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Former Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness : A Throwback and a Futurist
Lunching with the local legend at a Capital landmark
BY Ed Goldman PHOTO BY Terence Duffy
Former Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness doesn ’ t skip so much as a heartbeat when asked if he thinks he may have been born out of his time . “ Oh , yes ,” he says , dead earnest . His eyes narrow for an instant , as though he ’ s gazing out on a fondly remembered Wild West horizon . “ Yes , I do ,” he repeats softly .
Make no mistake , this is a firmly contemporary man : a regional radio star , national security and crisis management consultant , soughtafter litigation expert witness , college lecturer and devoted community resource who ’ s on the emeritus board of the Volunteers of America ’ s Northern California and Northern
Nevada affiliate . He ’ s also a supporter of Cristo Rey High School , which offers work study and college prep for kids from underrepresented communities .
He happens to enjoy old Western series — dismissed as “ horse operas ” and “ oaters ” by their detractors — such as “ Gunsmoke ” ( set in Dodge
28 comstocksmag . com | June 2022