In the Cade's County Movie: "Slay Ride", Chief Deputy J.J. Jackson makes reference to the Criminal Information and Identification Lab in Austin.

In Slay Ride Sheriff Cade describes Madrid County being approximately as large as Rhode Island.

While Cade had traveled the world, and had modern law enforcement training, Jackson had apparently spent most of his life and career in Madrid County.

Writers avoided the stereotypical combination of "resistant-to-change veteran" and "newly hatched expert" – Jackson was a capable and competent lawman and right-hand man, Cade firmly in control but trusted by his people, who called him "Sam".

Together they fought to maintain law and order against violent miners, cattle thieves and other lawbreakers who, for the most part, would have seemed at home in Westerns set in any era.