Originally Posted by
rickair7777
FAA has nothing to do with it in this case. It would be federal law enforcement. Whatever protections, by policy or precedent, may or may not apply to the FAA use of the CVR it is utterly not applicable to law enforcement.
Of course once law enforcement got a conviction, an FAA violation would presumably follow based on that alone.
Your severely overestimating to the clearing of red tape that the bureaucracy known as the United States Federal Government is riddled with. Again, even if all the stars aligned and you found the right airplane - how is a "meow" on 121.5 considered a criminal act? That would never hold up, it appears these days actual felonies can't hold up in court. On their worst day, the Meower is looking at a civil penalty.