Re: Right address, no name

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On 4/04/06, Prairie Dawg wrote:
> I'd say you're wrong, because to show entrapment you'd have to
> demonstrate that the government induced you to commit a crime
> you otherwise would not have.

We've gona far afield from the original question, which seemed to
be asking if it was legal to open mail sent to your address
without your name on it.

I recall going through this exercise in one of my law classes
(sales?) and the hypothetical further asked if you were sent an
unsolicited gift that required some purchase or commitment, could
you keep it? I seem to recall something about an implied
contract, but again, that departs from the original question.

Intuitively, I can't imagine it would be illegal to open US mail
sent to your address without a name, but if it contained another
name that's not so obvious. I just moved, and right now I get
this a lot - I just write "please forward" or "not at this
address" and drop it back in the mailbox. I expect opening mail
clearly addressed to someone else (even a company) would violate
federal law - but addressed to just a few letters? Were they call
letters for a broadcast station? Do you live in a zoned
residential area? That may not make a difference, but may help to
explain why something with a non-human name on it was reasonably
delivered to your address.

I expect you opened it by now - what did it contain?

>
> On 4/04/06, Jason wrote:
>> I'd say that's entrapment, which, as it turns out, is also
>> against the law.
>>
>>
>> On 4/03/06, Prairie Dawg wrote:
>>> Yeah, sure, go ahead. Suppose it's dope or porn and there's
>>> a sting going on. What will you say then?
>>>
>>> The betrter choice is to return it to the sender unopened.
>>>
>>>
>>> On 3/31/06, Ryan wrote:
>>>> I received a package sent to MY address that was not under
>>>> my name nor addressed to anyone, just to the four letters
>>>> (ex. A B C D) that make no sense. If the package was sent
>>>> to my address can i open it?