JPL Employees Win Appeal on HSPD-12

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Rules in Favor of JPL Employees Regarding Intrusive Background Investigations
“Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the federal government and in favor of employees at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the matter of Homeland Security Presidential Directive #12 (Nelson et al. vs NASA). Today’s ruling denied a motion from the Department of Justice for an en banc hearing (a hearing before a large panel of the Ninth Circuit) on the question of overturning an injunction issued last year against NASA and the California Institute of Technology by a three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit. The earlier ruling was unanimous in favor of the JPL employees. Today’s vote of all the judges of the Ninth Circuit, in denying this appeal, was described as “not close”.”