constitutional sheriffs movement
E590971
The constitutional sheriffs movement is a far-right U.S. political movement that claims county sheriffs are the highest legitimate law enforcement authority and can refuse to enforce laws they deem unconstitutional.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
anti-government movement
ⓘ
far-right movement ⓘ political movement ⓘ |
| associatedOrganization | Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Oath Keepers
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Richard Mack NERFINISHED ⓘ sovereign citizen movement NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| communicationChannels |
conferences and in-person trainings
ⓘ
far-right media outlets ⓘ online videos and social media ⓘ |
| coreClaim |
county sheriffs are the highest legitimate law enforcement authority in the United States
ⓘ
county sheriffs can refuse to enforce laws they deem unconstitutional ⓘ |
| country |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| criticisms |
encourages law enforcement officials to ignore court rulings and statutes
ⓘ
linked to extremist and militia movements ⓘ undermines rule of law and democratic governance ⓘ |
| criticizedBy |
civil rights organizations
ⓘ
law enforcement associations ⓘ legal scholars ⓘ |
| ideology |
constitutional originalism
ⓘ
county supremacy ⓘ far-right politics ⓘ |
| impact |
contributes to local resistance to federal law enforcement
ⓘ
creates conflicts between sheriffs and other government agencies ⓘ encourages politicization of sheriff’s offices ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
Christian nationalist ideas
ⓘ
Posse Comitatus movement NERFINISHED ⓘ anti-federalist and states’ rights traditions ⓘ |
| legalStatus | its theories have been rejected by mainstream courts ⓘ |
| legalView | misinterprets the U.S. Constitution to elevate county sheriffs above other authorities ⓘ |
| narrative | frames sheriffs as protectors of local citizens against federal tyranny ⓘ |
| positionOnFederalGovernment | favors limiting federal law enforcement authority ⓘ |
| positionOnFederalLandManagement | opposes federal control over public lands ⓘ |
| positionOnGunControl | opposes most federal gun regulations ⓘ |
| positionOnPublicHealthMandates | opposes mask and vaccine mandates ⓘ |
| positionOnStateGovernment | favors limiting state law enforcement authority ⓘ |
| recognizedAs | extremist-adjacent by some watchdog groups ⓘ |
| recruitmentBase |
deputies and local law enforcement officers
ⓘ
elected county sheriffs ⓘ far-right activists ⓘ |
| tactics |
encouraging sheriffs to refuse to enforce federal gun laws
ⓘ
encouraging sheriffs to refuse to enforce public health mandates ⓘ encouraging sheriffs to resist federal land-use regulations ⓘ spreading model resolutions and pledges for sheriffs ⓘ training and conferences for sheriffs and local officials ⓘ |
| timePeriod | early 1990s–present ⓘ |
| viewOfLaw | promotes selective enforcement based on sheriffs’ personal constitutional interpretations ⓘ |
| viewOfSheriffOffice | treats sheriff as ultimate check on federal and state power ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.