I was watching an episode on ME TV last night and some things occurred to me that I never thought of in all the years I've watched the show (and I started watching it way back in the 60s when CBS used to rerun it on weekday mornings with the title ANDY OF MAYBERRY) anyway I was watching an episode where Andy, Barney, Opie and Opies friend were going fishing one Saturday. Whenever Andy & Barney (and just Andy after Barney left) were gone, who was the sheriff?
Also, why did they call the office the courthouse? And what did they do when both cells were full and they arrested someone else?

Nobody was sherriff in his absence because he was always "on-call"..He could always be found...All one had to do was call either Sara, or Aunt Bee..

The office was indeed a courthouse where court was held and scofflaws were fined and/or booked and folk got married.

If the cells were full, then the prisoner went home with Andy and suffered Aunt Bee's wrath....