39 U.S.C. § 3011 — Judicial enforcement
submitted 56 years ago by Pub. L. 91-375 to r/title-39-POSTAL-SERVICE · 542 words · no verdicts yet
The Postal Service may ask the Attorney General to sue someone who mails sexually oriented advertisements in violation of section 3010. Courts may order the person and postmasters to stop or handle the mail in specified ways, and may issue temporary orders while the case is pending.
(a) If the Postal Service believes a person is mailing, or causing someone else to mail, a sexually oriented advertisement in violation of section 3010, it may ask the Attorney General to bring a civil case against that person in a United States district court. If the court finds a violation, it may issue any order it considers fair, including: (1) ordering the defendant not to mail such an advertisement to a named person, a group, or anyone; (2) ordering a postmaster to refuse such advertisements from the defendant; or (3) ordering a postmaster to return registered, certified, or other mail addressed to the defendant or the defendant’s representative, marked as responding to mail that violates section 3010. Before that return, the defendant or representative must be notified and given a reasonable chance to inspect the mail and receive mail clearly unrelated to the alleged violation.
(b) If an advertisement says that payments may be sent to a named person, that statement is initial evidence that the named person is the mailer’s principal, agent, or representative for receiving payments for the mailer. The court may also decide whether an agency exists from any other evidence.
(c) Before or while a civil case under subsection (a) is pending, a United States district court may, on the Attorney General’s application and a showing of probable cause that the statute is being violated, issue a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction with fair terms. These terms may include stopping the defendant from mailing such advertisements to any person or class of persons, directing a postmaster to refuse the defendant’s advertisements, and directing a postmaster to hold the defendant’s incoming mail until the court proceedings end. What the court does under this subsection does not affect or decide a fact at issue in another proceeding under this section.
(d) The case may be filed in the district where the defendant lives, has the main place of business, or where an advertisement mailed in violation of section 3010 was delivered as directed.
(e) This section and section 3010 do not amend, override, limit, change, or otherwise affect 18 U.S.C. sections 1461 or 1463, or sections 3007 or 3008 of this title.
Whenever the Postal Service believes that any person is mailing or causing to be mailed any sexually oriented advertisement in violation of section 3010 of this title, it may request the Attorney General to commence a civil action against such person in a district court of the United States. Upon a finding by the court of a violation of that section, the court may issue an order including one or more of the following provisions as the court deems just under the circumstances:
a direction to the defendant to refrain from mailing any sexually oriented advertisement to a specific addressee, to any group of addressees, or to all persons;
a direction to any postmaster to whom sexually oriented advertisements originating with such defendant are tendered for transmission through the mails to refuse to accept such advertisements for mailing; or
a direction to any postmaster at the office at which registered or certified letters or other letters or mail arrive, addressed to the defendant or his representative, to return the registered or certified letters or other letters or mail to the sender appropriately marked as being in response to mail in violation of section 3010 of this title, after the defendant, or his representative, has been notified and given reasonable opportunity to examine such letters or mail and to obtain delivery of mail which is clearly not connected with activity alleged to be in violation of section 3010 of this title.
The statement that remittances may be made to a person named in a sexually oriented advertisement is prima facie evidence that such named person is the principal, agent, or representative of the mailer for the receipt of remittances on his behalf. The court is not precluded from ascertaining the existence of the agency on the basis of any other evidence.
In preparation for, or during the pendency of, a civil action under subsection (a) of this section, a district court of the United States, upon application therefor by the Attorney General and upon a showing of probable cause to believe the statute is being violated, may enter a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction containing such terms as the court deems just, including, but not limited to, provisions enjoining the defendant from mailing any sexually oriented advertisement to any person or class of persons, directing any postmaster to refuse to accept such defendant’s sexually oriented advertisements for mailing, and directing the detention of the defendant’s incoming mail by any postmaster pending the conclusion of the judicial proceedings. Any action taken by a court under this subsection does not affect or determine any fact at issue in any other proceeding under this section.
A civil action under this section may be brought in the judicial district in which the defendant resides, or has his principal place of business, or in any judicial district in which any sexually oriented advertisement mailed in violation of section 3010 has been delivered by mail according to the direction thereon.
Nothing in this section or in section 3010 shall be construed as amending, preempting, limiting, modifying, or otherwise in any way affecting section 1461 or 1463 of title 18 or section 3007 or 3008 of this title.
Source credit: (Pub. L. 91–375, Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 750; Pub. L. 106–168, title I, § 105(b)(2)(B), Dec. 12, 1999, 113 Stat. 1811.)
- 1970Enacted · Pub. L. 91-375 · 84 Stat. 750
- 1999Amended · Pub. L. 106-168 · 113 Stat. 1811
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 91-375 on 1970-08-12.
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