Sheriff : (noun)
1: the principal law-enforcement officer in a county
Based on WordNet 2.0
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Sheriff : \Sher"iff\, n. [OE. shereve, AS. sc[=i]r-ger?fa; sc[=i]r
a shire _ ger?fa a reeve. See Shire, and Reeve, and cf.
Shrievalty.]
The chief officer of a shire or county, to whom is intrusted
the execution of the laws, the serving of judicial writs and
processes, and the preservation of the peace.
Note: In England, sheriffs are appointed by the king. In the
United States, sheriffs are elected by the legislature
or by the citizens, or appointed and commissioned by
the executive of the State. The office of sheriff in
England is judicial and ministerial. In the United
States, it is mainly ministerial. The sheriff, by
himself or his deputies, executes civil and criminal
process throughout the county, has charge of the jail
and prisoners, attends courts, and keeps the peace. His
judicial authority is generally confined to
ascertaining damages on writs of inquiry and the like.
Sheriff, in Scotland, called sheriff depute, is
properly a judge, having also certain ministerial
powers. Sheriff clerk is the clerk of the Sheriff's
Court in Scotland. Sheriff's Court in London is a
tribunal having cognizance of certain personal actions
in that city. --Wharton, Tomlins. Erskine.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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SHERIFF. The name of the chief officer of the county. In Latin he is called
vice comes, because in England he represented the comes or earl. His name is
said to be derived from the Saxon seyre, shire or county, and reve, keeper,
bailiff, or guardian.
2. The general duties of theSheriff : are, 1st. To keep the peace within
the county; he may apprehend, and commit to prison all persons who break the
peace or attempt to break it, and bind any one in a recognizance to keep the
peace. He is required ex officio, to pursue and take all traitors,
murderers, felons and rioters. He has the keeping of the county gaol and he
is bound to defend it against all attacks. He may command the posse
comitatus. (q.v.)
3.-2d. In his ministerial capacity, the sheriff is bound to execute
within his county or bailiwick, all process issuing from the courts of the
commonwealth.
4.-3d. The sheriff also possesses a judicial capacity, but this is very
much circumscribed to what it was at common law in England. It is now
generally confined to ascertain damages on writs of inquiry and the like.
5. Generally speaking the sheriff has no authority out of his county. 2
Rolle's Rep. 163; Plowd, 37 a. He may, however, do mere ministerial acts out
of his county, as making a return. Dalt. Sh. 22. Vide, generally, the
various Digests and Abridgments, h.t.; Dalt. Sher.; Wats. Off. and Duty of
Sheriff; Wood's Inst. 75; 18 Eng. Com. Law Rep. 177; 2 Phil. Ev. 213; Chit.
Pr. Index, h.t.; Chit. Pr. Law, Index, h.t.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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