Sussex County Sheriff Jeff Christopher is appealing a court decision that rejected his claim that the Delaware state constitution gives him arrest powers.
He wants the state Supreme Court to reverse a Superior Court ruling that refused to call him a law enforcement officer.
Christopher told theWilmington News Journal that he is confident the state’s high court will give the issue more scrutiny.
He sued Sussex County and the state of Delaware last year who contend he does not have that power.
The Sussex County Sheriff contends that the state constitution’s definition of a sheriff as a “conservator of the peace” gives him and other Delaware sheriffs wide-ranging police powers.
Christopher is not only fighting a battle in the courts, but the state legislature recently passed a law that eliminated any police powers from the office of sheriff.
Christopher said yesterday he would “push the issue to the end” and if he wins in the courts promises to mount a re-election campaign next year.
