Lamb was also a confirmed speaker at sovereign citizen group RidersUSAs seventh annual Second Amendment event, which was held in Phoenix, Arizona, on Feb. 15, 2020. Posse Comitatus founder William Potter Gale was a self-ordained minister who called on sheriffs to supersede federal agencies and serve as quasi-vigilantes, primarily to resist school desegregation. This idea was pioneered by Christian identity minister William Potter Gale in the 1970's and One constitutional sheriff in Nevada went viral in 2019 for comparing gun control to Nazi Germany. Constitutional sheriff Dar Leaf of Barry County, Michigan, openly defied his governors stay-at-home orders as did constitutional sheriff Mike Carpinelli of Lewis County, New York. For example, as Congress worked toward federal police reform legislation this year, Democratic negotiators made substantial compromises to get major organizations, including the Fraternal Order of Police, on board. Already, 2020 election deniers are recruiting county sheriffs to more closely watch over future elections. On the other hand, Burnett is one of the 17 sheriffs to endorse Songer this election cycle. The duties of the sheriff, who is a constitutional officer, Article II, section 5 as amended;State v. Melton, 192 Wash. 379, 73 P. (2d) 1334, (1937), have been established by the legislature and appear in chapter 36.28 RCW. Less than 34% of the $2.6 million Iowans have donated to an Iowa sheriffs' group in recent years has been used for the stated purpose of . The Washington State Sheriffs Association's letter said sheriffs are responsible for two tasks. The primary purpose of this Sheriff is to protect, https://sheriffconstitutional.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Tuesday-story-recording.mp3, Constitutional Sheriffs Article 11, 5 of Washington State, If the local government of this county attempts to rob or violate your constitutional rights. Other sheriffs or candidates for the office may not believe their authority is that powerful but are still willing to disregard a law based on its perceived constitutionality. Each officer is required only to act according to law. In order to improve and provide effective service and protection to all citizens of Washington, the 39 Sheriffs joined together in 1984 to form this Association. Lamb, along with Sheriff Wayne Ivey of Brevard, Florida, Sheriff Jesse Watts of Eureka, Nevada, Sheriff Scott Jenkins of Culpeper, Virginia and Sheriff Tom Hodgson of Bristol County, Massachusetts, are advisers to the group Protect America Now, which has been linked to anti-immigrant Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). (Although even the National Sheriffs Association notes that this oath is taken by every law enforcement officer and confers no special authority on sheriffs.) CSPOA 01/03/23 Webinar - Sam Bushman, Jack Mullen, & State Director Kirk Launius CSPOA Posse Intel Webinar 01-03-23 The Sheriff Mack Show: Sam Bushman ft. Michael Peroutka We spoke with constitutional lawyer Jeffery Needle about the letter. I will follow the rule of law, Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer said at the time, when I believe its constitutional.. Other sheriffs, however, took a strong stance against the idea that sheriffs have unilateral authority when reached by InvestigateWest. Sheriffs across the state are predictably opposed to such a move, but even those most concerned with rogue constitutional sheriffs dont love that idea. The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA) is an anti-government extremist group whose primary purpose is to recruit sheriffs into the anti-government "patriot" movement. The Anti-Defamation League considers the organization an anti-government extremist group., Songer has been a prominent voice for Macks group after Mack celebrated his stance on Washingtons gun laws. The so-called "constitutional sheriff" movement has grown in Washington. The Constitutional Sheriff is a judicial officer, that "shall be elected by the qualified voters of their respective counties for a term of four years and shall have such qualifications . Gale promoted the formation of citizens militias, making the claim that all healthy men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five who were not in the military could be mobilized into a posse comitatus to redress their grievances, according to the book Aryan Cowboys: White Supremacists and the Search for a New Frontier, 1970-2000. You can hear constitutional sheriff rhetoric in a number of incumbent candidates in states such as Washington, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts. Jay Inslee because it is "inconsistent with Article I, Section 24 of the Washington State Constitution. In the exercise of executive and administrative functions and in conserving the public peace [[Orig. The constitutional sheriff movement has its roots in the Posse Comitatus ("power of the county") movement of the 1970s and '80s. Lamb called his posse, created in 2020, a citizens academy but said they are also a resource should we need them. In December 2020, Lamb gave an update on Facebook about the posse, telling the audience that hundreds of people had graduated from the training and he was looking forward to getting a lot more of you in there and getting you trained as well.. Be a part of it! That year, Mack shared their strategy with Fox News: We were actually strategizing to put all the women and children up front. This statement was voted on and approved by a majority of the sheriffs in the . DENVER (AP) More than a dozen candidates campaigning to be top . Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer has in recent years embodied the Constitutional Sheriff movement. In the execution of his office, he and his deputies: (1) Shall arrest and commit to prison all persons who break the peace, or attempt to break it, and all persons guilty of public offenses; (2) Shall defend the county against those who, by riot or otherwise, endanger the public peace or safety; (3) Shall execute the process and orders of the courts of justice or judicial officers, when delivered for that purpose, according to law; (4) Shall execute all warrants delivered for that purpose by other public officers, according to Its origins are in the American county supremacy movement, which includes two concepts that often work in tandem. (Klickitat County Sheriffs Office photo). The refusal of law enforcement officers to enforce the new restrictions plays into a longer history of so-called "constitutional" sheriffs resisting the gradual tightening of gun laws . Two rural Nevada counties have joined "constitutional sheriff" Richard Mack's Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. On May 15, 2021, the tour stopped in Lander County, Nevada, where the county commission voted to become CSPOA lifetime members and held a Patriotic Social Gathering. The audience consisted of locals, Nevada constitutional sheriffs, anti-vaccine groups and multiple militias, one with a recruiting booth set up. In a recent webinar with Mack, Songer said that the association naming him the Constitutional Sheriff of the Year was an eye-opener regarding his duties as sheriff. The 3081 elected sheriffs nationwide are responsible for running county jails, which house a third of the country's incarcerated population, and enforcing laws within their county that are passed at the state and federal level. of need. enforcement officers, and their respective agencies in times That many sheriffs believe they have that power concerns people like Rupa Bhattacharyya, special litigation counsel for the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection within Georgetown University Law Center. In that case an order of the governor removing a sheriff for nonfeasance of office was affirmed by the court. Kittitas County Sheriff Clay Myers is the current president of the Washington State Sheriffs Association. Sheriffs & Peace Officers Ass'n, supra note 1. has also joined the campaign. The office of sheriff is a constitutional office created by Article 11, 5 of the Washington State Constitution (Amendment 12) which reads in part as follows: "The legislature, by general and uniform laws, shall provide for the election in the several . Instead, hed rather educate the public about what he calls the far-right agenda and hope voters make the right decision. In Snohomish County, efforts to recall Sheriff Fortney over his refusal to enforce pandemic restrictions failed. These entities do not have jurisdiction in Skagit county, Therefore, before they may enter Skagit county they must have a contract or an invitation from the sheriff. 36.28.011 And with the Nov. 8, 2022, election just around the . One is that county government should have control of all the land within its borders, taking this power away from the state and federal government. In Snohomish County, efforts to recall Sheriff Fortney over his refusal to enforce pandemic restrictions failed. To this day, the sheriffs in the survey are 83 per cent opposed to a national ban on assault weapons. I dont think the Constitution gives sheriffs a greater degree of authority over state or federal officials.. Sheriffs in a dozen Washington counties say they won't enforce the state's sweeping new restrictions on semi-automatic rifles until the courts decide whether they are constitutional. In a recent webinar with Mack, Songer said that the association awarding him the Constitutional Sheriff of the Year was an eye-opener regarding his duties as sheriff. The far-right ideology promoted by Mack and Songer is expressed by a disturbingly large number of sheriffs, said Devin Burghart, executive director of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, a Seattle-based nonprofit thats studied the movement. Nowhere does there appear any specific mandate to the sheriff to investigate criminal charges. Multiple county sheriffs wrote the language for or publicly supported these laws. Whether either court would have upheld an order of removal had the nonfeasance consisted of failure to investigate merely one or a few alleged violations of which the sheriff had been informed, of course, is doubtful. Already, 2020 election deniers are recruiting county sheriffs to more closely watch over future elections. Other sheriffs or candidates for the office may not believe their authority is that powerful but are still willing to disregard a law based on its perceived constitutionality. His opponent, Rick Kuss, is part of the constitutional sheriffs movement and was endorsed by Joe Arpaio, the controversial former sheriff in Arizona pardoned by President Donald Trump. Tags:Law Enforcement, Politics, Election 2022. Kitsap County Sheriff John Gese also rejected Macks ideology. Sign up to get important news and culture from around the Northwest, delivered to your inbox six days a week. Sheriffs across the state are predictably opposed to such a move, but even those most concerned with rogue constitutional sheriffs dont love that idea. Whenever a state legislature passes overreaching violations of their constituents' civil liberties, or the federal government attempts to impose unconstitutional gun laws, there is a Constitutional Sheriff who can stand in their way. Phone: (360) 486-2380 FAX: (360) 486-2381. The Constitutional Law group run by a non-attorney sovereign citizen who spent time during the pandemic offering his services as an attorney to businesses defying COVID-19 health guidelines listed CSPOA as a sponsor on their website and claimed to be working closely with CSPOA. Not only did it get him on far-right conspiracist Alex Jones show, but his stance caught the attention of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a far-right, anti-government group that wrongly asserts a sheriffs power supersedes that of state and federal authority. Washington: DC: Monday . "In my 30 years in law enforcement, I have never seen a bill passed like this, and signed into law that was on his face, so unconstitutional." Sheriffs have a lot of power, but ruling a law . In 2021, Mack went on the ARISE USA Tour hosted by late antisemitic conspiracy theorist Robert David Steele. OPBs critical reporting and inspiring programs are made possible by the power of member support. The power of sheriffs does not outrank the feds or the state, but in practice, theres often little to be done about a sheriff who refuses to enforce laws. The Sheriffs of Washington are elected and are constitutional officers Distinct from Sheriffs, the Militia are explicitly incorporated within the Constitution of the United States. The fringe ideology of "constitutional sheriffs" is attracting believers within Texas law enforcement. More sheriffs may become radicalized because of the number of constitutional sheriffs and antigovernment groups intent on evangelizing to sheriffs about constitutional sheriff and conspiracy theory ideologies, which are often related. . . InvestigateWest reached out to each sheriff candidate in Washington hoping to clarify how they view a sheriffs authority. Thirteen sheriffs, however, went a step beyond merely expressing their displeasure. The Anti-Defamation League considers the organization an anti-government extremist group.. Contending that this authority supersedes that of all other government officials including state governors and the president they refuse to enforce a range of public safety laws, from local mask mandates to state and federal gun laws. While only about 300 of more than 3,000 sheriffs in the country are official members of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, nearly half of sheriffs nationwide who responded to a survey by The Marshall Project said they believe their power outranks federal or state government in their county. People ask me all the time, Do you believe in enforcing the Constitution? Yes, absolutely. Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer is a member of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a far-right, anti-government group that wrongly asserts a sheriffs power supersedes that of state and federal authority. . I think its a decision that communities have to make on their own, she said. Richard Mack has built a "Constitutional sheriff" movement to resist state and federal authority on guns, COVID-19 and now election results. Jay Inslee struck back at Washington state law enforcement officers such Songer in a press conference on April 22, 2020: Whatever talents they have they just are not given the right in our democracy to make a decision about the constitution. Nevertheless the rule laid down is that the sheriff must use initiative in discovering violations and must follow up information received from responsible sources. Sometimes the news is the story. Carpinelli says at the end of the day, its about respecting each other and each others boundaries when it comes to concerns about the virus. Since then, the so-called constitutional sheriff movement has grown in Washington. By: Robert DavisSheriffs in Washington State are caught in a catch-22 between the state's sweeping gun control rules, Initiative 1639, and waiting until the courts decide whether or not the provisions contained therein are Constitutional. I think its a decision that communities have to make on their own, she said. Thousands violate unconstitutional Washington state gun law. To provide a centralized body through which prompt As gun laws throughout the west have gradually . It appears that, as one state official told me, the Virginia lawmakers just did not want to take on a political battle with sheriffs known to be a combative bunch. In 2019, they awarded Songer the Washington State Constitutional Sheriff of the Year Award. It is a federal crime for politician to compromise their oath or sells your unalienable rights or freedom for monetary gain. When asked why he believes he has authority to enforce laws based on his own reading of the Constitution, Songer points to his oath of office to uphold the U.S. and state constitutions. And the actions he took in recent years are similar to Songers: Burnett said he wouldnt be investigating crimes related to Washingtons new gun laws and he announced he wouldnt enforce COVID-19 masking rules and other mandates. For Songer, it was a tipping point. We promise they will not leave the same, CSPOAs leader former sheriff Richard Mack said of the event during a Feb. 23 interview on the right-wing online show American Journal that was rebroadcast to Infowars. My No. The job of this specific sheriff is to protect your personal rights against all foreign and domestic threats. OFFICE HOURS: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Friday Closed Weekends & State Holidays, Washington's Attorneys General - Past and Present, Submitting Your Motor Home Request for Arbitration, Homicide Investigation Tracking System (HITS), Combating Dark Money/Campaign Finance Unit, Student Loans/Debt Adjustment and Collection, Professional Coordination & Communication Work Group, File a Manufactured Housing Dispute Resolution Request Online, Benefits & Protections for Veterans & Military Personnel, Keep Washington Working Act FAQ for Law Enforcement. His ideas went on to influence sovereign citizens and militia . Sheriffs who refuse to enforce duly enacted state laws are violating their oaths, shirking their duties, trampling on the democratic process, and contravening the separation of powers. Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer is a member of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a far-right, anti-government group that wrongly asserts a sheriffs power supersedes that of state and federal authority. Enter Your Email Address To Get Exclusive Updates Directly From Sheriff Mack! People ask me all the time, Do you believe in enforcing the Constitution? Yes, absolutely. Over three dozen sheriffs attended an event hosted by CSPOA and the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office in The Woodlands, Texas, from Feb. 26-27, 2021. "The bottom line is that we have Constitutional duties with our oath of office," Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers told There are but few cases concerning the extent to which there is a duty on the part of the sheriff to investigate criminal charges under common law. Theyve sort of cobbled together this theory based on authorities that dont really do what theyre claiming that they do.. The group includes Mark Lamb of Pinal County, Arizona, whom Mack personally endorsed saying, Yes, Sheriff Lamb is a Constitutional Sheriff and is one of the best sheriffs in America; Sheriff Wayne Ivey of Brevard, Florida, and Sheriff Jesse Watts of Eureka, Nevada, who have both self-identified as constitutional sheriffs; and Sheriff Scott Jenkins of Culpeper, Virginia, who spoke at the 2020 CSPOA Conference at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. A campaign manager for Clark County sheriff candidate Rey Reynolds responded to InvestigateWests questions with a letter to the editor Reynolds wrote to a local paper in which he said, the sheriff is the ultimate law enforcement authority in a county. The campaign did not respond to follow-up questions aiming to clarify whether he believes sheriffs power supersedes state and federal officials. the 39 Sheriffs joined together in 1984 to form this Thirteen sheriffs, however, went a step beyond merely expressing their displeasure. Much of this distrust by the antigovernment movement was built around the federal governments response to the Weavers of Ruby Ridge, Idaho, and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. Thats part of my oath, Gese said. The seeds for this type of dissent by some Eastern Washington sheriffs began last year with the passing of I-1639, which greatly restricted firearms rights in the state. Washington state recently introduced bills for some of the strictest gun laws in the country but they have some very important opponents: the sheriffs. The protection of these rights come under the jurisdiction of the county Constitutional Sheriff. This posse comitatus based rallying cry continues to be the primary theme that permeates the ideology of CSPOA and other constitutional sheriffs across America. A far-right "Constitutional Sheriffs" group has partnered with a vicious antisemite on the Arise USA bus tour to find recruits and woo county sheriffs. While sheriffs have discretion they dont go after every person for jaywalking, for example their oath of office does not give them the authority to pass laws like legislatures or to decide their constitutionality like the courts. Duty to make complaint. . Other Washington sheriffs and candidates have similar beliefs even if they arent members of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association like Songer. If they are going to start shooting, its going to be women that are going to be televised all across the world getting shot by these rogue federal officers., In 2018, Mack attended RidersUSAs fifth annual Second Amendment event. Police reform initiatives launched after George Floyds murder have largely overlooked the nations more than 3,000 county sheriffs, most of them elected. The COVID-19 crisis has spurred a growth in constitutional sheriffs across the country. We cannot have individual law enforcement officers arbitrarily decide what laws to enforce., In addition to defiance over coronavirus laws, Songer, along with constitutional sheriff Mark Lamb of Pinal County, Arizona, formed their own sheriffs posses.