“3) In some states, Sheriffs can organize both posses and declare martial law during “
I’ve never heard of it. Mayors for towns and Governor for cities, but I’ve never heard of Sheriff’s having county level martial law authority.
IIRC there are three (3) people over our sheriff here in Central AR, first, the Governor, head of all law enforcement. Second, the Attorney's General of AR, followed by each counties judge. Constitutionally, only the CORONER can remove the sheriff in AR. Strange.
Only the GOV or acting governor can call up a militia. The sheriff, however, can deputize any law abiding land owning resident.
I was at an New Madrid earthquake drill/tabletop exercise, when Huckabee was in office, the State Police Director (Phillips I believe) answered how we could supplement LEO and ARNG forces for anti-looting activities in case soldiers and first responders were, in fact, digging their own families out of rubble.
The ASP director told the Governors table that they had 125,000 citizens with concealed handgun permits and that the governor could either call up the militia or leave it to each county sheriff and/or judge to be deputized. Huckabee said that he would rather have them under the Gov/AG/ASP control for more streamlining of directions and control. ASP director said that he could have 25,000 armed men and women meet at War Memorial stadium for a briefing and then call them up from there.
Completely fascinating and glad I live in the south.
We already had one Ozark Sheriff threaten that he would deputize the whole county if the feds tried for gun grab.....which would make every law abiding citizen in the county LEOSA compliant and thus exempt from all types of gun control.
At that level martial law is called a “state of emergency”, and there is considerable overlapping authority.