A federal judge in Detroit has ruled that the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance program is unconstitutional and must be stopped. On Thursday, US District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor found that the program violated freedom of speech, protections against unreasonable searches and a constitutional check on the power of the presidency. In her 43-page ruling, Taylor wrote: “There are no hereditary kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution.” The wiretapping suit was filed in Michigan by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a number of journalists, lawyers, scholars and rights workers who believed their communications had been monitored. The Justice Department has launched an appeal and a hearing is set for September 7th. The ruling is on hold while the appeals process is under way