“We Hunt Them Down” - Sheriff Grady Judd on Crime, Drugs & Justice | PBD #774
April 9, 2026
AI Summary
5 min read“We Hunt Them Down” – Sheriff Grady Judd on Crime, Drugs & Justice
Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, Florida, has been in law enforcement for 54 years and has won six elections with roughly 84 percent of the vote. His county of nearly one million people has crime at a 54-year low. When asked how he filters “stone cold crazy” from regular people, he gave a characteristically blunt answer: “They got a hitch in their giddy up. That means they're crazy. Stone cold crazy. Lock 'em up.”
The line in the sand
Judd’s core argument is simple: people will get away with as much as they are allowed to get away with. “Wherever the line's drawn, that's where people stop.” He points to Florida’s transformation in the late 1980s, when seventeen tourists were murdered in two years and Europe issued a travel warning. The state legislature responded with minimum mandatory sentencing, 85 percent time-served requirements, and “10-20-Life” laws. Crime fell precipitously and has stayed at a 50-year low. In Polk County, it is at a 54-year low.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Opening: "Stone Cold Crazy"** - Sheriff Judd defines how he identifies dangerous individuals and sets the tone for the episode.
- 2 (03:00) **Tribute to a Fallen Soldier & Iran Stance** - Judd honors Major Cody Cork from Polk County and gives his blunt take on U.S. foreign policy.
- 3 (06:12) **Why Past Presidents Didn't Act & The "Police of the World" Argument** - Judd explains why previous administrations failed to confront Iran and defends U.S. global leadership.
- 4 (08:07) **Hindsight on Iraq & Afghanistan** - Judd reveals he was against the Iraq War from the start and explains why.
- 5 (10:29) **Preventing Terrorism & The "Flatlander" Test** - Judd explains how Polk County prevents major attacks and his method for identifying dangerous individuals.
- 6 (13:50) **The Judge Who Released a Child Rapist** - Judd reacts to Governor DeSantis calling for the impeachment of Judge Tiffany Baker.
- 7 (17:51) **How Florida Broke the Crime Cycle** - Judd recounts the history of Florida's crime problem and the legislative fix that worked.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Sheriff Grady Judd breaks down crime, punishment, and leadership after 50+ years in law enforcement. From Iran and U.S. policy to human trafficking stings, strict sentencing, and policing philosophy, he explains how Florida reduced crime and why accountability is key.
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