
Seal

United States Marshal's star badge
The 'United States Marshals Service' ('USMS') is a federal law enforcement agency within the
United States Department of Justice (see ) and is the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the
United States.
[1] The U.S. Marshals Service holds the broadest authority of all federal law enforcement agencies. The official spelling is the plural form "US Marshals Service", not the possessive form "US Marshals' Service."
The USMS is the enforcement arm of the federal courts, protecting
federal courts and ensuring the effective operation of the
judicial system.
Duties

A US Marshal on a
JPATS flight.
The Marshals Service is responsible for apprehending wanted fugitives, providing protection for the federal judiciary, transporting federal prisoners (see
JPATS), protecting endangered federal witnesses and managing assets seized from criminal enterprises. The Marshals Service is responsible for 55.2 percent of arrests of federal
fugitives. In 2003, U.S. marshals captured over 34,000 federal fugitives and assisted in the capture of over 27,000 state or local fugitives.
The United States Marshals Service also executes all lawful writs, processes, and orders issued under the authority of the United States, and shall command all necessary assistance to execute its duties.
U.S. Marshals also have the common law based power to enlist any willing civilians as deputies. In the
Old West this was known as
forming a posse, although under the
Posse Comitatus Act, they cannot use soldiers for law enforcement duties.
Organization
The United States Marshals Service is based in
Arlington, Virginia and, under the authority and direction of the
Attorney General, is headed by a , who is assisted by a Deputy Director. USMS Headquarters provides command, control and cooperation for the disparate elements of the service.
Headquarters
★ Director of the U.S. Marshals Service -
John F. Clark
★ Deputy Director of the U.S. Marshals Service -
Brian Beckwith
★
★ EEO Officer - Lisa Dickinson
★
★ General Counsel - Gerald M. Auerbach
★
★ Freedom of Information
★ Assistant Director, Business Services Division - Michael A. Pearson
★
★ Chief, Procurement Office - Anita K. Maldon
★
★ Chief, Asset Forfeiture Office - Katherine Deoudes
★
★ Chief, Property Management Branch - Nick Prevas
★
★ Chief, Motor Vehicles Branch - Ron Rucker
★ Comptroller & Chief Financial Officer - Edward Dolan
★
★ Assistant Director, Management & Budget Division - Broadine M. Brown
★
★ Chief, Office of Finance - W. Truitt
★ Assistant Director, Information Technology Division - Diane Litman
★ Assistant Director, Executive Services Division - John J. McNulty, III
★
★ Chief, Congressional Affairs Branch - J. Conway
★
★ Chief, Public Affairs Branch - M. Kulstad
★ Assistant Director, Human Resource Division - Suzanne D. Smith
★
★ Chief, Personnel Branch - Katherine Mohan
★
★ Assistant Director for Training - Brian Beckwith
★ Assistant Director, Investigative Services Division - Arthur D. Roderick
★
★ Domestic Investigations Branch
★
★ International Investigations Branch
★
★ Sexual Predator Crimes Branch
★
★ Criminal Information Branch
★
★ Technical Operations Group
★ Assistant Director, Judicial Security Division - Robert J. Finan, II
★
★ Office of Judicial Operations - M. Prout
★
★ Office of Judicial Services - C. Symonds
★
★ Office of Management & Administration - D. Barnes
★ Assistant Director, Operations Support Division - Marc Farmer
★
★ Special Operations Group
★
★ Office of Emergency Management
★
★ Office of Inspections
★ Assistant Director, Justice Prisoner Alien Transportation System - S. Rolstad
★
★ Chief of Flight Operations (Air Operations) - J. Hurd
★
★ Prisoner Transportation (Security/Scheduling) - S. Rolstad
★
★ Business Management
★ Assistant Director, Witness Security & Prisoner Services Division - Sylvester Jones
Regional
The U.S. court system is divided into 94
Districts, each with a U.S. Marshal, a Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal (GS-15) (or with an Assistant Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal (GS-14) in certain larger districts), Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshals, and as many Deputy and Special Deputy U.S. Marshals as needed. In the US federal budget for 2005, funds for 3,067 deputy marshals and criminal investigators were provided. The US Marshal of a US Circuit Court is the US Marshal in whose district that court is located.
The Director and each United States Marshal is appointed by the
President of the United States and subject to confirmation by the
United States Senate. The District U.S. Marshal is traditionally appointed from a list of qualified
law enforcement personnel for that district or state. Each state has at least one district, while several larger states have three or more.
Deputy U.S. Marshals

Tools of the trade
===
OPM Classification===
Deputy U.S. Marshals are classified General Schedule (GS) 1811
[1](Criminal Investigator)
[2] (Deputy U.S. Marshal). Deputies receive an additional 25%
LEAP pay on top of their base pay, and will progress to the grade of GS-12. Automatic progression to the grade of GS-13 is in the works, and is hopeful for career Deputy U.S. Marshals in the near future.
There is no longer a dispairity between job classifications within the United States Marshal Service. As of January 2007; there are two career classifications. They are: Deputy U.S. Marshal(1811) and Detention Enforcement Officer(1802).
DEO's are responsible for maintaining and securing federal prisoners while in USMS custody. They also provide courtroom and cellblock security, and house the arrestees which are the result of the numerous street arrests that Deputy U.S. Marshals conduct on a daily basis. When DUSM's arent out making street arrests, they can be found protecting government officials, seizing assests of major crime rings, relocating and providing new identities for witnesses in the federal witness protection program which is headed by the USMS. Through the John Walsh Act, the U.S. Marshals Service was chosen to head up the new federal sex offender tracking and prosecution hot team. Deputy U.S. Marshals make more street arrests than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined.
Deputy U.S. Marshals undergo the most rigourous and thorough training of all the branches of law enforcment under the DOJ(Department of Justice)
Special Deputy US Marshals
The Director of the Marshals Service is authorized by 28
U.S.C. § 561(f) (authorizing Director of Marshals Service to appoint ''"such employees as are necessary to carry out the powers and duties of the Service") to deputize the following individuals to perform the functions of Deputy Marshals: selected officers or employees of the
Department of Justice;
federal,
state or local law enforcement officers; private
security personnel to provide courtroom security for the Federal judiciary; and other persons designated by the
Associate Attorney General"''. The first local law enforcement officer to be deputized was Officer William Shields of the
Haverford Township Police department.
Court Security Officers
Court Security Officer
[3](CSO) Program. These contracted CSOs are former law enforcement officers who receive limited deputations as armed special deputy marshals and play a vital role in courthouse security. Using security screening systems, CSOs detect and intercept weapons and other prohibited items that individuals attempt to bring into federal courthouses.
Detention Enforcement Officer
The DEO is responsible for the care of prisoners while in USMS custody. They serve basically as Jailers and perform no federal law enforcement functions.
History
The offices of U.S. Marshals and Deputy Marshals were created by the first
Congress in the
Judiciary Act of 1789, the same legislation that established the federal judicial system. In a letter to
Edmund Randolph, the first
Attorney General of the United States, President
George Washington wrote,
:''Impressed with a conviction that the due administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good Government, I have considered the first arrangement of the Judicial department as essential to the happiness of our Country, and to the stability of its political system; hence the selection of the fittest characters to expound the law, and dispense justice, has been an invariable object of my anxious concern.''
Many of the first U.S. Marshals had already proven themselves in military service during the
American Revolution. Among the first marshals was
John Adams' son-in-law Congressman
William Stephens Smith for the district of
New York. Another New York district Marshal was Congressman
Thomas Morris (New York). Another early U.S. Marshal was
Henry Dearborn for the
district of Maine.
From the earliest days of the nation, Marshals were permitted to recruit Special Deputies as local hires or as temporary transfers to the Marshals Service from other federal law enforcement agencies. Marshals were also authorised to swear in a
posse to assist them in manhunts and other duties on an ''ad hoc'' basis. Marshals were given extensive authority to support the federal courts within their judicial districts, and to carry out all lawful orders issued by federal judges, Congress, or the President.
The Marshals and their Deputies served
subpoenas,
summonses,
writs,
warrants, and other process issued by the courts, made all the arrests, and handled all federal prisoners. They also disbursed funds as ordered by the courts. Marshals paid the fees and expenses of the court clerks,
U.S. Attorneys,
jurors, and witnesses. They rented the courtrooms and jail space and hired the bailiffs, criers, and janitors. They made sure the prisoners were present, the jurors were available, and that the witnesses were on time.
When Washington set up his first administration and the first Congress began passing laws, both quickly discovered an inconvenient gap in the
constitutional design of the government: It had no provision for a regional administrative structure stretching throughout the country. Both the Congress and the executive branch were housed at the national capital; no agency was established or designated to represent the federal government's interests at the local level. The need for a regional organization quickly became apparent. Congress and the President solved part of the problem by creating specialized agencies, such as customs and revenue collectors, to levy tariffs and taxes, yet there were numerous other jobs that needed to be done. The only officers available to do them were the Marshals and their Deputies.
Thus, the Marshals also provided local representation for the federal government within their districts. They took the national
census every decade through
1870. They distributed
Presidential proclamations, collected a variety of statistical information on commerce and manufacturing, supplied the names of government employees for the national register, and performed other routine tasks needed for the central government to function effectively. Over the past 200 years, Congress, the President and Governors have also have called on the Marshals to carry out unusual or extraordinary missions, such as registering enemy aliens in time of war, sealing the American border against armed expeditions from foreign countries, and at times during the
Cold War, swapping spies with the
Soviet Union, and also retrieving North Carolina's copy of the
Bill of Rights.
[2]
Particularly in the American West, individual Deputy Marshals have been seen as legendary heroes in the face of rampant lawlessness (see Famous Marshals, below). Marshals arrested the infamous
Dalton Gang in 1893, helped suppress the
Pullman Strike in 1894, enforced
Prohibition during the 1920s, and have protected American athletes at recent
Olympic Games. Marshals protected the
refugee boy
Elián González before his return to
Cuba in 2000, and have protected
abortion clinics as required by Federal law. Since 1989, the Marshals Service has been responsible for law enforcement among U.S. personnel in
Antarctica, although they are not routinely assigned there.
[3]
One of the more onerous jobs the Marshals were tasked with was the recovery of fugitive
slaves, as required by the
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. They were also permitted to form a
posse and to deputize any person in any community to aid in the recapture of fugitive slaves. Failure to cooperate with a Marshal resulted in a $5000 fine and imprisonment, a stiff penalty for those days. The
Oberlin-Wellington Rescue was a celebrated fugitive-slave case involving U.S. marshals.
James Batchelder was the second marshal killed in the line of duty. Batchelder, along with others, was preventing the rescue of fugitive slave
Anthony Burns in Boston in 1854.
In the
1960s the Marshals were on the front lines of the
Civil Rights Movement, mainly providing protection to volunteers. In September 1962, President
John F. Kennedy ordered 127 marshals to accompany
James Meredith, an
African American who wished to register at the segregated
University of Mississippi. Their presence on campus provoked riots at the university, requiring President Kennedy to federalize the Mississippi
National Guard to pacify the crowd, but the marshals stood their ground, and Meredith successfully registered. Marshals provided continuous protection to Meredith during his first year at "Ole Miss," and Attorney General
Robert F. Kennedy later proudly displayed a marshal's dented helmet in his office. U.S. Marshals also protected black schoolchildren integrating public schools in the South. Artist
Norman Rockwell's famous painting "The Problem We All Live With" depicted a tiny
Ruby Bridges being escorted by four towering U.S. marshals in 1964.
Just as America has changed over the past two centuries, so has its federal justice system – from the original 13 judicial districts, to 94 districts spanning the continent and beyond; and with tens of thousands of federal judges, prosecutors, jurors, witnesses, and defendants involved in the judicial process. The Marshals Service has changed with it, not in its underlying responsibility to enforce the law and execute the orders issued by the court, but in the breadth of its functions, the professionalism of its personnel, and the sophistication of the technologies employed. These changes are made apparent by an examination of the contemporary duties of the modern Marshals Service.
Except for suits by incarcerated persons, non-prisoner litigants proceeding in
In Forma Pauperis, or (in some circumstances) by seamen, U.S. Marshals no longer serve process in private civil actions filed in the U.S. district courts. Under the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, process may be served by any U.S. citizen over the age of 18 who is a not a party or an
attorney involved in the case.
Line of Duty Deaths
More than 200 U.S. marshals, deputy marshals, and special deputy marshals have been slain in the line of duty since Marshal
Robert Forsythwas shot dead by an intended recipient of court papers in
Augusta, Georgia on
January 11,
1794. He was the first US Government Law Officer killed in the line of duty and the third policeman killed since the
1789 founding of the American Republic—the first being [
Constable Darius Quimby] in 1791. The dead are remembered on an Honor Roll permanently displayed at Headquarters.
Famous Marshals
Some famous or otherwise noteworthy U.S. Marshals include:
★
Seth Bullock (1849–1919), businessman, rancher, sheriff for Montana, sheriff of Deadwood, U.S. Marshal of South Dakota
★
Charles Francis Colcord (1859–1934), rancher, businessman and Marshal for
Oklahoma
★
Henry Dearborn {1751-1829}, Marshal for the
District of Maine
★
Frederick Douglass (1818–1895), former slave and noted
Abolitionist leader, appointed U.S. Marshal for the
District of Columbia in 1877
★
Virgil Earp (1843–1905), Deputy U.S. Marshal, Tombstone, Arizona
★
Wyatt Earp (1848-1929), Deputy U.S. Marshal (appointed to his brother Virgil Earp's place by the Arizona Territorial Governor)
★
Richard Griffith,
Brigadier General in the
Confederacy during the
Civil War
★
Wild Bill Hickock (1837–1876), noted Western lawman, who served as a deputy U.S. Marshal at
Fort Riley, Kansas in 1867–1869
★
Ward Hill Lamon (1826–1893), friend, law partner and frequent bodyguard of President
Abraham Lincoln, who appointed him U.S. Marshal for the
District of Columbia.
★
Benjamin McCulloch (1811–1862), U.S. Marshal for Eastern District of Texas; became a
brigadier general in the army of the
Confederate States during the
American Civil War
★
Henry Eustace McCulloch (1816-1895), U.S. Marshal for Eastern District of Texas. Brother of Benjamin McCulloch; also a Confederate General
★
Bat Masterson (1853–1921), noted Western lawman
★
Joseph Meek (1810-1875) Territorial Marshal for
Oregon
★
Robert F. Morey, Marshal for
Massachusetts, designed the USMS Seal. The Marshals Service is the only agency to have its seal created by one of its own.
★
Thomas Morris (New York) {1771-1849} Marshal for
New York District.
★
Henry Massey Rector (1816–1899), Marshal for
Arkansas, later governor of that state
★
Porter Rockwell (c.1813–1878), "the Destroying Angel of
Mormondom", deputy marshal for
Utah
★
William Stephens Smith (1755-1816), 1789 U.S. Marshal for
New York district and son-in-law of President
John Adams
★
Dallas Stoudenmire (1845–1882), successful City Marshal who tamed and controlled a remote, wild and violent town of
El Paso, Texas; became U.S. Marshal serving West Texas and New Mexico Territory just before his death
★
Heck Thomas (1850–1912),
Bill Tilghman (1854–1924), and
Chris Madsen (1851–1944), the legendarily fearless "Three Guardsmen" of the
Oklahoma Territory
★
William F. Wheeler (1824–1894), Marshal for the
Montana Territory
★
James J. P. McShane (19??-1968), Appointed U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia by
JFK then named Chief Marshal in 1962
★
John W. Marshall, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia (1994-1999), first African-American to serve as Director of the U.S. Marshals Service (1999-2001)
★
Matthew Greenlee (2004-present), Deputy U.S. Marshal Washington D.C. and former Virginia Beach police officer.
★
Ricky Bell (1991-present), Senior Deputy U.S. Marshal, Washington D.C. Ombudsman WEU, chairman NAF, and verteran of DC evictions.
Fictional U.S. Marshals
★ Best, Sam — played by
Joel Higgins, in the TV series ''
Best of the West'' (1981–1982).
★ Biggs,Bobby- played by
Daniel Roebuck , in the films ''
The Fugitive'' (1993) and ''
U.S. Marshals'' (1998).
★ Bonnet, Eli - from the 1996 novel, "Whispers of the River," by Tom Hron.
★ Cahill, J. D. — played by
John Wayne, in the film ''
Cahill U.S. Marshal'' (1973).
★ Cain, Sam — played by
Brett Cullen, in the TV series ''
The Young Riders'' (1989–1990).
★
★ Deputy Marshal — played by
Craig Reay (Cain's deputy).
★
Carter, Jack — played by
Colin Ferguson, in the TV series ''
Eureka'' (2006—).
★ Carter, Ray — played by
Robert Patrick, as the head of the U. S. Marshal Service in the film '' (2003).
★
Cogburn, Reuben J. "Rooster" — played by
John Wayne, in the films ''
True Grit'' (1969) & ''
Rooster Cogburn'' (1975), and by
Warren Oates in a ''
★ Cooper, Jed — played by
Clint Eastwood, in the film ''
Hang 'Em High'' (1968).
★ Cooper,Savannah-played by
Latanya Richardson, in the film ''
U.S. Marshals'' (1998).
★ Craddock, Jack — played by
John H. Brennan, in the TV series ''
Bordertown'' (1989).
★ Deguerin, Robert — played by
James Caan, in the film ''
Eraser'' (1996).
★ Ferree, Adam- played by (Brandon Feltner), in the film"(Go Go inspetor Anus)" (1969 Film)
★
Dillon, Matt — played by
James Arness, in the TV series ''
Gunsmoke'' (1955–1975).
★
★ Goode, Chester B. — played by
Dennis Weaver (Dillon’s deputy).
★
★ Haggen, Festus — played by
Ken Curtis (Dillon’s deputy).
★ Eckerson, Andy — played by
Craig Bierko in the '' episode "Escape" (2003).
★ Gerard, Samuel — played by
Tommy Lee Jones, in the films ''
The Fugitive'' (1993) and ''
U.S. Marshals'' (1998).
★ Gordon, Artemus — played by
Kevin Kline, in the film ''
Wild Wild West'' (1999).
★ Henry - played by
Johnny Lee Davenport , in the films ''
The Fugitive'' (1993) and ''
U.S. Marshals'' (1998).
★ “the Highwayman” — played by
Sam J. Jones, in the TV series ''
The Highwayman'' (1987, 1988).
★ Hunter, Teaspoon — played by
Anthony Zerbe, in the TV series ''
The Young Riders'' (1990–1992).
★
★ Hamilton, Barnett — played by
Monty Stuart (Hunter’s deputy).
★ Kane, Morgan — from the
Morgan Kane Book series by
Louis Masterson.
★ Kane, Will — played by
Gary Cooper in the film ''
High Noon'' (1952).
★ Kruger, John — played by
Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the film ''Eraser'' (1996).
★ Larkin, Vince — played by
John Cusack, in the film ''
Con Air'' (1997).
★ Mars, Edward — played by
Fredric Lehne, in the TV series ''
Lost'' (2004–2005).
★ McCloud, Sam — played by
Dennis Weaver, in the TV series ''
McCloud'' (1970–1977).
★ Morgan, Frank — played by
John Bromfield, in the TV series ''
Sheriff of Cochise'' (1956–1958) and ''U.S. Marshal'' (1958–1960).
★ Newman, Noah -plyed by
Tom Wood , in the films ''
The Fugitive'' (1993) and ''
U.S. Marshals'' (1998).
★ O'Niel, W. T. — played by
Sean Connery, in the film ''
Outland'' (1981). (Note his badge at the end of
U.S. Marshals Badges).
★ Sisco, Karen — from the 1996 novel, ''
Out of Sight'', by
Elmore Leonard. Played by
Jennifer Lopez in the film ''
Out of Sight'' (1998), and by
Carla Gugino in the TV series ''
Karen Sisco'' (2003–2004).
★ La Roca, Jack - played by
Lou Diamond Phillips, in the film ''
Route 666'' (2001).
★ Roberts, Charles - played by himself. Probably the most fictional Deputy in history.
★ Poole-played by
L. Scott Caldwell , in the films ''
The Fugitive'' (1993)
★ Renfro,Cosmo- played by
Joe Pantoliano , in the films ''
The Fugitive'' (1993) and ''
U.S. Marshals'' (1998).
Fugitive programs
15 Most Wanted
External link to current 'U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted Fugitives'
The Marshals Service publicizes the names of wanted persons it places on the list of 'U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted Fugitives', which is similar to and sometimes overlapping the
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, depending on jurisdiction.
The '15 Most Wanted Fugitive Program' was established in 1983 in an effort to prioritize the investigation and apprehension of high-profile offenders who are considered to be some of the country’s most dangerous fugitives. These offenders tend to be career criminals with histories of violence or whose instant offense(s) pose a significant threat to public safety. Current and past fugitives in this program include murderers,
sex offenders, major
drug kingpins,
organized crime figures, and individuals wanted for high-profile financial crimes.
Among the infamous fugitives listed on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted list has been:
'
Clayton Waagner' (listed on
2001-03-06)
: Status: US PRISONER, faces 15 years to life, convicted on
2002-04-18 in Cincinnati, Ohio US District court on separate firearms and car theft charges; arrested at a
Kinko's in
Springdale, Ohio on
2001-12-05; mailed anthrax letters to
Planned Parenthood in November 2001; stalkings and threats to kill 42 low-level abortion industry employees through
2001-11-23; became a U. S. Marshals Service top 15 fugitive on
2001-03-06 because of more than 280 letters that threatened to contain anthrax, which he mailed with return addresses of the U.S. Marshals Service and the
U.S. Secret Service in October 2001.
[4]
Major Cases
:
External link to current 'U.S. Marshals Service Major Case Fugitives'
The 'Major Case Fugitive Program' was established in 1985 in an effort to supplement the successful 15 Most Wanted Fugitive Program. Much like the 15 Most Wanted Fugitive Program, the Major Case Fugitive Program prioritizes the investigation and apprehension of high-profile offenders who are considered to be some of the country’s most dangerous individuals. All escapes from custody are automatically elevated to Major Case status.
See also
★
Marshal
★
Sheriff
★
Police
★
Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System
★
Going Snake Massacre
★
Fugitive Task Force
Notes
1. ''Fact Sheet: United States Marshals Service''
While the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s first agent—then called a “surveyor”—was appointed in 1772, they were not organized as a service/agency until 1830. (''Chronology: U.S. Postal Inspection Service'')
2. History in Custody: The U.S. Marshals Service Takes Possession of North Carolina’s Copy of the Bill of Rights
3. U.S. Marshals make legal presence in Antarctica
4. The FBI Announces New Information Regarding Top Ten Fugitive Clayton Lee Waagner FBI National Press Office
External links
★
U.S. Marshals Service
★
Court Security Program - includes role in CSO's
★
All about U.S. Marshals
★
AUTHORITY OF FBI AGENTS, SERVING AS SPECIAL DEPUTY UNITED STATES MARSHALS, TO PURSUE NON-FEDERAL FUGITIVES
★
DEPUTIZATION OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AS SPECIAL DEPUTY U.S. MARSHALS
★
The Silverstar, by George R Stumpf, retired Deputy US Marshal
★
USC on the US Marshals Service
★
Retired US Marshals Association