Silk Road forums
Discussion => Shipping => Topic started by: december0008 on December 16, 2012, 08:20 am
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It was to my understanding all mail was protected against being opened unless a warrant was obtained. This copy from the USPS FAQ makes me think otherwise:
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Can Postal Inspectors open mail?
First-Class Mail letters and parcels and Express Mail items are protected against search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, and, as such, cannot be opened without a search warrant.
If there is probable cause to believe the contents of a First-Class Mail letter, parcel or an Express Mail piece violate federal law, Postal Inspectors can obtain a search warrant to open the mailpiece. Other classes of do not contain private correspondence, and therefore may be opened without a warrant.
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Yes, it absolutely is. I will even let you in on a little secret. Priority Mail is "First-Class mail" for shipments that weight above 13 ounces.
With how persistent the idea that "Priority Mail doesn't require a warrant to be searched" is I can't help myself from reflecting poorly on the individuals who repeatedly bring the question up. In your mind when you read a sentence, such as the one you posted, that prompts a troubling reaction that contradicts previously understood knowledge, you should begin to breaking it down by specifications. Instead of getting into the details since all you truly want to know is if you get your drugs okay the point is this: first-class mail and priority mail are essentially the same exact service in terms of how the USPS deals with (in terms of pricing/logistics/and everything else) except for one key factor: weight. First-class mail is for packages that weight 13 ounces or less. The magical no-longer-warrant-required-yet-still-OBVIOUSLY-a-protected-piece is solely, under technical definitions, a first-class mail parcel that weights above 13 ounces. Damn, that is it. How the hell were you thinking the 4th amendment would suddenly not apply?
TL:DR OF COURSE A WARRANT IS NEEDED TO OPEN A PRIORITY MAIL PARCEL. Where is the common sense when these questions are asked? If you are going to be playing such a high stakes game being a participant here on silkroad you'd think having a little bit of knowledge of both the legal realities here but the systems you'll be utilizing as well.
I apologize for being harsh. But I cannot believe how many people will actually argue with me that Priority Mail is unsafe because of that FAQ line right there. No matter how many facts I an site or explanations I make they seriously think they are going to get busted with a Priority Mail package. So sad. So indicative of zero real-world knowledge of what they are involving themselves in. Oh well, not sure what to truly expect.
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thanks for the reply. thanks for apologizing for being harsh also lol.
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Very good advice was given. I'd like to add, just to clarify a tiny bit if i may, a priority mail package is protected whether it weighs under or over 13 oz. The only limit is what the post office will accept which i believe is 70 lb. If you are sending or getting that much dope, try breaking it up into smaller packages.
The advantage of sending 13 oz or less either by first class or priority is that you can drop it in a blue box with stamps on it without having to pass post office security cameras. Over 13 oz means you can't blue box it and it will likely be returned to sender (lost)
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One of the many ironies of the federal system: once a package/letter is put in the mail, it is considered federal property until it has been delivered to the designated recipient. Basically, the gov't owns my 3.5g of skush until it delivers it to me. Plus, I believe tampering with mail is a felony, unless I'm mistaken?
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Here's some good info ;):
The mail that you send through the U.S. Postal Service is protected by the Fourth Amendment, and police have to get a warrant to open it in most cases.
If you’re using the U.S. Postal Service, send your package using First Class mail or above. Postal inspectors don’t need a search warrant to open discount (media) rate mail because it isn’t supposed to be used for personal correspondence.
Keep in mind that although you have privacy in the contents of your mail and packages, you don’t have any privacy in the "to" and "from" addresses printed on them. That means the police can ask the post office to report the name and address of every person you send mail to or receive mail from — this is called a "mail cover" — without getting a warrant. Mail covers are a low-tech form of "traffic analysis," which we’ll discuss in the section dealing with electronic surveillance.
You don’t have any privacy in what you write on a postcard, either. By not putting your correspondence in an envelope, you’ve knowingly exposed it, and the government can read it without a warrant.
Source:
https://ssd.eff.org/your-computer/govt/privacy