Latest news with #JamesHarper
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Supreme Court Rebuffs Bid to Protect Coinbase User Data From IRS
(Bloomberg) -- The US Supreme Court refused to question an Internal Revenue Service summons that forced Coinbase Global Inc. to turn over transaction information for more than 14,000 cryptocurrency customers. Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares Squeezed by Crowds, the Roads of Central Park Are Being Reimagined Sao Paulo Pushes Out Favela Residents, Drug Users to Revive Its City Center Sprawl Is Still Not the Answer Mapping the Architectural History of New York's Chinatown The justices without explanation rejected an appeal from an account holder who said the IRS violated his rights under the Constitution's Fourth Amendment. Privacy advocates had hoped the case would put new limits on government searches in the digital age. Coinbase account holder James Harper asked the Supreme Court to revisit a 1976 ruling that said customers don't have privacy rights in records held by their banks. A federal appeals court upheld the IRS summons, which came as part of an investigation into what the government says is widespread underreporting of capital gains on cryptocurrencies. 'The lower court's ruling will effectively strip millions of Americans of meaningful privacy protections over their most sensitive financial data – simply because they use modern financial service providers,' Harper argued. Coinbase, the biggest US crypto exchange, joined Harper in asking the high court to take up the case. The company said it resisted the IRS summons as long as it could without risking being held in contempt. President Donald Trump's administration urged the Supreme Court to reject the appeal, saying Harper 'lacks any reasonable expectation of privacy in Coinbase's records about his account.' Though Trump in his current White House term has fashioned himself as a friend of the crypto industry and a skeptic of IRS power, both his current and previous administrations have backed the long-running IRS investigation. The probe began during Barack Obama's presidency in 2016, when the IRS sought personal and financial information on 500,000 Coinbase customers over a three-year period. After a year of legal wrangling, Coinbase turned over a subset of that information, including Harper's data. The IRS sent Harper a letter in 2019 telling him he 'may not have properly reported' virtual currency transactions. Harper, who says he paid all the taxes he owed, then sued the IRS, contending the agency had illegally obtained his financial information. The 1976 Supreme Court ruling said the Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, doesn't apply to records that are held by a 'third party,' like a bank. The court extended that principle to telephone records in 1979, saying people can't expect privacy regarding the numbers they call. The Supreme Court in 2018 carved out what it said was a 'narrow' exception to the third-party doctrine, ruling that the Fourth Amendment covers mobile-phone tower records that show someone's location over an extended period. The court said law enforcement officers generally need a warrant to get that data. Some conservative justices have criticized the third-party rule, saying the court should focus instead on whose property the disputed data is. 'The fact that a third party has access to or possession of your papers and effects does not necessarily eliminate your interest in them,' Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a separate opinion in the 2018 case. The case is Harper v. Faulkender, 24-922. America's Top Consumer-Sentiment Economist Is Worried How to Steal a House Inside Gap's Last-Ditch, Tariff-Addled Turnaround Push Apple Test-Drives Big-Screen Movie Strategy With F1 Does a Mamdani Victory and Bezos Blowback Mean Billionaires Beware? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Arabian Post
17-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Court's Digital Privacy Test: IRS Crypto Data Seizure
The United States Supreme Court has been asked to reconsider constitutional protections after the Internal Revenue Service obtained transaction records from more than 14,000 cryptocurrency users—including James Harper—without a warrant, under a sweeping 'John Doe' summons aimed at Coinbase data. At issue is whether the longstanding third‑party doctrine—under which individuals forfeit Fourth Amendment privacy protections by sharing data with third parties—remains valid in the digital age. James Harper, whose trading history dates back to 2013 and who reported all taxable gains, received notification in August 2019 that the IRS had secured his wallet and transaction data without any suspicion of wrongdoing. The agency extended its data collection to approximately 14,000 other users, sparking legal challenges in lower courts and culminating in the Supreme Court petition known as Harper v. Faulkender. Supporters of Harper argue that the third‑party doctrine originated in a pre‑digital era, designed for narrow investigations, not mass data collection. In briefs filed on 13 June, the New Civil Liberties Alliance and Supreme Court litigator Kannon Shanmugam contended that individuals do not relinquish property or privacy rights simply by using digital platforms, and that warrant requirements should be reinstated for data access. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in previous commentary, branded the doctrine 'ill‑suited to the digital age,' a view echoed by other federal judges in the Fifth and Ninth Circuits. ADVERTISEMENT In contrast, the IRS and its supporters argue that the doctrine is well‑established and necessary for effective tax enforcement, especially amid growing use of cryptocurrencies and concerns over under‑reporting. The agency says organisations like Coinbase have an obligation to furnish information when legal summonses are issued, even absent individual suspicion. Lower courts have upheld the doctrine, dismissing Harper's case. A district court in New Hampshire ruled that Harper lacked standing, while the First Circuit applied the third‑party doctrine in September 2024 to dismiss his Fourth Amendment claim. Now, the Supreme Court must decide whether to reverse these rulings. Analysts suggest that a Supreme Court hearing—and eventual decision—could set a transformative legal precedent regarding digital privacy. If justices mandate search warrants under the Fourth Amendment before agencies can collect personal data—even from third parties—it would broaden protections for online financial activity and reshape the investigative landscape. Conversely, a decision upholding the status quo would affirm broad government access to digital records without judicial oversight. The case aligns with broader judicial scrutiny over the balance between technological advancement and constitutional safeguards. As cryptocurrency adoption increases among individuals and businesses, questions loom over how traditional investigative powers should adapt. Critics fear that unchecked authority under the third‑party doctrine could pave the way for routine surveillance and erosion of civil liberties. At the same time, law enforcement officials maintain that revised legal thresholds could complicate investigations into financial crimes and tax fraud. They argue that agencies need efficient access to data held by third-party institutions to detect under‑reported crypto gains and illicit transactions swiftly. The Supreme Court's decision on certiorari is expected this autumn. Should the Court agree to hear the case, oral arguments may follow early next year, offering a watershed moment for Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. The outcome will be watched by constitutional scholars, digital‑rights activists, regulators and the cryptocurrency industry. As digital transactions become integral to everyday life, the Harper v. Faulkender decision may redefine the boundary between individual privacy and government authority. The Court's ruling could determine whether the act of sharing financial data with a platform like Coinbase is equivalent to voluntary disclosure, or if it remains protected under constitutional standards requiring judicial oversight.
Daily Record
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Record
Maybole neighbours threatened with fines over 'ludicrous' pavement parking law
Residents on Hutchison Street in Maybole have been left with a parking dilemma as South Ayrshire Council crack down on pavement parking. Residents in a narrow Ayrshire street have been left with a parking dilemma after being threatened with fines. South Ayrshire Council have warned motorists on Maybole's Hutchison Street that they face £100 fines for parking on the pavement. However, homeowners have appealed for common sense as the street isn't wide enough to accommodate parked cars fully on the road and allow access for other residents and emergency services. One Hutchison Street resident, James Harper, is worried that parking problems could spill onto adjacent streets if residents are forced to move their cars to avoid fines. Although there are exemptions to the new pavement parking rules, South Ayrshire Council have not applied any to Hutchison Street meaning motorists could be liable for the fines when enforcement of the policy in the town begins. Speaking to Ayrshire Live, 85-year-old James said the council shouldn't be causing problems when there aren't any. He said: "We discovered our cars had been adorned with a notice to say that pavement parkers would be subject to a £100 fine in line with the Scottish Government's new enforcement of the law. "We had all parked with two wheels on the pavement as we always have done - not through choice but by necessity. Our street is not wide enough to allow us to park on the road and still leave room for other vehicles to pass. "Hutchison Street is a cul-de-sac so there is no through traffic. The trouble is, and has always been, the narrowness of the road. "One vehicle, if fully parked on the road, blocks access further into the street. This means there is no room for residents' cars, ambulance, fire brigade or anyone requiring access. "One bit of good news - through the kind heart and consideration of the operators of this draconian piece of legislation, we will get a discount on our fines if we stump up in less than a fortnight. "Where the hell are we supposed to park? Every driver and effected person in the street has signed a petition asking that, out of necessity, we be allowed to park with two wheels on the pavement as we have always done without any complaints. "This law will have a knock on effect as we all would new have to park further afield and inevitably cause parking problems in adjoining streets. "The streets adjacent to Hutchison Street are all fully parked, there's not a space left in them. If we can't get into Hutchison street, we've got to find somewhere else to park. "We'll jump in whenever there's a vacancy round the corner and that could cause trouble. "It is ludicrous, it really it is. "I don't when they are going to enforce this but there is nothing we can do. "What makes it more difficult is that on the other side of the road from where we park, the steps into the houses encroach onto the road which further narrows the street."
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Industry group calls for federal action on work zone safety
This story was originally published on Construction Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Construction Dive newsletter. Construction worker James Harper, 24, was killed when a tractor-trailer struck him April 15 as he filled a pothole on Interstate 77 between Kanawha City and Marmet, West Virginia. The driver has since been arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter, according to WSAZ 3. One week since his death, jobsites across the country and public and private organizations are hosting activities this week to raise safety awareness around workers like him, as Monday marks the beginning of National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week 2025. The effort seeks to highlight highway work zones to improve safety for construction workers and motorists alike. Activities include a social media blitz, wearing orange to raise awareness and a moment of silence for those who have died in fatal work zone crashes. This year, The American Traffic Safety Services Association chose the theme 'Respect the Zone – So We All Get Home.' 'It's important to grasp the meaning of this year's theme,' said ATSSA President and CEO Stacy Tetschner in a release. 'It reflects the sad reality that the majority of people killed in work zone crashes are drivers and their passengers. That's why it's critical to put away all distractions, slow down and stay alert when approaching and passing through a roadway work zone.' Indeed, data indicates that motorists are in greater danger of death than workers or pedestrians. In 2022, there were 891 total work zone fatalities, according to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse. Of those, 136, or about 15%, were workers or pedestrians. And it is a common issue. About two-thirds of contractors experienced a car crash on a highway work zone in 2024, according to a survey of highway contractors by the Associated General Contractors of America and construction software firm HCSS. A little over a third of respondents reported no collisions in their work zones, while 33% said they had dealt with five or more. Respondents to AGC's survey also said they want state officials to act, with the majority saying the states in which they work have insufficient penalties to deter motorists from driving recklessly through work zones. The ATSSA and the National Asphalt Pavement Association are trying to change that, announcing April 17 they will lead a coalition to address work zone safety in the next federal highway bill. 'Over the last year, awareness and education has really been the center point in our efforts on the Hill, making work zone safety top-of-mind for members of the House (Transportation and Infrastructure) committee,' NAPA Director, Government Affairs, Mitch Baldwin said in a release. Contingency funds for work zone safety were originally included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, intended to give contractors access to federal money to make work zones safer. But the rollout of the additional federal share has been slow, Baldwin said in the release, with only three states participating, a statistic that road safety organizations hope to address. Baldwin said one of the goals is to establish a federal working group on work zone safety to bring all these ideas, and the relevant stakeholders, to the table. 'We want everyone on the roadways to get home safely,' Tetschner said. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Beckley man identified as worker killed on I-77, one man arrested and charged
CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — A Beckley man was identified as the construction worker killed on I-77 in Kanawha County on Monday, April 14, 2025. According to the West Virginia State Police, at 10:46 AM, Parkways Control received a report of a Parkways employee, now identified as 23-year-old James Harper, of Beckley, being hit by a commercial vehicle that was travelling in the southbound lanes near mile marker 92. The driver of the vehicle was identified at 28-year-old Anvar Sabirov, of Rego Park, New York. Witnesses stated that Sabirov allegedly entered the marked work zone with his head down. Harper was hit while he was filling a pothole. GHSP encourages drivers to drive safely during National Distracted Driving Awareness Month Sabirov was arrested and charged with Vehicular Manslaughter. An investigation into the incident remains 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
