Controversy Rises Over Process Servers and Body Armor

If you have an eye on the news for stories about process servers getting into difficult situations, you’ll know that dangerous events occur on a daily basis for the process servers tasked with serving papers to those in legal hot water. For as many people who realize that the process server is nothing more than a messenger, just as many unleash the full depths of their anger and violence on the process server unlucky enough to walk up to the door with papers. Foul insults, physical violence, and dangerous threats are often a part of the job description, so it makes sense that process server Billy Earle has worn a bulletproof vest while on the job for more than two decades.

Earle has experienced assault, had firearms pointed at him, and was even once chased by a man wielding a shovel. Earle has been protected by his bulletproof vest and enabled to handle jobs with inherent danger. Now, however, he is no longer allowed to wear that bulletproof vest into Her Majesty’s Penitentiary in Newfoundland, Canada. Earle arrived to serve papers to a prisoner and was told that he wouldn’t be allowed through. Instead, a prison staff member had to deliver the papers. Given the strict nature of delivery of proof, it was a huge risk for Earle to allow another unqualified person to handle his job. The staff member signed an affidavit swearing that the papers were successfully served, but relying on this type of middle man makes Earle very uncomfortable, and for very good reason.

In the future, Earle faces the possibility of staff members being too busy to help him, or of the papers not actually being delivered to their intended recipient. If that happens, the responsibility falls on Earle’s shoulders. His business, and thus his personal finances, could suffer considerably. Now, the question is, as a man doing an often dangerous job, should the protocol be altered to accommodate his safety?