Posted on 05/02/2020 5:33:54 PM PDT by jazusamo
Governors across the nation have issued stay-at-home orders. Many have extended them once or twice. Some have even gone so far as to threaten to slap residents with fines. But what these governors are counting on is local police departments and sheriffs to enforce their orders. Sheriffs from around the country are standing up and refusing to enforce the orders because they believe them to be unconstitutional.
Two Arizona Sheriffs – Doug Schuster of Mohave County and Mark Lamb of Pinal County – said they will not enforce Gov. Doug Ducey's (R) stay-at-home order. Both Schuster and Lamb agreed to talk with residents about violating the governor's order but they would not arrest those who refuse to comply, Arizona Central reported.
Even though Mohave County is home to Lake Havasu City, one of the state's most popular tourist attractions, the sheriff believes people will be respectful of Ducey's orders.
“We’ll get compliance,” Schuster said. “These businesses are not looking to butt heads with law enforcement or the state.”
Sheriff Lamb, who has become a regular on A&E's "Live PD," said he never intended to make his "unspoken rule" known, but the governor's orders forced him to do so.
“I think people want to know that we’re going to support their constitutional rights,” Lamb said. “I felt (Ducey) pushed me into a position where I needed to make our stance clear.”
According to the Pinal County sheriff, the state's low number of Wuhan coronavirus deaths – 330 – no longer justified a stay-at-home order and keeping people from their livelihoods. He even went so far as to say he would join a lawsuit challenging Ducey's order.
“Three hundred deaths is not a significant enough number to continue to ruin the economy," Lamb said.
Schuster said if he received a complaint about a business, such as a restaurant being open, he would show up and encourage them to practice social distancing and other health care guidelines.
“Call me a coach,” he said. “We’re here to support you. We want to see businesses get back to normal as quickly as possible.”
Schuster said he has no desire to arrest people who are filling restaurant orders.
“My conscience will not allow me to arrest someone who is trying to make a living,” he said. “I don’t believe it is a crime to try and make a living.”
Two sheriffs in Washington State – Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney and Franklin County Sheriff J.D. Raymond – had similar sentiments.
Fortney took to Facebook to explain why he thought Gov. Jay Inslee's (D) orders were wrong.
"I am worried about the economy and I am worried about Washingtonian’s that need to make a living for their family. As more data floods in week by week and day by day about this pandemic I think it is clear that the 'models' have not been entirely accurate," he wrote in a post. "While that is okay, we cannot continue down the same path we have been on if the government reaction does not fit the data or even worse, the same government reaction makes our situation worse."
He went on to say he believed Inslee's orders violated the Constitution.
"As your elected Sheriff I will always put your constitutional rights above politics or popular opinion. We have the right to peaceably assemble," Fortney said. "We have the right to keep and bear arms. We have the right to attend church service of any denomination. The impacts of COVID 19 no longer warrant the suspension of our constitutional rights."
Sheriff Raymond said he refuses to enforce Inslee's orders or "guidelines that infringe on your constitutional rights," KOMO-TV reported.
Raymond made the case that residents can be adults and care for themselves.
"I believe that social distancing and taking appropriate and proper steps to slow the spread of the virus and control its transmission is important," he wrote in a letter to his constituents.
Sheriffs across the nation are standing up against laws they believe are unconstitutional. It really is similar to sheriffs who are bucking gun control laws across the nation. They took an oath to uphold the Constitution and are doing everything in their power to preserve and protect their constituents' rights.
Colorado does NOT have a state police force; when you search for “Colorado State Police”, here’s what you get: a gazillion hits for Colorado State Patrol
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b&ei=1lWvXsyxGtTQtQaij6WoCQ&q=”Colorado+State+Police";
“CSU has a contingent of Colorado State Police officers”
indeed ... that’s the name of their campus police force, and the reason the name is “Colorado State Police” is because the name of the university is “Colorado State” ...
That movie and the lengths the government will go to to coverup.....says it all.
How about an 'order' that merely follows the chain of command?
What movie was that taken from?
Do not mess with the Colorado State Police at CSU as they are sworn in by the City of Ft. Collins, Larmier County, State of Colorado and Sworn in by the Federal government because campuses are in those locations. They sure have a lot of authority for not being “State Police”.
The chain of command is subordinate to the Constitution.
There are limits on what the chain of command may legally order.
Why do you think the oath always includes the words "uphold and defend the Constitution"?
In the Military it is not only the Constitution but includes "regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice". You are obligated NOT to obey an order that is contrary to those things.
yep, colorado state highway patrol to patrol highways (and protect gov and state capital) plus the CBI, which provides forensic support for various LEO departments, but NO state police force that has state-wide arrest powers ... period ...
in colorado, criminal arrests are performed by county sheriffs, municipal LEOS and highway patrol for stuff that happens on highways ... that’s it ... no state police ...
“I’m getting a little touchy over the mask hate because people are being targeted and threatened for wearing them.”
All I see is the opposite: people like myself, who don’t want to wear a mask are the victims here. We are the ones being threatened.
We get dirty looks, are barred from entering places - we get lectured by bureaucrats and LE - we are even called killers by all sorts of Karens and chicken littles who suddenly think obeying the the state is the highest virtue.
These good little social distancers of 2020 remind me of the loyalists of the 1770’s. They hated the patriots who dared to fight for freedom. Many ran off to Canada and I hope the masks wearers of today follow them there.
I’m sorry, but I know who is a Democrat and who is a Republican in my small PA town - and I can tell you, the Democrats were the first ones to put the masks on, and they will be the last to take them off.
This is all a political ruse - every Democrat wants to exaggerate this virus as much as possible right up to the election in November. They are hoping the economy looks bad so Trump loses. Then the day after the election, the masks will come off - both literally and figuratively.
It has been the opposite here. Almost all of the people wearing masks here have been elderly. Most people here are Conservative and they are the ones that are threatening people. Nobody is threatening people not wearing them. It’s all directed at the elderly or people like me, with a medical condition that could be deadly with any respiratory virus. I wear one every flu season. I’m not wearing it only because of COVID. I don’t care if people wear them or not and most of us don’t. I’m not taking off a mask that I wear EVERY FLU SEASON just because some people don’t like it.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
So city police take care of the cities. The sheriff officers take care of counties so you say that the rest of the state I lawless?
Sounds like you should move to Pennsylvania, and I should move to Tennessee.
“The sheriff officers take care of counties so you say that the rest of the state I lawless?”
there is no “rest of the state”: all territory is fully covered by county sheriffs and/or muni LEOs ...
You don't get harassed here for not wearing a mask. I don't care if a person wears one or not. I just keep my distance from those. I figure that if they don't care about their own health they surely won't care about mine. These people aren't libs either. My County is mostly Conservative. I know masks aren't perfect but they are a few layers between you and somebody else and are better than nothing.
My sheriff will not enforce laws in another county or sate wide there are a lot of state laws Sheriffs will not enforce.
When the sh*t hits the fan, you quickly identify your friends and your enemies.
“....far right extremists vigilantes...”
You are on FR and call yourself “Tennessee conservative”, but I have to say it’s kind of odd that the only people you have a problem with are “far right extremist vigilantes”.
Around here, the only people who would even use a phrase like that are the Lefties.
Like I said, it sounds like you would get along better with the Lefties up here in Philadelphia, who all love wearing masks (and lecturing those who don’t), and I would get along just fine with your “far right extremist vigilantes”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.