MAIL FRAUD definition

[Schwippsy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IL

My lovely young kids are exploring the world with glue, tape and scissors and are coupon cutters with a passion. I received a letter with financial information from my ex. Woops. I have not received mail for him in 4 years or so. I really do not look at the envelope when getting mail, who it is addressed to assuming all letters are for me.
So now we have this letter with info on his savings, a bit chopped and clipped, but still readable. He is not paying child support and I would like to submit this as evidence that he is capable of making payments. Certainly he can have that paper back when we meet in court again.
Is this submissable or is does this fall under mail fraud? What's the exact definition of mail fraud when receiving mail for a person other than yourself and you opened it?
I had that happen to mail that were addressed to my neighbors and I opened them because I am simply not expecting the neighbors mail. So I just walk it over there - opened- and we are fine.
Now this new financial info would really help to build my case to get my children the support they deserve.
Thanks for your responses in advance.

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? IL

My lovely young kids are exploring the world with glue, tape and scissors and are coupon cutters with a passion. I received a letter with financial information from my ex. Woops. I have not received mail for him in 4 years or so. I really do not look at the envelope when getting mail, who it is addressed to assuming all letters are for me.
So now we have this letter with info on his savings, a bit chopped and clipped, but still readable. He is not paying child support and I would like to submit this as evidence that he is capable of making payments. Certainly he can have that paper back when we meet in court again.
Is this submissable or is does this fall under mail fraud? What's the exact definition of mail fraud when receiving mail for a person other than yourself and you opened it?
I had that happen to mail that were addressed to my neighbors and I opened them because I am simply not expecting the neighbors mail. So I just walk it over there - opened- and we are fine.
Now this new financial info would really help to build my case to get my children the support they deserve.
Thanks for your responses in advance.

Yeah - go in to court and admit to committing a Federal Crime. That'll go over well...

 

[Schwippsy]

Oh here we go again, another unhappy person that needs to hate.
Is there someone on this board that can give me a professional answer?
I am not familiar with crime, never committed one, never will be, that is why I asked this question.
So please if you need to leave unuseful comments, go right ahead and write them your own four walls. Penner!

 

[Proserpina]

Oh here we go again, another unhappy person that needs to hate.
Is there someone on this board that can give me a professional answer?
I am not familiar with crime, never committed one, never will be, that is why I asked this question.
So please if you need to leave unuseful comments, go right ahead and write them your own four walls. Penner!

What is that you want to hear exactly?


Really.

 

[Schwippsy]

Thank you!
I just need a link or so (Wikipeadia was not specific enough for me) to tell me what the definition of mail fraud is.
It is not that I was waiting for this information to come to me and purposely opened it.
So now my 4 year old commited mail fraud, I guess, what do I do now? I am not on good terms with the owner of that document, do I just forward it to him/his lawyer?
And again can I use this in court as it proves that the father of my children is not telling the truth about his income.

Thanks again!

 

[HappyWanderer]

It's not mail fraud, no how, no way, not a chance even in the back of your mind for a minute. Is it a crime? Opening other people's mail on purpose (especially if there is some harmful purpose) is probably a crime. But, I'm sure there is an intent element there. Can intent be inferred from the name on the envelope? Who knows?

In reality, I bet there are an extraordinarily few prosecutions for the "crime". Very few. Very, very, very, few. So few so as to be near non-existent. Even then, I bet they are people who intentionally opened other people's mail which clearly did not belong to them (as in theft from a mailbox) and not a letter delivered to the house you lived at which you opened.

Really, Zigner, what is your claim of crime here? Please give us the cite of an inadvertent opening of another person's mail in a situation like this. The federal provision will be enough. We can see if the intent the OP has evidenced matches that of the statute.