What does the phrase Posse Comitatus mean?

What does the phrase Posse Comitatus mean?

the power of the county
Posse comitatus is a Latin phrase meaning “the power of the county.” Posse comitatus describes a group of citizens who are called upon to assist a sheriff in keeping the peace, to conduct a rescue, or to apprehend a criminal.

Who does Posse Comitatus apply to?

The original Posse Comitatus Act referred exclusively to the United States Army. The Air Force, established during the 20th century initially as a branch of the Army, was added in 1956. The Navy and Marine Corps are not mentioned in the Act but are subject to the same restrictions by Department of Defense regulation.

Does the posse comitatus Act apply to the Navy?

The Posse Comitatus Act proscribes use of the Army or the Air Force to execute the law. It says nothing about the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, or the National Guard. The courts have generally held that the Posse Comitatus Act by itself does not apply to the Navy or the Marine Corps.

Is posse comitatus still in effect?

United States. The posse comitatus power continues to exist in those common law states that have not expressly repealed it by statute. The acts of the citizens formed as a posse by such officer shall be subject to the same protection and consequences as official acts.

What is the meaning of Posse Comitatus?

Definition of posse comitatus. a : the entire body of the inhabitants who may be summoned by the sheriff to assist in preserving the public peace (as in a riot) or in executing a legal precept that is forcibly opposed including under the common law every male inhabitant who is above 15 years of age and not infirm.

What is the meaning of Posse?

(pahs-see coh-mitt-tah-tus) n. from Latin for “possible force,” the power of the sheriff to call upon any able-bodied adult men (and presumably women) in the county to assist him in apprehending a criminal. The assembled group is called a posse for short.

What does posposse mean?

Posse started out as a technical term in law, part of the term “posse comitatus,” which in Medieval Latin meant power or authority of the county.

What was the posse comitatus in the Ruby Murders?

Martinez and Silvas were arrested for the Ruby Murders after the largest manhunt in the history of the Southwest. The posse comitatus (from the Latin for “power of the county”), in common law, is a group of people mobilized by the conservator of peace – typically a sheriff – to suppress lawlessness or defend the county.