The County Sheriff: America’s Last Hope

In The County Sheriff: America’s Last Hope, former Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack argues that the county sheriff is the most powerful law enforcement officer in the country and the last line of defense for the constitutional rights of American citizens. Drawing on his landmark Supreme Court victory in Mack/Printz v. United States, Mack contends that sheriffs have both the authority and the duty to refuse to enforce unconstitutional federal mandates.

The book lays out Mack’s constitutional philosophy, arguing that the Founders intended local law enforcement to serve as a check on federal power. He presents his vision of the sheriff as a guardian of individual liberty rather than merely an enforcer of government edicts.

This concise but influential booklet became the foundational text for the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), which Mack founded to promote his vision of local law enforcement standing up against federal overreach.