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N.C. mailman gets 3 years probation
Friday, November 21, 2008
RALEIGH — A former North Carolina mailman who admitted keeping people's junk mail in his garage or buried in his backyard has been sentenced to probation.
Steven Padgett pleaded guilty in federal court Aug. 18 to delaying the mail.
Padgett received three years of probation during a hearing Wednesday. He faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Eleven family members and friends attended the hearing, and 32 others sent letters of support for Padgett.
The 58-year-old Padgett said he kept thousands of pieces of third-class mail instead of delivering it on his route in Apex. His attorney said Padgett couldn't keep up with the U.S. Postal Service's strict schedule.
No first- or second-class mail was found at his home.
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Comments
This article has 9 comment(s)
Posted by moonpie on November 21, 2008 at 5:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
wish he was my mailman!
Posted by wonderdog on November 21, 2008 at 6:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I do, too! Half of my mail doesn't even make it into the house - it goes into the trash immediately.
Posted by ColdBud on November 21, 2008 at 6:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I've got the majority of my junk mail stopped. The post office makes it hard to stop the mail because they get so much revenue from those bulk mailings.
Posted by theronce on November 21, 2008 at 7:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
With the high prevalence of identity theft, you have to dispose of some of that junk carefully. I would pay a fee to the post office to not deliver anything but first class.
Posted by ColdBud on November 21, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Identify theft is my biggest concern too. I'm also worried that I might accidentally throw away important mail the gets tucked in with the fliers and such. Two things you should be aware of:
1) It is against federal law for anyone to place anything in your mailbox, or attach anything to your mailbox, except for the postman that is delivering your mail. When the local "house cleaning" company, pressure washing guy or whatever, tapes a note to your mailbox, call them and let them know that their actions are illegal. Explain that you don't want anyone around your mailbox due to identity theft concerns. If they fail to understand, you can contact the postmaster. The postmaster cares because they lost stamp revenue. They will fine the people placing fliers in or on your mailbox.
2) You can stop most junk mail simply by calling the company that distributes the mail. Most of the junk mail lists a phone number. I've been very successful with just simple phone calls. The P&C was very understanding when I called and asked them to stop sending their packet of junk mail to my house. For those that you can't get in touch with, or for those that refuse to cooperate, request and fill out Postal Form PS 1500. This form forbids a particular sender of a “pandering advertisement” from sending further mailings of such material to you. The term “pandering advertisement” is defined as an “advertisement which offers for sale matter which the addressee in his or her sole discretion believes to be erotically arousing or sexually provocative.” The cool thing is that the United States Supreme Court ruled that the only person that is allowed to decide if the mail is “erotically arousing or sexually provocative” is the person that receives the mail. This ruling allows you to use the form to stop just about any junk mail.
http://www.usps.com/forms/_pdf/ps1500.pd...
Posted by Kerry on November 21, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hello - Newman.
Posted by Kerry on November 21, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Too bad the GEICO gecko will not qualify as a "pandering advertisement"? It seems nothing will stop this relentless ad campaign. Comcast, AT&T, and Congressman Henry Brown are also some of the worst junk mail offenders.
Posted by ColdBud on November 21, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The Geico stuff will pass as pandering. All you have to do is say you find it sexually provacative. If you're willing to say Henry Brown sexually arouses you, you can stop his mailings too :)
The only information you need is the name and mailing address of the person/company that is sending you the mail along with the opened mail item.
Posted by realintheus on November 21, 2008 at 8:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
OK!!!!!!!!!