SHE71IFF (X.-S. the reeve or fiscal-officer of a shire; compare Ger. graf), in English law, is au officer whose dirties are chiefly ministerial (for he has only a few trifling judicial duties). The office is of great antiquity. The sheriff was formerly chosen by the inhabitants, though probably requiring confirmation by the crown. But popular elections for that purpose were put an end to by a statute of 9 Ed. II., which enacted that in future the sheriffs should be assigned by the chancellor, treasurer, and judges. Ever since that statute, the custom has been, and now is, for all the judges of the common-law courts, with the lord-chancellor, and chancellor of the exchequer, to meet in the court of exchequer at Westminster on the morrow of All Souls, and then and there propose three persons for each county to the crown. This is called the pricking of the sheriffs, and the crown afterward selects one of the three nominated, and appoints him to the office. A sheriff continues in office for one year only, and cannot be com pelled to serve a second time. The office is not only gratuitous, but comyulsory, for if the person appointed refuses, he is liable to indictment. In practice, eternity gentlemen of wealth are appointed. In the city of London, the sheriffs are appointed not by the crown, but by the citizens. The sheriff has important official duties in elections of mem bers of parliament. lie is, by his office, the first man in the county, and superior to any nobleman while he holds office. lie has the duty of summoning the posse exanitatus
i.e., all the people of the county—to assist him in the keeping of the queen's peace; and if any person above the age of fifteen, and under the degree of a peer, refuse to attend the sheriff after due warning, lie incurs a fine or imprisonment. The chief legal duty which the sheriff discharges is that of executing, i.e., carrying out all the judgments and orders of the courts of law. It is he who seizes the goods of debtors or their persons, and puts them in prison. For this purpose he has a number of persons called bound-bail iffs (or, in popular dialect, bumbailiffs), who in practice do this invidious work, and give a bond to the sheriff to protect him against any mistake or irregularity on their part. The necessity of this bond is obvious, for the doctrine of law is, that the sheriff is personally responsible for every mistake or excess made or committed by the bailiffs in executing the writs or process of the court, and frequent actions are brought against him by indig nant prisoners, or debtors whose persons or goods have been arrested; and the courts watch jealously the least infringement of personal rights caused by these bailiffs. Every sheriff has also an under-sheriff and deputy-sheriff, the latter being generally an attorney, who takes charge of the legal business.