The Northwest Enterprise

Court Backs Sanctity of Mails,
Sentences Carrier

The sanctity of the United States mail was held by Federal Judge Lloyd L. Black last Wednesday to be more important than the consideration of a defendant or his family.

After hearing an impassioned plea for probation for Clifford Parker, 27-year-old substitute mail carrier, Judge Black said that the courts "have to be especially careful that they do not encourage others who are tempted."

Parker had pleaded guilty to stealing a letter containing money. He never had been in trouble before and had a good war record.

"The sanctity of the mails is a very real thing," Judge Black said.

"The fact that a letter has been mailed has been accepted as evidence that it has been received.

"Families have been broken by the mere fact that a letter written and mailed was not received."

Taking cognizance of the fact that Parker is married and the father of three children, Judge Black pointed out that if this were given too much consideration other fathers of children might be encouraged to believe they could violate the law and seek refuge behind their family.

If this rule were followed, he continued, the government would be placed in the position in order to safeguard the mails of refusing to employ any person with children.

Parker was sentenced to six months with a recommendation that it be served in the road camp at McNeil Island.