Pubdate: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News (CO) Copyright: 2000 Denver Publishing Co. Contact: 400 W. Colfax, Denver, CO 80204 Website: http://www.denver-rmn.com/ Author: Hector Gutierrez, News Staff Writer TATTERED COVER'S RECORDS AT CENTER OF PRIVACY CASE A Denver district court judge this week will decide whether drug detectives can search bookstore records in what could become a landmark privacy case. Joyce Meskis, owner of Tattered Cover Book Store, obtained a temporary restraining order to keep the North Metro Drug Task Force from searching her business records that would say who bought two books about making methamphetamine. District Judge J. Stephen Phillips will decide whether Meskis can make the order permanent or whether task force detectives can use store records to prove who was illegally making methamphetamine at an Adams County home that was frequented by a number of people. A Drug Enforcement Administration agent subpoenaed the bookstore in March for the titles and nature of any books that were shipped to the suspect in the case. Tattered Cover vowed to fight the subpoena and the task force declined to pursue it. In April, members of the North Metro Drug Task Force sought a search warrant for the store but were turned down by Adams County Deputy District Attorney Fran Wasserman. They later were able to get one through a Denver court with help from the Denver district attorney's office. Tattered Cover argued that allowing the search would infringe on First Amendment rights of its customers regarding what they can read. Fifteen literary groups have filed court documents in support of the store's efforts to keep the records private. Investigators found the books inside a bedroom of a suspect believed to be involved in making methamphetamine in a laboratory in the house. Two other people were inside the home at the time of the search. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D