Tackling Lawlessness

• Each territory had a US Marshal who was in charge of law enforcement. He could appoint deputies and order a posse (group of men) to help him hunt down criminals.

  
• Communities could also elect a sheriff to keep the peace in their county.

  
• Law enforcement was hard because:

  • Territories were huge, which made them very hard to control.
  • Law enforcers were badly paid, so it was hard to recruit them and many took bribes.
  • Sheriffs had no legal training so did not always act fairly.

  
• Vigilance committees


  Many people took the law into their own hands. Groups of vigilantes would capture, try and punish suspected criminals.

  Vigilante committees were effective but often unfair. A suspect’s guilt was usually decided before they were captured. Lynching was common.

  
• Settling claim disputes

  Mining communities would agree their own set of rules, and set up their own court and judge. A recorder was chosen to write down all the claims made in the district, and who had made them.