No. 14-5123
Huff, et al. v. Spaw
Page 17
had held that § 605 interception requires interference, we could not rely on that holding to define
the meaning of “interception” under a different statute. We must instead look to Title III’s text,
which undermines Spaw’s position because the statutory definition for interception contains no
reference to an interference requirement. 18 U.S.C. § 2510(4). The statute goes on to state that
it is unlawful to intentionally intercept oral communications under a variety of conditions,
including through the use of a “device [that] transmits communication by radio, or interferes
with the transmission of such communication.” Id. § 2511(1)(b)(ii) (emphasis added). The
disjunctive use of “or” indicates that Title III contemplates using a radio device that does not
interfere with radio transmissions to unlawfully intercept oral communications. Case law also
contradicts Spaw’s interference requirement. In Boddie, we held that covertly recording a faceto-face conversation could be the basis for unlawful interception under Title III, 731 F.2d at 339,
and the Seventh Circuit reached the same conclusion in McCann, 622 F.3d at 752–53. In neither
case did the defendant “interfere” with a line of communication.
Because Spaw cites non-binding and unpersuasive case law to support a conclusion that
is inconsistent with statutory text and binding case law, we reject her argument that her conduct
did not qualify as interception because she did not interfere with the phone line.
V. CONCLUSION
James Huff’s statements do not qualify as oral communications for Title III purposes
because he exposed them to Spaw when he pocket-dialed her, but Bertha Huff’s statements do
qualify because she cannot be held responsible for her husband’s pocket-dial. While Spaw
intercepted Bertha Huff’s oral communications, the question remains as to whether she did so
intentionally through use of a device. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the district court’s judgment as
to James Huff, REVERSE the district court’s judgment as to Bertha Huff, and REMAND for
further consideration consistent with this opinion.
consent because that section provides that “[i]t shall not be unlawful for a person acting under color of law to
intercept a wire, oral or electronic communication, where . . . one of the parties to the communication has given
prior consent to such interception.” (Emphasis added).
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