Local law enforcement officials were often called "marshals" so there is often an ambiguity whether someone was a federal or a local official.įederal marshals are most famous for their law enforcement work, but that was only a minor part of their workload. Federal marshals were by far the most important government officials in territorial jurisdictions. 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. Marshals were also authorized to swear in a posse to assist with manhunts, and other duties, ad hoc. Among the first marshals were John Adams's son-in-law Congressman William Stephens Smith for the District of New York, another New York district marshal, Congressman Thomas Morris, and Henry Dearborn for the district of Maine.įrom the nation's earliest days, marshals were permitted to recruit special deputies as local hires, or as temporary transfers to the Marshals Service from other federal law-enforcement agencies. Many of the first US Marshals had already proven themselves in military service during the American Revolution. They were paid primarily by fees until a salary system was set up in 1896. 1 (1890).įor over 100 years marshals were patronage jobs, typically controlled by the district judge. The critical Supreme Court decision affirming the legal authority of the federal marshals was made in In re Neagle, 135 U.S. And to execute throughout the district, all lawful precepts directed to him, and issued under the authority of the United States, and he shall have the power to command all necessary assistance in the execution of his duty, and to appoint as shall be occasion, one or more deputies. The law defined marshals as officers of the courts charged with assisting federal courts in their law-enforcement functions:Īnd be it further enacted, That a marshal shall be appointed in and for each district for a term of four years, but shall be removable from office at pleasure, whose duty it shall be to attend the district and circuit courts when sitting therein, and also the Supreme Court in the district in which that court shall sit. The Act provided that a United States Marshal's primary function was to execute all lawful warrants issued to him under the authority of the United States. President George Washington signed the Judiciary Act into law on September 24, 1789.
The office of United States Marshal was created by the First Congress.
Marshals throughout the federal judicial districts. The USMS as it stands today was established in 1969 to provide guidance and assistance to U.S. federal law enforcement agency, created by the Judiciary Act of 1789 during the presidency of George Washington as the "Office of the United States Marshal". Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforcement arm of the United States federal courts to ensure the effective operation of the judiciary and integrity of the Constitution. The United States Marshals Service ( USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States.
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