Ancient History and Modern Constitutional Powers of American Sheriffs (Part 1/2)

Are America's Constitutional Sheriffs Liberty's Last, Best Hope?

Kelly OConnell, Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Can America’s sheriffs save our Constitution and our precious liberties? The exhaustive history of the sheriff has yet to be written, but much is known of the rise of these county leaders, once called shire reeves, in old England. Sheriffs are termed the “the oldest appointment of the English crown.” They represent transition from simple local rule to a nationalized attempt at keeping law and order. Sheriffs were first established when the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were finally assembled into the Wessex-based Kingdom of England sometime around 1000 AD.

In the Colonies, the Crown established sheriffs, as done in Britain by royal decree. But, before long, the democratic process was employed to elect them. Today, they are the last bastion of popular representation in law enforcement. Ironically, it now appears that the ancient sheriff, the last representative of popular, local federalism—might be the last chance for America to retain our civil liberties before the onslaught of Leviathan—the colossus of government tyranny. This hope is best represented by the Oath Keepers, a group educating and supporting local sheriffs as defenders of our Constitution against creeping federal insurgency. Add to this the doctrine of Nullification, or refusal to apply unconstitutional laws, which sheriffs are now applying across America on various topics, such as gun regulations, and refusing federal demand for control.

This article is composed in two parts to better describe the history, function and constitutional warrant of the local, county American sheriff.

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(A fascinating and educational article, I will watch for the Part 2 and post when ready.)

Thomas Jefferson claimed of the office of sheriff: “there is no honorable law enforcement authority in Anglo-American law so ancient as that of the county sheriff whose role as a peace officer goes back at least to the time of Alfred the Great.”

Quote: FP123 wrote in post #1

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Ancient History and Modern Constitutional Powers of American Sheriffs (Part 1/2)

Are America's Constitutional Sheriffs Liberty's Last, Best Hope?

Kelly OConnell, Tuesday, March 26, 2013

--snip--

(A fascinating and educational article, I will watch for the Part 2 and post when ready.)

Thomas Jefferson claimed of the office of sheriff: “there is no honorable law enforcement authority in Anglo-American law so ancient as that of the county sheriff whose role as a peace officer goes back at least to the time of Alfred the Great.”

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Thanks for posting this.

MAY GOD ABUNDANTLY BLESS THEIR EFFORTS IN BEHALF OF FREEDOM, THE CONSTITUTION AND THE GOOD OF THE REPUBLIC AND ITS HONORABLE PATRIOTIC CITIZENS.

The rest don't deserve . . . a lot that's good and honorable because they don't begin to contribute much of anything good and honorable, it seems to me.