Permission for the government to listen in on private phone conversations is not something courts give lightly. The application is first reviewed by the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., before being submitted to the court with jurisdiction over the area where the crime is alleged to be taking place. For the request to be granted, the FBI must show evidence that a crime is in progress over the specific phone line they are interested in tapping and that other investigative methods—such as reviewing documents and finding cooperators—have been exhausted or are not likely to work. They must
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