National, state wiretaps see decreases during 2020

Federal and state judges reported a combined 26% decrease in authorized wiretaps in 2020, according to court statistics released last week. Convictions stemming from cases involving electronic surveillance also decreased significantly.

The June 28 report released by U.S. Courts tracks the number of wiretaps and intercepts approved and terminated in the previous calendar year. In the 2020 report, drug offenses were found to be the most prevalent type of crime investigated using intercepts.

Specifically, 77% of all wiretap applications last year cited narcotics as being one of the offenses. Conspiracy, at 13%, was the second-most frequently cited crime. Racketeering was the third largest at 5%.

Nationally, federal judges authorized 1,297 wiretaps last year, an 8% decline from 2019. But state court judges approved 40% fewer wiretaps, signing 1,080 orders.

Judges in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana authorized five wiretap orders in 2020. Of those, all were drug related except for two dealing with fraud and bribery. In the Southern District of Indiana, 19 intercepts were approved last year compared, most of which were drug or narcotic related.

Also down from the previous years’ stats was the number of arrests made as a result of wiretaps investigations, totaling at 6,574 arrests, a 38% decrease compared to 2019. Additionally, 311 people were convicted in cases involving wiretaps, 88% fewer than cases the year before.

Applications in six states accounted for 74% of all wiretaps approved by state judges, including New York, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Colorado and Florida.

The cost of wiretaps also increased by 59%, the report concluded, with an average cost of $119,418 in 2020.

The full report is available online.