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- 155 -   ;
(Next entry 555, p. lhl) _={
" 1 XIII. SHERIFF `y 7
1_ r The office of county sheriff had its origin in the Ang1o—Saxon period w~ Q
_ Of English history (Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol, 2h, p, 8h8) and was subse— ti`?
` quently introduced into the ll-eE_53-l-a_tiT&r_e—·sTg}:s—‘Eem of Virginia (Hening, vol. 1, p. it  
`_ 225). In 1792, the first constitution of Kentucky made provi§I6n`for the of- (ifi
__ fice of sheriff in the county governmental organization. For the duties per-  
formed by this office before the establishment of Laurel County, see the es~ ·,{. 1 i
say on Sheriff, Inventory of the County Archives of Kentucky, Fayette County, ',,»”
mo. 5h, p. 57.  
Under the legislative act approved December 12, 1825, creating Laurel f8Y9§
County, Governor John Desha appointed Thomas Buford to serve as the first _.5Q%
4 sheriff (Const. of 1799, art. h, sec. 9; Acts, 1825, ch, 29, p. 28; order _,,§
_ Book, vol. A, p.`2, see entry 258). ;,y$;§
The Sheriff served a two—year term; in the month of September, October, Qialg
or November preceding the expiration of his term, the county court recom— iééffi
mended to the governor two justices of the court to fill the office. one *$Qg§ 
of the justices so recommended was commissioned by the governor. 1f the coun- pi§§%§
ty court omitted to make its recommendation in the above—mentioned months, °f§§§,
the governor then appointed, with the advice and consent of the Senate, a fit $§§§i*
4_ person for the office. (Const. of 1799, art. 5, sec. 51.) The appointive §§§@;f
method of filling the offiEE;TFas5di§€5Etinued in 1850, when constitutional g§$% 
provision made the office elective for a two—yeer term and provided that the §i@%ii
sheriff be eligible for a second term but not for a third successive term. §§§§ 
He was required to be at least twenty-one years old, to be a U. S. citiaen, §§§$Q
and to have been a resident of the state two years, and of his county one §§§fj@
year, prior to his election (Const. of 1850, art. 6, Seo. M). ydgggi
The present constitution provided for the election of a sheriff in df? 5
4 1892 for a two—year term; in 189h for a three-year term, and in 1097, and  
every four years thereafter, for a four-year term, After the election held g@§§§
in 189h no sheriff was eligible for reelection or to act as deputy for the ,§f@;,
Succeeding term. The sole change in qualifications for office was that he “§§z£
must be at least twenty-four years old. (Const. 2£_1§91, Sec$· 99, 109-) 3§@E?
  ‘‘ss  
The sheriff is required to take oath before the county court and to yéiipy
i sive bonds with good surety for the faithful performance of his duties as §§ep¥
Peace officer and as collector of taxes, finee, and YGGS, end F9? his d9P?“ tejiy ‘(,.
t1eS' actions (Acts; 1796, p. 580; 1900, Ch- 22, &Yt• 8» S€°S• 9* 9* p' ibn; EllS-
1951;, ch. 20, pT—55’).  
A Vacancy in the office was filled from 1826 to 1850 by the g©VcT¤OT, hé,T*
with the advice and consent of the Seflete ($055, J-891: S9C• 1* 1* 965%  
Since 1850 a vacancy has been temporeri1Y f111Ed by the °Ounty °O5Tt ?Htil, t `(0
the election and qualification of a successor at the neiit SU0C’3e<1?l-iifg riufilifili   ·
€1ect1on (Acts, 1891-95, ch. 65, crt- 7, SOC- 9: P• lhO)° If thc Otfléc Ol Q`
Sheriff iiifiiatei, the circuit court may appoint rm elim? *0 we \EZ‘E‘>  
dm 95, sec. 1, p. 228).
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