Opinion ID: 76264
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Absence of County Control

Text: 66 In Georgia, a county has no authority and control over the sheriff's law enforcement function. Clayton County does not, and cannot, direct the Sheriff how to arrest a criminal, how to hire, train, supervise, or discipline his deputies, what polices to adopt, or how to operate his office, much less how to record criminal information on, or remove it from, the CJIS systems involved in this case. Instead, the sheriff acts on behalf of the State in his function as a law enforcement officer and keeper of the peace in general and in relation to the CJIS systems in particular. 46 67 The counties' lack of authority and control over sheriffs explains why counties have no § 1983 liability for their conduct. For example, if a rogue sheriff adopted an unconstitutional law enforcement policy or practice, the county has no authority to prevent or alter it and, in turn, incurs no § 1983 liability for it. A sheriff's policy or practice cannot be said to speak for the county because the county has no say about that policy or practice. As we have stated before, a county is liable under § 1983 only for acts for which the county is actually responsible. See Marsh v. Butler County, 268 F.3d 1014, 1027 (11th Cir. 2001) ( en banc ). 68 Thus, we conclude today that the Clayton County Sheriff is not a county policymaker under § 1983 for his law enforcement conduct and policies regarding warrant information on the CJIS systems or the training and supervision of his employees in that regard. Accordingly, the defendant Clayton County has no § 1983 liability for the acts and policies of the sheriff and his employees in this case.