Re: Opening someone elses mail

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On 11/16/08, amanda wrote:
> Did anyone ever have an answer to this? I'm in a similar situation.

>> Is it a Federal Crime to open mail not addressed to you but
>> delivered to your address?

The individual facts of the case are important. If it was a mistake
you may be OK. If you knew that the mail was not addressed to you
[not directed to you] but opened it anyway you might be charged.
Even if the mail was delivered to your address, you do not have the
right [authority] to destroy or open it if you know it is
not "directed to" you. A proper course of action might be to mark
mail not adressed to you personally "Not at this address" and leave
it in the mail box. Here is the relevant part of the law that
probably applies to you:
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18 U.S.C.A. § 1703
. . . .
"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."