Sovereign citizens use “paper terrorism” to intimidate, harass Sedona public officials
Growth in the sovereign citizen movement in Sedona has led to bogus legal filings designed to intimidate and harass public officials, requests by court officials to increase building security and escalated tensions between the movement’s adherents and local police. City officials have publicly downplayed the movement’s growth, but their internal communications reveal an awareness of—and…
God-given rights: The nationwide spread of the ‘constitutional sheriff’
The Constitutional Sheriff and Peace Officers Association has for years railed against gun control laws, COVID public health mandates and alleged election fraud, ultimately presenting the sheriff as the ultimate arbiter of law. The group, which experts have labeled anti-democratic and anti-government, has also spread its ideology across the nation, seeking to become more mainstream…
‘Constitutional Sheriffs’ ideology expands to county government
In an expansion of its ideology that pushes a supreme authority for county sheriffs, the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association is encouraging a nascent movement of so-called “constitutional counties.” The movement builds off of Second Amendment sanctuary counties in an attempt to shift power away from the state and federal government and into the…
California nonprofit linked to constitutional sheriff group
The Gorilla Learning Institute uses its tax-exempt status as a nonprofit to help fund other groups’ activities, including the Friends of CSPOA, a California chapter of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association. The institute is led by Sacramento County Board Supervisors member Sue Frost, who says its name references the gorilla as a peaceful,…
VIDEO: In The Sheriff We Trust
A national group of sheriffs that claims its authority supersedes that of the state and federal government has spread its ideology to dozens of states in recent years, in part by gaining state accreditation for its taxpayer-funded law enforcement training. Some states and localities are pushing back, including in Texas, Washington and Nevada.
Despite warnings, safeguard to prevent extremist training for law enforcement removed
A rule change that lowers the bar for extremist organizations to radicalize law enforcement through training was enacted on April 5, despite a series of letters from civil rights groups urging Arizona’s governor and attorney general to take preemptive action. The groups are particularly worried about so-called “constitutional sheriff” training, which they say contains false…
Arizona-based sheriff group promotes members with ties to white nationalism
The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association has formally embraced some of its more radical members by promoting them into leadership positions. The public-facing change comes at a time of growth for the organization as it seeks to further expand its influence and ideology across the U.S.
Rule change opens new path for ‘constitutional sheriff’ group to train Arizona law enforcement
A rule change by Arizona’s top law enforcement-certifying agency removes a safeguard against ‘extremist’ training for peace officers by allowing sheriffs and police chiefs more autonomy in determining what qualifies as mandatory continuing education credit.
Experts warn of extremist push to expand sheriffs’ role in elections
Election and domestic extremism experts warn that so-called “constitutional sheriff” groups are compounding problems created by disinformation campaigns and undermining public confidence in elections and law enforcement, setting the stage for situations that can lead to voter intimidation and ultimately subvert free and fair elections.
Arizona ‘ground zero’ for extremist, anti-government sheriff movement
More than half of Arizona’s county sheriffs are at least partially aligned with a growing movement of so-called “constitutional sheriffs,” with an ideology that threatens to radicalize law enforcement by indoctrinating them with false legal theories about a sheriff’s authority over state and federal government, and a duty to nullify laws they interpret as unconstitutional.…
How AZCIR identified Arizona’s ‘constitutional sheriffs’
Whether or not sheriffs adopt the core ideologies of the movement is more telling when it comes to how they approach their jobs—including how they interact with constituents and other government agencies—than whether they use the “constitutional sheriff” moniker.
Few Joe Arpaio immigrant victims claim unlawful detention compensation
Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio defied a federal court order by allowing his deputies to nab scores of immigrants. President Donald Trump pardoned him. Now the immigrant victims are eligible for compensation. But where are they?
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