties in the name of public safety," Judge Napolitano told "Fox & Friends."

"When a drone hovers over you, that is surveillance and surveillance is a search," Napolitano said, slamming the use of drones for social distance policing purposes during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Napolitano’s comments came after U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Monday issued counter-drone guidelines to Justice Department agencies.

"[The guidelines] will ensure that we are positioned for the future to address this new threat and that we approach our counter-drone efforts responsibly, with full respect for the Constitution, privacy, and the safety of the national airspace," Barr said.

Napolitano said a search must be conducted with a search warrant.

"Do we really want to live in a society where a piece of plastic and metal in the sky is going to start yelling at us because we’re too close to our neighbors?" Napolitano asked.

Napolitano called out the Michigan governor, who deemed the purchase of a garden hose "illegal," along with other so-called non-essential supplies.

"It’s April. This is the time of the year to buy garden hoses," Napolitano said.

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Napolitano said that while the governors have the authority to regulate health, safety, and welfare, they have taken "too much of that authority to take too much civil liberties away from Americans.

"The question is will we get it back when this is over," Napolitano said.

Joshua Q. Nelson is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

Joshua focuses on cultural trends, education, and public policy. He extensively covered reparations developments across the U.S., the Department of Education, and immigration issues.

Joining Fox News Digital in 2019, he previously graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Political Science and received the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Public Policy Certificate.

Story tips can be sent to joshua.nelson@fox.com and Joshua can be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/media/judge-andrew-napolitano-were-seeing-slow-death-of-civil-liberties-during-coronavirus-pandemic