Constable In
Nahuatl, the term
alguacil is a Spanish loanword that means
constable or a sub-
Cabildo officer.
Judge There were two types of judges named
Alguacils: The
Alguaciles Mayores (Chief Justice) and
Alguaciles Menores (Justice). The Alguacils of higher importance were the Alguaciles Mayores. These positions were held by the most prominent families, so they approximated the office of
Regidores. (At first they were also in charge of the local prison (jail), but this function was passed very soon to the responsibility of the
Alcaide or warden.) Their function was to arrest people provided by the
Inquisitor or investigators and the seizure of their property. To do this one had to be accompanied by the recipient, their family members and the
Secretary (minister) of Arrests (sheriff). He could seek the support of civil authorities. It also ensured the safety of the detainees (defendants), because they had no communications with others except, of course, those authorized by the investigators. Among the junior officers, the Alguacil Mayor held the largest category with the
Secret Notaries. The others functions of an Alguacil Mayor were: • Execute the statements • Imprison the criminals • Resolve public order issues • Appoint wardens of prisons • Intervene in cases of relevant people The title has also been given to inspectors of weights and measures in marketplaces, and similar officials.
Sheriff In history, an Alguacil is a sheriff of a Spanish municipality who acted as the executive officer of the courses, and is considered to be the equivalent of a modern
bailiff. An Alguacil will execute the decisions of an
alcalde, or a local judge, and will receive a portion of the judgments he executes. An alguacil, as the principal police officer of a municipality, was allowed to carry arms during town patrols. The same privilege was extended to the alguacil's assistants, known in Spanish as
tenientes. An alguacil was not allowed to hold another office, or to have a business. ==Modern use==