18 U.S.C. § 2115
Section 2115 · Post office
Amended 2 times on record
Applied in 148 court decisions — leading case United States v. Kramer (1961)
Most recently applied in State Ex Rel. Laughlin v. Bowersox (August 2010)
Applied most in the Fifth Circuit Circuit (29 decisions)
Cases citing this section usually also cite 28 U.S.C. § 2255 · 18 U.S.C. § 641 · 18 U.S.C. § 500
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Whoever forcibly breaks into or attempts to break into any post office, or any building used in whole or in part as a post office, with intent to commit in such post office, or building or part thereof, so used, any larceny or other depredation, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §315 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §192, 335 Stat. 1125).
Mandatory punishment provisions were rephrased in the alternative.
Minor change in phraseology was made.
Amendments
1996—Pub. L. 104–294 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”.