Sheriff
the chief officer of a shire or a county, to whom is intrusted the execution of the laws, the serving of judicial writs and processes, and the preservation of the peace. In the United States the sheriff is either elected by the Legislature or the citizens, or appointed and commissioned by the executive of the State. The office is almost exclusively ministerial.
The sheriff in person or by deputy executes civil and criminal process throughout the county, has charge of the jail and prisoners, attends courts, and keeps the peace. His judicial authority is generally confined to ascertaining damages on writs of inquiry, etc.
In England the sheriff is the chief officer of the crown in every county or shire, to whom the charge of the county is committed by letters patent. He is appointed (except in the case of London and the county of Middlesex) by the crown out of three names submitted for each county by the judge who goes on circuit.
In Scotland the sheriff is a law officer whose functions seem to have been originally, like those of the sheriffs in England, mainly executive, but who now is judge in a county court. The office is by the appointment of the crown. Nearly all the sheriffs are now practicing lawyers resident in Edinburgh, sheriff-substitutes acting for them as local judges in the several counties. The sheriff-substitute can try criminal cases when a conviction will not involve more than two years' two years ' imprisonment. The lord-lieutenant of a Scotch county sometimes receives the honorary title of sheriff-principal.