posse comitatus
noun
: the power of a county:
a
: the entire body of the inhabitants who may be summoned by the sheriff to assist in preserving the public peace (as in a riot) or in executing a legal precept that is forcibly opposed including under the common law every male inhabitant who is above 15 years of age and not infirm
b
: a body of persons so summoned
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“Posse comitatus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/posse%20comitatus. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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