Snohomish County sheriff says he won't enforce Washington state's stay-home order
Source: The Seattle Times
Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney said he believes Gov. Jay Inslee's stay-home order is unconstitutional and he won't enforce it.
In a post on his Facebook page Tuesday night, Fortney said he was worried about the economy and residents' ability to make a living. "I believe that preventing business owners to operate their businesses and provide for their families intrudes on our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," he wrote, paraphrasing the Declaration of Independence. "As your elected Sheriff I will always put your constitutional rights above politics or popular opinion."
Fortney argued that the stay-home order, which aims to slow the spread of the coronavirus by barring people from gathering, violates Washingtonians' First Amendment rights to religious exercise and peaceable assembly.
The post, Fortney wrote, was prompted by a Tuesday evening news conference in which Inslee laid out a road map for reopening Washington's economy that could soon allow the return of some elective surgeries, outdoor recreation and construction projects. The governor stressed that the timing of that reopening will depend on the state's progress on key public-health indicators.
Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/snohomish-county-sheriff-says-he-wont-enforce-inslees-stay-home-order/
In Snohomish County, 2,152 people have been confirmed to have COVID-19, including 99 who have died, according to the state Department of Health.
Snohomish County is home to the United States' first known case of the novel coronavirus, a man who was diagnosed in mid-January and has since recovered.
Here is the number of the Snohomish County Sheriff's office: (425) 388-3393
Botany
(70,589 posts)aka Fox News watcher
Lonestarblue
(10,085 posts)Botany
(70,589 posts)... getting rid of the fairness doctrine and now fro 2.5 generations we have had a large
% of Americans bathed in toxic misinformation. No that misinformation might kill off
America because Trump was put into the White House by Russia and 63 million (I think
the figure is lower and Vlad Fed w/the vote) idiots who thought stopping Hillary would
be a good thing because she was d**e b***h with a liberal agenda.
LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,595 posts)He must hold a position which is elected. I thought the judicial system was the only one which could declare a law or order unconstitutional.
maxrandb
(15,360 posts)I think it's Article 69... I heard it on Faux News and Hate Radio.
liberalmuse
(18,672 posts)But the good news is, most people are practicing social distancing in this area.
Botany
(70,589 posts)Last edited Wed Apr 22, 2020, 06:35 PM - Edit history (1)
Dyedinthewoolliberal
(15,590 posts)and don't understand how he got elected. It's obvious he is after a bigger job than county sheriff. Too bad he can't be fired.
gopiscrap
(23,765 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,234 posts)Igel
(35,359 posts)I live outside of Houston, which is (mostly) in Harris County.
There's a Harris County elected sheriff and there's a sheriff's department who has jurisdiction everywhere in the county.
There's also a Houston PD, which only (really) has jurisdiction inside the city limits (however weirdly they may be drawn, to keep as much tax money from surrounding areas flowing into the city). The HPD reports to the mayor.
It's not like Baltimore City and Baltimore County, where the city is not part of a county.
Question:
Are there also police departments in Snohomish County that share jurisdiction with the sheriff's department?
Dyedinthewoolliberal
(15,590 posts)vs having their own PD. Maybe two or three that I can think of.
Igel
(35,359 posts)I mean, if the Harris County Sheriff said no to enforcement, Houston would be just fine. The sheriff's department doesn't much bother with Houston.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,234 posts)And the county jail I believe.
The cities generally have their own police force though some smaller towns contract with the sheriff.
Dyedinthewoolliberal
(15,590 posts)except I think Snohomish, Sultan and Gold Bar use the county vs having their own PD
ribrepin
(1,726 posts)but I won't make that mistake again.
dflprincess
(28,082 posts)saying the same thing. Apparently the county has had less than 10 cases. He must believe no one from the area ever leaves it and no one ever goes there. Idiot.
dhill926
(16,364 posts)what could possibly go wrong...
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)One of these documents is historical, the other has legal force in law.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Just to make sure they never work in late enforcement for the rest of their lives. If they did this to just a few of these shitstains it would end all of their posse comitatus antics forever.
Roy Rolling
(6,938 posts)Strip him of his law enforcement credentials, then fire him.
He isnt enforcing the law.
rockfordfile
(8,704 posts)Grins
(7,234 posts)But its NOT EASY! Sheriffs are elected which makes them constitutional vs. political.
I only know a couple of instances where a Gov. acted on a bad Sheriff - and one of them was Gov. Jeb Bush!
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,234 posts)Ours is Bob Ferguson who's not one to be trifled with. He's already had repeated success in court against the Trump Administration.
Haggis for Breakfast
(6,831 posts)And you're right. Being the AG, he's NOT one to take any shit from some county yahoo sheriff who thinks he's above the law.
I'm up here in Whatcom county, five miles from the border, where we're all "Canadian-Lite."
JT45242
(2,298 posts)It is the job of the sheriff to ENFORCE laws and executive orders. If this idiot thinks that he is a constitutional scholar then he should run for judge.
He swore an oath to uphold the law.
If a beat cop said this to a mayor or governor. He would be suspended immediately without pay while his union rep struggled to keep him from being fired for cause.
Inslee needs to make an example out of this idiot.
TeamPooka
(24,259 posts)MarcA
(2,195 posts)HeartachesNhangovers
(815 posts)A police officer is different. They work for a chief of police, and the chief of police (usually) works for the mayor. Because sheriffs are elected rather than hired, they don't answer to mayors or governors.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)Sheriff posse comitatus may have one or more certifications that are required as a condition of his employment. If the state has control over those certifications, he can and should be decertified for failure to enforce the law.
The Democrats control both houses of their state legislature and the governor is a Democrat. So long as the state constitution doesn't limit them, they can pass legislation to enable him to be fired, defund whatever funds he gets from the state, limit his power, or establish a new entity to enforce the laws in that county.
In the short term the governor can send in the state police and enforce the law immediately. He can also be personally sued by the state and anyone who is harmed by his refusal to enforce the law.
All of this bullshit stems from posse comitatus idiotology, which is itself an outgrowth of the KKK. Shitstains like this need to have an example made out of them.
hack89
(39,171 posts)Ford_Prefect
(7,921 posts)turbinetree
(24,720 posts)course work.........he should be fired.............and then charged ....
cp
(6,664 posts)Sneederbunk
(14,308 posts).
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,234 posts)He hasn't taken a stance one way or the other so far.
bucolic_frolic
(43,311 posts)Just do it.
maxsolomon
(33,400 posts)Elected County Commissioners?
The Governor?
christx30
(6,241 posts)maxsolomon
(33,400 posts)Semantics.
christx30
(6,241 posts)If the people in his district think it's a good idea, he'll be out of a job. If they think the lockdown is a violation of their rights, he'll be seen as protecting them from an overreaching government.
Wonder if the governor can send the state police into the area to enforce the locldown.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,234 posts)Could be a long three years.
dware
(12,449 posts)only the voters can fire him.
maxsolomon
(33,400 posts)No one's enforcing it; everyone is voluntarily cooperating. Go hug Tim Eyman for all I care.
WA Conservatives need to turn Dori Monson (KIRO FM) off for a month or so.
A Dallas judge forced Hobby Lobby to close after that company claimed it was an "essential business." This is one example but I am sure there are many more orders like this all over the country as businesses try to skirt the stay at home orders. Police had to show up at some Hobby Lobby stores to physically shut them down.
maxsolomon
(33,400 posts)I can't speak for Tejas.
Mr.Bill
(24,330 posts)decide what laws are constitutional, this country is done.
BigDemVoter
(4,157 posts)hack89
(39,171 posts)BigDemVoter
(4,157 posts)hack89
(39,171 posts)Nasruddin
(754 posts)When did the constitution turn into a suicide pact?
I thought it was conservatives who used to recite this epigram (I remember there's a link to something Mr Lincoln said).
procon
(15,805 posts)Since when does a sheriff get to set himself above the law and become both the legislature and the judge, enacting his own laws and ruling he has some sort of right to break the la whenever it suits him.
I might be wrong, but that sure sounds like stuff a lawless vigilante would do.
BlueIdaho
(13,582 posts)If so - fire him.
dware
(12,449 posts)only the voters can fire him.
MarcA
(2,195 posts)Response to Mrs. Overall (Original post)
MrsCoffee This message was self-deleted by its author.
msongs
(67,453 posts)nolabear
(41,991 posts)Honestly, this isn't going to be a massive deal. Snohomish County is complying like crazy. He's just mouthing off.
standingtall
(2,787 posts)Just saying.
The empressof all
(29,098 posts)This is such self serving bull crap from this fricken poser. He is a disgrace. The support he's getting on his facebook page is clearly organized and coming from the right wing wackos that live in my state. I live near Snohomish County. It's highly populated and there is going to be a lot of sickness spreading throughout the Seattle area if people don't stay the course and stay home. I wonder if his wife is going to go for a hair cut and a mani/pedi
.I hope it's all over the news... UGH....I'm so sick of feeling so pissed off at these jerk asses jeopardizing everyones health so they can act like big shots. They all should be buried with their paychecks....
nolabear
(41,991 posts)People here are complying extremely well with the order. We're a mix of Seattleites who've moved outward and quite lovely minority, largely immigrant families. That sheriff is blowing smoke where he knows he won't have to actually follow up on things. Most people are following the state guidelines, painful and restrictive as they are.
He's using the Governor's speech yesterday to score MAGA pants but seriously, around here he's in the minority. We need access to those phone lines for real issues. Please don't flood them.
Thekaspervote
(32,796 posts)nolabear
(41,991 posts)KWR65
(1,098 posts)marble falls
(57,271 posts)List left
(595 posts)They both have extended their checkout counters with boxes and mats to increase distance. The one in king county had plexiglass shield between the checker and the customer. the one in Snohomish did not. The King county store employees wore masks the Snohomish employees did not and few customers did. the Shohomish store employees seemed put off by people wearing masks.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,234 posts)Most of the stores in my neighborhood have the plexiglass shields.
totodeinhere
(13,059 posts)Turbineguy
(37,372 posts)seeing the good results from the order.
New cases down, less than half the hospital patients of the peak.
https://www.snohd.org/499/COVID-19-Case-Count-Info
Ford_Prefect
(7,921 posts)From elleng's post : [link:https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213330324|
(Re: Barr's suggestion, 'stay at home sounds like house arrest.')
Court upheld the authority of states to enforce compulsory vaccination laws. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobson_v._Massachusetts
Marrah_Goodman
(1,586 posts)LiberalLovinLug
(14,176 posts)he should have added "...or an international health emergency"
gopiscrap
(23,765 posts)ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)Get him out of there next election.
generalbetrayus
(507 posts)So, Sheriff Adam of Mayberry actually admits he is such a moron that he couldn't understand what a well-educated public speaker like Governor Inslee was saying half the time? But then I keep forgetting, in his crowd that's a badge of honor.