The U.S. Marshals

Who are the U.S. Marshals?

The U.S. Marshals Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency in the nation.  It was established on September 24, 1789, as part of the Judiciary Act, the first bill passed in Congress and signed by George Washington.  Established to protect the judiciary, the U.S. Marshals were often called the “other duties as assigned agency,” because of their broad powers.  From 1790 to 1880, U.S. Marshals were responsible for the Census.  In 1794, they protected tax collectors during the Whiskey Rebellion.  In 1850, they enforced the Fugitive Slave Act. 

Today, there are 94 U.S. Marshals, one for each federal district.  U.S. Marshals continue to be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States.  Deputy Marshals carry out the day-to-day duties of the USMS and are civil servants hired through the federal process.

The U.S. Marshals Service has five main missions:

Judicial Security-The USMS protects our judicial system.  They do this in a number of ways including protecting federal judges, the courts, jurors, and prisoners and helping to ensure that each trial proceeds safely.

Fugitives-The Service tracks American fugitives here and abroad and maintains offices in three foreign countries.  In 2010, the USMS captured 36,100 fugitives-more than all other law enforcement agencies combined.

Witness Security-Without lifetime protection, the potential for witnesses to give false testimony or face the threat of death is much greater.  Since the program’s inception, none of the 17,000 participants who followed security guidelines have been harmed while under the active protection of the Marshals Service.  Museum visitors will learn about the Witness Security Program (WitSec) and try to protect their own witness in an interactive experience.

Federal Prisoners-It is the role of the Marshals to transport prisoners to hearings, court appearances and detention facilities.  Notorious criminals held in custody by the USMS include: Manuel Noriega, John Gotti, Timothy McVeigh, Imelda Marcos, Ted Kaczynski and Zacarius Moussaoui.  The USMS monitors some 56,000 federal prisoners each year and works with 1,800 local and state jails.  They also operate the largest transport of prisoners in the world, making over 300,000 prisoner moves each year.  Visitors will learn about the unique duties involved through a computer interactive called "Prisoner Bob," where "Bob" is booked, tried, and convicted.

Asset Forfeiture-The ill-gotten gains of criminals end up in the custody of the USMS.  Among the many unique businesses seized by the USMS are trash companies in Connecticut, grocery chains in California and casinos in Nevada.  Cars, trucks, boats, mansions, and jewelry are some of the items the Marshals auction to reimburse innocent parties, pay program costs, and defray operations expenses of local law enforcement agencies.  An interactive technology called iWall will highlight objects one at a time and provide background on each one.