Fake License Plates and Theiving Mailmen

I want to start this blog post by thanking everyone who pays their federal taxes. It is because of you responsible citizens the Marshal’s office (USMS) was able to buy me a parking spot for $100 this month. My spot is number twenty-three (which is a good omen in Cleveland).

Fictional License Files & my view of the Lake

                On the first day of my internship, after finding my parking spot, I entered the daunting Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse. I had to go through security, similar to TSA at the airport. Apparently I look non-threatening because they didn’t care about the weapon on my key chain. (It’s only there for self-defense purposes). Finding the USMS office was easy since it takes up the entirety of the twelfth floor. When I arrived, I was buzzed in, and my mentor, Susan, had not yet arrived. Luckily two of the college interns and a Marshal’s deputy took me on a tour. They showed me the office, which looks stereotypical with a few large offices, a conference room, and some cubicles. Then they showed me the processing room, where newly captured federal criminals are questioned, fingerprinted, and swabbed for DNA. Next to the processing room are two cells for holding prisoners short term, before they are arraigned.  Then they took me to the prisoners’ elevator, which has a cage for the prisoners. We went up to one of the empty federal court rooms. The deputy told me that the processing/arraignment was designed to confuse prisoners because there were no windows whatsoever. The deputy and interns also told my interesting stories about prisoners biting federal officers and having grills (for the mouth not backyard) worth over $14,000.

Courtroom 15B

                After my tour, Susan had arrived and she gave me my first assignment: filing requests for “fictional license plates”. A fictional license plate is a license plate for an undercover cop registered with the undercover fake name. I had to file requests for these from the state since the state controls license plates. Susan, who is very nice and relaxed, told me there was an interesting sentencing for larceny (thievery) in courtroom 15B. I took a break from my filing to watch the sentencing. It was interesting! The convicted man was 44 years-old, married with four children, and had no past criminal record. He was a USPS mail deliverer and in August he stole a parcel from the post office that contained 6.7 lbs. of marijuana. He was caught on the video cameras. Since the USPS is a federal institution, stealing from it is a federal crime. The judge sentenced him to three months in prison and five years parole. After the sentencing the judge told me that sentencing was the one thing that never became easier, and nor should it.