WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The high-stakes legal fight between Apple Inc. and the Justice Department over a locked iPhone is moving from the courts to Congress.
FBI Director James Comey and Apple chief lawyer Bruce Sewell appeared before the House Judiciary Committee for a hearing on encryption Tuesday afternoon.
The hearing comes amid two significant and conflicting court rulings in New York and California on whether Apple can be forced to help the FBI gain access to locked phones.
Comey warns in his prepared testimony that technological advancements have been accompanied by "new dangers." He says those can prevent law enforcement from collecting critical evidence in criminal and terrorism investigations.
But Sewell says the FBI is asking Apple to weaken the security of its products, which he says could create a dangerous precedent.
The case could go before the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, 9OYS spoke to Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos about the case. He says he's very interested in the outcome, and believes it should be up to the courts to decide.
"The right to privacy and the right to know is always going to be a conflict for law enforcement at any level, whether your local, state or federal," Nanos said.
Like the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, Nanos says deputies have found phones and have been unable to get information.
"I would hope that we have other ways of finding who committed a crime, and all those parties involved in that crime than just a cell phone," Nanos said. "Is a cell phone of a valuable tool for us? Of course. But it's probably not the only tool."
