Thank you, Penguin Group Dutton, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Mr. Book just finished The Highest Law In The Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy, by Jessica Pishko.

This book does an excellent job covering the “constitutional sheriff” movement. It is a right-wing movement that is dedicated to white supremacy and Christian nationalism, while purporting to be upholding the Constitution.

Among the many abuses of power that are covered is the arbitrary power to decide who to arrest, profiting off the local jails, the deplorable conditions in jails, especially with COVID, protecting domestic abusers by ignoring their victims and their role in abusing immigrants.

The book documents how sheriffs have become extreme pro-gun advocates, even successfully going to Supreme Court and getting the provision of the Brady Act that had required sheriffs to enforce restrictions declared unconstitutional. But, when it comes to enforcing gun restrictions, sheriffs are very good at making sure that the laws aren’t enforced against whites.

The book also documents the sheriffs’ love of the militia movement, with quotes implying there may be some degree of control, or at least big influence, that they have over the para-military groups.

I give this book an A+ and inducted it into the Hall of Fame. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, an A+ equates to 5 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

As soon as I finished this, I got the audiobook so I will also be able to listen to it.

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews

Mr. Book finished reading this on October 13, 2024.