posse comitatus

[ pos-ee kom-i-tah-tuhs, -tey- ]

noun

1. the body of persons that a peace officer of a county is empowered to call upon for assistance in preserving the peace, making arrests, and serving writs.
2. a body of persons so called into service.

posse comitatus

/ ˌkɒmɪˈtɑːtəs /

noun

1. the formal legal term for posse

Word History and Origins

Origin of posse comitatus¹

1620–30; < Medieval Latin: posse of the county

Word History and Origins

Origin of posse comitatus¹

Medieval Latin: strength (manpower) of the county

Example Sentences

Constitutional sheriffs — an outgrowth of the white-nationalist posse comitatus movement — claim they are above federal and state government and are the ultimate arbiters of the law.

From Washington Post

Related is the "constitutional sheriffs" movement, which also tries to make itself sound more official by using the name "posse comitatus."

From Salon

Moreover, it is actually the first time on U.S. soil where the FBI and the Defense Department are collaborating on a program, which raises a whole bunch of other issues about posse comitatus.

From Salon

Robert Tsai, a law professor at American University, has called the constitutional sheriffs organization a fringe group with roots in the far-right, anti-Semitic “posse comitatus” movement of the 1970s and 1980s.

From Washington Times

How startling would any development have to be — a posse comitatus violation?

From Washington Post