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POSSE COMITATUS/CITIZEN MILITIA
"THE POWER OF THE COUNTY"
AUDIO OF TEXT BELOW
see "Intro 4"
citizen armies and citizen militias are ancient
they can be traced all the way back to 800 b.c., with relative ease, thanks to the greek hoplites, and the historical artifacts and records which they left behind
the greek hoplite organization became a model for the anglo saxons, who began, in 800 a.d. to use what they referred to as the fyrd, for the defense of their national homeland
this system continued, intact, until the norman invasion in 1066, at which time it became known as a part of a collection of ancient anglo saxon rites and practices, commonly referred to as "the ancient rights", or the ancient "rights of freemen", of whom mention is made in magna carta in the year 1215
in the year 1285, in response to rampant and widespread crime, Edward I enacted the statute of winchester
as a part of this statute, the ancient anglo saxon fyrd was, effectively, formally adopted by Edward as a primary means of defending the homeland, both from invaders within (powerful feudal lords) , as well as invaders from without
from 1285 until 1829, this, along with the common law provided the working framework of english criminal jurisprudence and practices
it was supplemented by the metropolitan police act of 1829 and
the county police act of 1839
and the county and borough police act of 1856
because the first thirteen states began as thirteen british colonies, the revolutionary americans had a legal inheritance given to them in the form of english jusrisprudence and the common law
all thirteen colonies had the common law incorporated into the very fabric of the foundaitons of each colony
all colonialists, just like modern americans, thought and acted in terms of common law jurisprudential considerations, without ever even realizing it
which is to say, it had a pervasive influence
the entire common law, was, effectively adopted, or received
(as in reception of common law) as a part of common legal inheritance, which mostpersons simply took for granted, and never gave much thought to or consideration about
hence, these united states became a mixture of common law jurisprudence, mixed with other, more localized, laws, statutes, and practices
as part of that common law inheritance, we, as united states citizens, have inherited the ancient legal concepts of responding to the hue and cry, and forming the sheriff's posse, as the modern incarnation of the ancient posse comitatus
we reflexively want to respond and do something about it when we see someone being violated
thousands of years of practice can do that to you
GREEK HOPLITE ARMIES ARE
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
ENGLISH LEGAL FOUNDATIONS
FOR A CITIZEN'S ARMY OF FREEMEN
hoplites 1
statute of winchester
hoplites 2
local officials keeping the peace
in 14th century england
hoplites 3
the enforcement of the statute of winchester
hoplites 4
keeping the peace - winchester period
hoplites 5
king edward I - statute of winchester
hoplites 6
law enforcement during winchester period