The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy by Jessica Pishko
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From Penguin / Dutton
A leading authority on sheriffs in America delivers a deeply researched, urgently reported and sweeping work of journalism that investigates the impunity with which sheriffs act in policing their communities and the troubling role they play in American life, law enforcement and, increasingly, in national politics.
While there are many excellent popular trade books on policing, on mass incarceration, on immigration, and on the far right, none of them put their focus squarely on the institution of the sheriff. The time for this book is now, and there is no better authority on the subject than Jessica Pishko.
Sheriffs have become a flashpoint in the current politics of toxic masculinity, guns, white supremacy, and rural resentment. They played a role in the January 6th insurrection, their anti-federal government stance having aligned both with far-right militia groups and with former President Donald Trump, who embraced sheriffs as close allies in the fight against immigration. One of the most troubling aspects is that sheriffs are democratically elected, have little to no accountability, and are incredibly difficult to remove from office. They see themselves as defenders of the Constitution, and outside the jurisdiction of other law enforcement and elected officials. Sheriffs and their constituents see them as the highest law in the land.
The “Constitutional Sheriffs movement” and the newly minted “Protect America Now” organization of acting sheriffs see themselves as the last line of defense of freedom in this country, and are embraced as such by white nationalists, the far right, and parts of the GOP, who want to attain and maintain power at all costs. With sheriffs playing a critical role not just historically but also today in terms of voter suppression, it’s not hard to imagine that they will play a role in mobilizing forces in key states and throwing fuel to the fire around “voter fraud” claims, in the 2024 elections, which could be consequential for generations to come.
Sheriffs have become a flashpoint in the current politics of toxic masculinity, guns, white supremacy, and rural resentment. They played a role in the January 6th insurrection, their anti-federal government stance having aligned both with far-right militia groups and with former President Donald Trump, who embraced sheriffs as close allies in the fight against immigration. One of the most troubling aspects is that sheriffs are democratically elected, have little to no accountability, and are incredibly difficult to remove from office. They see themselves as defenders of the Constitution, and outside the jurisdiction of other law enforcement and elected officials. Sheriffs and their constituents see them as the highest law in the land.
The “Constitutional Sheriffs movement” and the newly minted “Protect America Now” organization of acting sheriffs see themselves as the last line of defense of freedom in this country, and are embraced as such by white nationalists, the far right, and parts of the GOP, who want to attain and maintain power at all costs. With sheriffs playing a critical role not just historically but also today in terms of voter suppression, it’s not hard to imagine that they will play a role in mobilizing forces in key states and throwing fuel to the fire around “voter fraud” claims, in the 2024 elections, which could be consequential for generations to come.