18 U.S.C. § 1703 — Delay or destruction of mail or newspapers
submitted 78 years ago by ch. 645 to r/title-18-CRIMES-AND-CRIMINAL-PROCEDURE · 179 words · no verdicts yet
This section makes specified unlawful interference with mail or newspapers a crime. It sets maximum imprisonment terms of five years for subsection (a) conduct and one year for subsection (b) conduct.
(a) A Postal Service* officer or employee who unlawfully hides, destroys, holds, delays, or opens a letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail entrusted to that person or coming into that person’s possession for delivery by mail, or carried or delivered by any carrier or other Postal Service employee, or forwarded through or delivered from an authorized post office or station, commits an offense. The punishment is a fine under title 18, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
(b) A Postal Service officer or employee who improperly holds, delays, or destroys a newspaper; lets another person do so; or opens or lets another person open mail or a newspaper package not directed to that employee’s office commits an offense. A person who, without authority, opens or destroys mail or a newspaper package not directed to that person also commits an offense. The punishment is a fine under title 18, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
Whoever, being a Postal Service* officer or employee, unlawfully secretes, destroys, detains, delays, or opens any letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail entrusted to him or which shall come into his possession, and which was intended to be conveyed by mail, or carried or delivered by any carrier or other employee of the Postal Service, or forwarded through or delivered from any post office or station thereof established by authority of the Postmaster General or the Postal Service, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, improperly detains, delays, or destroys any newspaper, or permits any other person to detain, delay, or destroy the same, or opens, or permits any other person to open, any mail or package of newspapers not directed to the office where he is employed; or
Whoever, without authority, opens, or destroys any mail or package of newspapers not directed to him, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Source credit: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778; May 24, 1949, ch. 139, § 37, 63 Stat. 95; Pub. L. 91–375, § 6(j)(16), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), (G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146, 2147.)
- 1948Enacted · Act of June 25, 1948, ch. 645 · 62 Stat. 778
- 1949Amended · Act of May 24, 1949, ch. 139 · 63 Stat. 95
- 1970Amended · Pub. L. 91-375 · 84 Stat. 778
- 1994Amended · Pub. L. 103-322 · 108 Stat. 2146, 2147
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 645 on 1948-06-25.
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