The 'Constitutional Sheriff' Myth

Now & Then

Vox Media Podcast Network

History, Society & Culture, News Commentary, News

4.9 • 3.7K Ratings

🗓️ 25 January 2023

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Why are some American sheriffs resisting government policies, including gun safety laws and even the peaceful transition of presidential power, while claiming constitutional authority? And how has the role of the sheriff impacted our national life? Heather and Joanne discuss how sheriffs have enforced and defied laws throughout U.S. history, from the emergence of the office in colonial America, to the frontier violence of the 1892 Johnson County War, to 1960s standoffs with segregationist sheriffs. Join CAFE Insider to listen to “Backstage,” where Heather and Joanne chat each week about the anecdotes and ideas that formed the episode. Head to: cafe.com/history For more historical analysis of current events, sign up for the free weekly CAFE Brief newsletter, featuring Time Machine, a weekly article that dives into an historical event inspired by each episode of Now & Then: cafe.com/brief For references & supplemental materials, head to: cafe.com/now-and-then/the-constitutional-sheriff-myth/ Now & Then is presented by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey y'all, this is Josh Mugeo, host of The Pitch, a Vox media podcast where real-launch
0:06.4	preneurs pitch real tech investors for real money.
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0:23.2	Follow the pitch for our best season yet.
0:26.1	New episodes start dropping weekly on February 8th.
0:41.8	From Cafe and the Vox media podcast network, this is now and then.
0:46.6	I'm Heather Cox Richardson and I'm Joanne Freeman.
0:51.1	Today we're going to be talking about a movement and the roots behind that movement.
0:57.6	What we're interested in talking about is the constitutional sheriff movement.
1:02.3	That's a phrase constitutional sheriff that has been in the news in one way or another
1:07.4	in recent, I suppose, once even years.
1:10.6	What we want to talk about today is first of all, what is a sheriff?
1:15.7	What do sheriffs actually do?
1:17.4	What kind of powers do they actually have and thus related to that?
1:22.3	What is it that people who claim to be constitutional sheriffs?
1:26.7	What are they claiming?
1:28.2	And how is that grounded in history or not grounded in history?
1:34.0	Now it's worth starting out by saying that a sheriff, generally speaking, is the highest
1:41.2	law enforcement officer in a county.
	...

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