WY Sheriffs v. Feds. On Our Side!

Gunslinger

Moderator
You've got to love this. It sounds like Sheriff Mattis would slap Clinton if he showed up in his county. Think about this the next time you think that all LEO's are against gun owners.
http://williamcooper.net/hott/sheriffs.htm

SHERIFFS PUT FEDERAL OFFICERS ON CHOKE CHAINS

VNS - County sheriffs in Wyoming are insisting that all federal law enforcement officers and personnel from federal regulatory agencies must clear all their activities in a Wyoming county with the Sheriff's Office. Speaking at a press conference following the recent US District Court decision (case No 2:96-cv-099-J) Bighorn County Sheriff Dave Mattis stated that all federal officials are forbidden to enter his county without his prior approval.

"If a sheriff doesn't want the Feds in his county he has the constitutional power and right to keep them out or ask them to leave or retain them in custody."

The court decision came about after Mattis & other members of the Wyoming Sheriffs' Association brought a suit against both the BATF and the IRS in the Wyoming federal court district seeking restoration of the protections enshrined in the United States Constitution and the Wyoming Constitution. The District Court ruled in favor of the sheriffs, stating that, "Wyoming is a sovereign state and the duly elected sheriff of a county is the highest law enforcement official within a county and has law enforcement powers exceeding that of any other state or federal official."

The Wyoming sheriffs are demanding access to all BATF files to verify that the agency is not violating provisions of Wyoming law that prohibit the registration of firearms or the keeping of a registry of firearm owners. The sheriffs are also demanding that federal agencies immediately cease the seizure of private property and the impoundment of private bank accounts without regard to due process in state courts.

Sheriff Mattis stated, "I am reacting to the actions of federal employees who have attempted to deprive citizens of my county of their privacy, their liberty, and their property without regard to constitutional safeguards. I hope that more sheriffs all across America will join us in protecting their citizens from the illegal activities of the IRS, EPA, BATF, FBI, or any other federal agency that is operating outside the confines of constitutional law. Employees of the IRS and the EPA are no longer welcome in Bighorn County unless they intend to operate in conformance to constitutional law."

This case is evidence that the Tenth Amendment is not yet dead in the United States. It may also be interpreted to mean that political subdivisions of a State are included within the meaning of the amendment, or that the powers exercised by a sheriff are an extension of those common law powers which the Tenth Amendment explicitly reserves to the People, if they are not granted to the federal government and specifically prohibited to the States.

Case Notes:

Case: Castaneda v. USA

Filed: 10th May 1996

Closed: 29th April 1997

Case No: 2:1996cv00099 Wyoming District Court, Casper

Nature of Suit: Civil Rights

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Gunslinger

[This message has been edited by Gunslinger (edited July 13, 2000).]
 
I wanna move to Bighorn County, WY! Whats the job market like?

Shok

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"In 1789, when used without any qualifying adjective, 'the militia' referred to all citizens capable of bearing arms."
Akhil Reed Amar, Yale University
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Coinneach:
Urban Legend. Sheriff Bill Masters (CO) is about the closest you'll get to this fictional Sheriff Mattis.[/quote]

What is your evidence that this just an urban legend!!!! Come on, spill your guts. Something good happens,and it gets branded a fraud. From what I can see, either the court cititation is an out and out lie. (not likely- to easily checked), or someone has given this man very bad advice based on bogous case law (don't they have a County Atty. there in Wyoming), or the man himself does not exist. Which is it??? :confused:


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Yeah, I got a permit to carry,it's called the friggin Constitution.---Ted Nugent

"Glock 26: 17 rounds of concealed carry DEATH comming your way from out of nowhere!!! THAT'S FIREPOWER, BABY!!!"
 
Some points while I'm looking up the evidence that this isn't real:

1) It pops up every couple of months and is variously dated 1999 or 1997. Like the rumors of Glock halting civilian sales, or the Internet Tax.

2) Conflicting reports of Sheriff Mattis being in office, no longer being in office, never having been in office, etc.

3) Case citations? SFW? Most people don't bother to research those cites (the recent MIB thread comes to mind here). The Internet Tax thing again comes to mind, which even had an HB number attached.

Grains of salt, people.

[This message has been edited by Coinneach (edited July 13, 2000).]
 
It is not urban legend. I live in Rock Springs, WY. and my Sheriff was, I believe, involved in this lawsuit. It happened a few years ago. And it was in Bighorn County, which is Pinedale, WY. Wyoming is great, but job market isn't that great, unless you are in LE. Country is beautiful, and COLD! Great for keeping undesirables out. We need more RKBA folks, 'cause most are just hunters that don't care about "assault rifles". Great place though.

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"Vote with a Bullet."
 
OK, I stand corrected.

I just called Sheriff Mattis' office and spoke with a woman named Deb.

Long story short: Sheriff Mattis wrote the policy in 1997. It directs Federal LEOs to report to and clear all of their operations with him. He also has reserved the authority to disapprove any Federal operations in his county.
 
Deleted due to new info above. I WAS suspicious also as I could find no hard evidence on the Web - just everybody referring to everybody else's message boards.

Relieved to see it's true and that the guy is still alive (a sad commentary on today's poltical atmosphere).

[This message has been edited by Oatka (edited July 13, 2000).]
 
Yahoo! Good man! That's my kinda' sheriff! :)

I wanna move to Bighorn County, Wyoming! Except w/o a job, we're down to eating jackrabbits and coyotes. I don't think the family would appreciate that...

Oh, well, ho hum... :(

I'm still gonna look into it, though! ;)
 
Thanks Coinneach for checking it out and letting us know. I hate putting things up here only to find out they are not factual. I don't think I ever have in the past but you had me worried one this one for awhile.
Now back to the sheriff. I wonder if he has ever considered running for another (higher) office.

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Gunslinger
 
Yeah...like President of the United States of America. If he's real I'll vote for him.

Way to go, sheriff Mattis.
 
I'd like to invite all you RKBA folks to come live. There is work, it is just kind of hard to find. If you can land a mining job, you make good money to boot! I shoot pretty much anywhere I please, as long as there is a backstop, and people don't live real close by. My Sheriff is a pretty good guy who loves guns. He's a democrat and doesn't like Glocks, but other than that, I like the hell out of him.

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"Vote with a Bullet."
 
Coinneach,
Sorry, I had to put you on the spot.
A lot of crap does get put on the internet these days. In fact I just got done reading how Klinton is still going to declare martial law and remain president for as long as he likes. I just had to know the truth, and if you knew this to be false, then I wanted to know. Again, sorry for the spotlight.

Dennis

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Yeah, I got a permit to carry,it's called the friggin Constitution.---Ted Nugent

"Glock 26: 17 rounds of concealed carry DEATH comming your way from out of nowhere!!! THAT'S FIREPOWER, BABY!!!"
 
"I wanna move to Bighorn County, WY! Whats the job market like?"

No Kidding!
Any gunshop up there that willing to pay me a wage enough to live there with my family - I'll move there by the end of the month!
Thats just too sweet. I thought Texas had stainless cojones - Wyoming has freakin Titanium Stones!
Can you carry open up there?
 
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