Wyoming Sheriffs Put Federal Officers On Choke-chains

C

cloverleaf762

New member
Date: Tuesday, 25 April 2006

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.

(Comment: Constitutionally the sheriff is the highest and only elected
law-enforcement officer in the state. Also, agencies that are part of
the executive branch do not have jurisdiction outside DC. To its
everlasting disgrace the Legislature of Mass. has abolished the Sheriffs
in the state that gave us Lexington, Boston and Concord! This was
totally unconstitutional and never should have happened! Without the
Sheriff you have no elected law enforcement office! The State Troopers
are an arm of the governor's office and have no constitutional
standing.)
"Wyoming is a sovereign state and the duly elected sheriff is the
highest law enforcement official and has law enforcement powers
exceeding that of any other state or federal official."
 
ALRIGHT!!! Way to go Wyoming!!!

Of course you know that if Federal agents really want to do something to interfere in sovereign state affairs, they will. They did it in Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama 40 years ago. They did it in every state from Texas to Virginia in 1861 and in the midwestern states in the same conflict (shutting down newspapers, arresting state officials, etc) Arrested the entire state legislature of Maryland in the same conflict.

Those people don't care about the U.S. or Wyoming State or any other state constitution, if something or somebody is blocking them from their political goals then they will invade your backyard.
 
Ah Wyoming, I love it here. :)

Wyoming, where when the weather forcast calls for low 60's, it may be the tempature, or the wind speed. (It's currently WNW at 25 gusting 45)

Wyoming, where I've been snowed on every month of the year.

Wyoming, where the state legislature has considered secession at least twice due to Federal interference.

Wyoming, where if you see three teens walking with guns, you look to see if there is any visable game.

Wyoming, where if a LEO asks you if you are carrying it usually ends up in a twenty minute discussion about the various merits of yours .vs. his and "did you make the last gun show?"

Wyoming, where when you check your rifle in for a flight, the female ticket agent may ask what make and caliber you have and how it shoots, because she hunts with a Winchester 70 in .30-06 and is looking for a new rifle. And the flight attendant will give you her favourite venison recipe.

Wyoming, where I know of three local bars which still have hitching posts... and they still get used.

And, yep, I'm really proud of Sheriff Mattis for standing up for his people and Wyoming.

( By the way, all of the above has happened either to me or in front of me.)

( Oh, and did I mention that I love Wyoming? :D )
 
lets see what the feds do about it.
Click to expand...
Have him assasinated?:barf:

I hope county sheriffs all across the nation follow his example - a return to constitutional law enforcement is waaaay overdue. It is quite telling that MA did away with the office of county sheriff. Another fine example of socialism at work.:barf: :barf: :barf:
 
This is the single most courageous act I have seen in my life. What an inspiration. I hope other Sheriffs take his lead and do the same. WOW! What a great great great man. You are all lucky in Wyoming.

I was thinking of moving to NH but, I think I will move to Wyoming now. Big horn county. I will look that up.
 
This story (after a bit of searching) appears to be six years old or more. But...

My hat's off to Sheriff Mattis! He sounds like a true patriot!
 
Yeah, it's old. I emailed Sheriff Mattis for confirmation when the story first broke in 2000, and got an answer back within an hour: "Yes, we're serious. Thanks for your encouraging words."

:D
 
Its a BS internet rumour designed to give some legitimacy to the loony right "patriot" movement.

Show me the case and Ill withdraw the foegoing.

WildseenitonstormfronttooAlaska
 
The story is closer to 9 years old. I believe the incident happened in 1997.

In a nutshell, INS beat a suspect with a flashlight.
Some Deputys from Big Horn county stood by.

The guy sued and won.

Mattis's department settled for $20K.

FWIW the Libertarian party gave Mattis their Lexington Award in Oct of 1997.
Not sure if it was for this or not.

The story is true.
 
United States District Court
District of Wyoming

Our office has been receiving inquiries regarding the case of Castaneda v. United States, No. 96-CV-099.

This was a civil case arising out of an alleged entry into an apartment by law enforcement officials in June of 1993. The Plaintiffs, who were staying in the apartment, alleged that the officials violated their civil rights. They filed an action against the United States, unnamed INS agents, Big Horn County, the County Sheriff, and unnamed Sheriff's deputies.

The complaint was filed in the Federal District Court for the District of Wyoming in May, 1996. The federal defendants were primarily represented by attorneys with the Constitutional Torts Branch of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. The County defendants were represented by non-federal attorneys. The case was settled following a settlement conference in 1997. The court did not rule on Plaintiffs' claims or any other legal issues in the case. After the settlement conference, Big Horn County Sheriff, David M. Mattis, issued a "Policy." In the "Policy," the Sheriff purports to impose conditions upon federal law enforcement operations in the County.

We have learned that it has been reported, erroneously, that the court made a legal ruling in the Castaneda case regarding the authority of federal law enforcement officials to conduct operations in the County. There was no such ruling or decision. Instead, the court simply granted a motion, submitted jointly by all the parties, to dismiss the case because the parties had settled.

This Court has never issued an order which would serve to limit the lawful activities and duties of federal law enforcement officers and other federal employees in the District of Wyoming.

Furthermore, this Court has never made the comments attributed to it which purports to advise state officers they can prohibit federal law enforcement officers or agents from entering a Wyoming County. Those alleged quotations are utterly false.

Any person who interferes with federal officers in performance of their duties subjects themselves to the risk of criminal prosecution.

William F. Downes
Chief Judge, District of Wyoming

http://www.ck10.uscourts.gov/wyoming/district/pdfforms/96cv99.pdf
 
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