Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The Office of United States Marshal

1959; University of Utah Press; Volume: 12; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1177/106591295901200109

2325-8675

Rita W. Cooley,

American Constitutional Law and Politics

ESPITE THE FACT that a tremendous history and tradition surround office, United State marshal is one of leastknown federal office-holders. The marshal was original enforcement officer in federal system with civil, criminal, and administrative responsibilities. Initially, he had investigative duties which are today prerogative of specialized services such as Postal Inspection, Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alcohol Tax Unit, to name but a few.' Later, in territories, United States marshals were the law and it is probably in connection with lingering legendary accounts about such exciting activities that many persons think of federal marshal today. There is danger that current film and television glamorization of such colorful territorial marshals of old West as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson on one hand, and dearth of systematic studies or even organized material 2 on other, will obscure very real modem problems of federal enforcement and administration connected with office.