Silk Road forums

Discussion => Shipping => Topic started by: experimental on September 12, 2011, 02:25 am

Title: who exactly can legally open my mail?
Post by: experimental on September 12, 2011, 02:25 am
other than customs who can open my mail without my consent?  >:(

can private security guards do it or make me do it and lets say if I was to live in a work camp would the security guards x-ray or use drug sniffing dogs to screen all incoming mail or parcels.  isnt there a law that protects the individual if his/her mail is opened without their consent?
Title: Re: who exactly can legally open my mail?
Post by: doc on September 12, 2011, 05:12 am
In the United States private correspondence sent through the US Postal Service can be opened by government agents who have obtained a valid warrant to do so. Generally, no one else can open your mail without your consent unless they want to commit a federal crime. Note that if a person unaffiliated with the government illegally opens your mail, finds contraband, and reports it to law enforcement (thereby incriminating themselves as well) you may have no legal recourse to exclude that contraband as evidence against you.

I am not sure what you mean by 'work camp' but if we are talking about some kind of penal institution or something then I am certain there is some exception in the law. Or it could be argued that you have no expectation of privacy in such a place. Either way I would expect all correspondence to be screened.

If you do not live in the United States then maybe none of this applies to you. Be safe.