District Attorney for the Plymouth District v. New England Telephone & Telegraph Co.

On March 2, 1979, the district attorney for the Plymouth District (district attorney) obtained an order from a judge of the Superior Court, pursuant to a motion to compel technical assistance, directing the New England Telephone & Telegraph Company (company) to assist the district attorney in the installation of a cross frame unit trap or similar device on a particular telephone line. A cross frame unit trap records the telephone numbers of incoming calls, or attempted incoming calls, to a telephone line under surveillance. The company argues that the judge had no authority to enter the…