Delaware superior Court Judge T. Henley Graves says the state constitution does not give county sheriffs police powers.
Yesterday’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Sussex County Sheriff Jeff Christopher against state and county officials.
Graves said that the courts have used common law to define such powers and agreed with attorneys for the county and state that the General Assembly had the right to bar sheriffs and their deputies from making arrests.
The judge declared that this decision ended the sheriff’s suit which claimed that Christopher’s office had not been adequately funded and was being interfered with.
