This is a unusual legal case, but it’s worth reading about.
“A judge sentenced a former Raleigh mailman to probation for hoarding junk mail.
Steven Padgett, 58, admitted to keeping people’s junk mail in his garage or burying it in his backyard. He pleaded guilty in federal court on Aug. 18 to delaying the mail and he faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.During Wednesday, proceedings a judge sentenced him to 3 years probation and ordered him to pay a $3,000 fine. He will also have to complete 500 hours of community service as a part of his sentence.
Friends, family and neighbors of the Vietnam veteran were also in court to show their support. After considering Padgett’s service to the armed forces and the U.S. Postal Service, the judge said he didn’t think Padgett would commit another crime and does not consider him dangerous.
Postal agents have not found any first or second-class mail at Padgett’s home.The mailman said he kept thousands of pieces of third-class mail instead of delivering it on his route in Apex. His attorney said Padgett kept the mail because he couldn’t keep up with the demands of a strict schedule required by the U.S. Postal Service.”
Yoav