Sheriff Finch vs The Man |
The Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association is proud to announce that we are wholeheartedly supporting and endorsing Liberty County, FL Sheriff Nick Finch for his courageous stand for liberty and the right of the people to keep and bear arms as guaranteed in the U S and Florida Constitutions. Sheriff Finch’s actions to nullify the arrest of a citizen in his county stand as a shining example of a constitutional Sheriff doing his duty and keeping his oath to protect, preserve, and defend the God-given rights we as all Americans are supposed to enjoy.
A quick review of the incident tells of a Mr. Parrish being pulled over for a very minor traffic violation last March. The officer, a deputy employed by Sheriff Finch, did a pat-down search of Mr. Parrish and discovered a small pistol in his pocket. Parrish had no “permit” for such and the deputy arrested him for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Sheriff Finch was notified of the situation and he went to the Liberty County Jail that he manages. There, after looking over the entire incident, he released Mr. Parrish and canceled the arrest. This is fully within his power of discretion as sheriff. In the first place, Sheriff Finch disagreed with the probable cause used to justify the stop and disagreed with the pat down that led to Parrish’s arrest. More importantly, Sheriff Finch nullified a wrong and stood for the Constitution which he is sworn to uphold. Faced with a choice between obeying a state statute or adhering to individual liberty, he chose liberty!
Following this incident, Sheriff Finch was investigated by the State of Florida and arrested for destroying official documents, a dubious accusation at best. Florida Governor Rick Scott took it upon himself to first suspend Sheriff Finch, then remove him from office and fill the vacancy by appointing a member of the very agency that investigated and arrested him! (In layman terms this is all called “the good ‘ol boy system”)!
So, Sheriff Finch has no job, no income, and is facing felony charges. The State has made it so Sheriff Finch has no money to provide for his family or pay for his lawyers. Finch has two special needs children and a very supportive wife. Yes, the State has already made a plea offer to Sheriff Finch and yes, you guessed it, if he promises to leave his position as Sheriff then all charges against him will be dropped. Of course, Sheriff Finch is fighting this absurd arrest and illegal action by the Governor all the way!
Sheriff Finch has never been a member of Oath Keepers or the CSPOA and we had never met prior to this incident. He is simply a man trying to do his job and standing for what’s right. What Sheriff Finch did is exactly what we have been advocating for years: He interposed himself on behalf of a citizen. We hope that all local officials and sheriffs across America will do likewise!
Since this incident, I have spoken with Sheriff Finch and his lawyer several times to be sure that we understood all the details of the case. After doing so, I feel confident in supporting him. The CSPOA recently sent $2500 to Sheriff Finch, and we will be sending more as circumstances allow. We encourage you to donate what you can to help him in his fight against incredible odds.
Sheriff Richard Mack (Ret)
CSPOA Founder and President
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