Postal Worker Stole 9,700 Pieces Of Mail - And Avoided Jail

Sad story.

Looks like she got off easy.
What do you think?


https://patch.com/massachusetts/ros...livered-mail

Because of her actions people may not have received checks, legal documents, death certificates, jury notices, bills and on and on. No joke. She should be doing time.

I agree rogdcam.

Wow. Not a good day for justice with just 80 hrs of community service.

Glad you chaps were all in court to hear the case and the judge's reasons for sentencing.

Cry me a river.

It is very difficult, or impossible for me to imagine any extenuating circumstances or excuses for a person in a position of trust to steal volumes of mail for personal enrichment.

Personally, I'd love to be enlightened on this.

Judge was U.S. District of Massachusetts Court Judge Denise J. Casper, nominated by Barack Obama and Sen. John Kerry.
Don

The guilty plea to a single count, when she could have been charged with and tried on 1,100 counts, indicates a plea bargain so I'm not sure you can blame the judge. She may have adopted the prosecution's request or have been hamstrung by federal sentencing guidelines. And the relevant prisons may be completely full with more violent offenders.

Another way to view the sentence is ten days of forced labor plus two years on parole. The requirements for supervised release are fairly limiting.

And of course, with a felony of this nature on her record, it is unlikely she will ever be gainfully employed again. She's 29, and her life is over.

cjpalermo1964,
I mentioned the court and judge not to place blame but in reply to bookbndrbob's request for more context and understanding. In my opinion District courts and judges have become more and more entangled in political arenas (and in fact we are seeing an incredible amount of blurring of all three branches of our government).

I noticed the single count and wondered why the prosecutors would have allowed the counts to be pleaded down like that; I assume that she was represented by AFL-CIO lawyers. It would be interesting to know if her lawyers influenced the court/judge selection. The one count was for 'theft of mail' but the mail was transferred to her boyfriend. Is there not any Federal law which prevents transferring ownership of mail?

In regard to her future, federal employees who have a vested interest (5 years or more) in the Federal Employment Retirement System do not lose their pensions as a result of being fired. And fired Federal workers are often rehired (the IRS rehired hundreds of fired employees) but I do not know how much a conviction on a single count might impact this.

I do not think that 'prisons may be completely full with more violent offenders' should have had an impact. I cannot imagine being a victim and being told, 'sorry we are releasing this felon because we do not have prison space'. Where are the victim statements? What are the victim impacts? The victims are the ones who opinions matter most; the rest of us are just in the 'peanut gallery'.

Plead bargaining changes reality. If I get arrested for going 100 mph but get the prosecutor to plead down to having a non-functioning tail light; reality has been changed. History now does not see me as breaking the law by going 100 mph but rather as having a broken tail light; something that is obviously untrue. I fully understand that prosecutors have to work within the limits of the evidence they have; but in this case the stolen and opened mail was enough evidence that a legal aid could have successfully prosecuted the case. Something else was at play here.
Don

My opinion is that prosecutors throw the book routinely pitching to be judges as hard A. This one makes me think that the defendant knows or is related to, "someone." That would not be unusual to land a job with the post office, one of the few union and decent pay and pension jobs left in the USA. That someone could be any local big fish in a small pond. I have a strong opinion that justice is mostly unjust in the USA and the World. Dirty cops, dirty prosecutors, politicians, etc. So many of them are nasty and corrupt- inside and out- and liars and cheats with that judgmental Swiney look in their eyes.
And, they really do not have to work within the evidence that they have. Most of it is how much money that you have for a lawyer instead of a potted plant.
Some people brag about our Country and point out that in others there is famine or genocide or lousy good for nothing dictators and despots. And if that is your standard than the USA is indeed a great shining City on the Hill. But, many other countries have a better standard of living- probably because of our politicians use of our military. Is that ironic or just cruel? I do not know.
Finally, I am not surprised that Trump got elected. And, as a people a Country and a government we should be surprised it was not worse.

Having lived and worked all around the World I can attest that this Country is the finest bar none. Why do people from all over want to come here? Because they know it is. As for the President unemployment is at record lows, GDP is up, the stock market is roaring, manufacturing is strong, wages are finally growing again etc.. You would not know it by listening to the constant negative stream of drivel emanating from most of the media. As for the so-called dirty cops, judges, prosecuters, politicians, what on earth is the basis for that statement.

In reply to rogdcam
I disagree with you 100 percent on this and frankly, I know I am right about this. I will not flag wave I want to say that this country has lost a lot of freedoms and will lose more if people do not realize liberty is not a gift and freedom is precious. I have many opinions that flag wavers will never agree with because- in my humble opinion- you do not think about it.

You have the freedom to have and express your opinion. Not sure who "flag wavers" are. Sounds like another label. Could you expand upon what freedoms have been lost?

John