On Tuesday evening Dateline Australia investigates the rise of far-right sheriffs within US law enforcement and explores the potential impact on the upcoming US elections.
With the US election season in full swing, the nation is deeply divided. In Arizona, a key battleground state, a group of right-wing sheriffs is making waves by vowing to selectively enforce laws in their counties, challenging the authority of courts, legislatures, and even the president.
Jerry Sheridan, running for sheriff in Maricopa County (the fourth-largest in the US with over four million people), has pledged to become a so-called ‘constitutional sheriff’. This ideology asserts that the sheriff has ultimate authority within their county and can choose which laws to enforce.
Critics argue that these sheriffs are interpreting the constitution through an anti-federalist, ultra-conservative lens to suit their own agenda. If elected in November, Sheridan plans to oppose a range of laws, from gun safety and environmental protection to public health mandates.
Dateline Australia airs Tuesday, 10 September 2024, at 9:30 pm on SBS.
