otero county commissioner couy griffin

Michelle Lujan Grisham's public health orders as unconstitutional. Couy Dale Griffin (born 1973) is a former politician who served from 2019 to 2022 as a county commissioner for District 2 of Otero County, New Mexico, which covers Tularosa, Three Rivers, La Luz, the western parts of Alamogordo, and the Mescalero Apache Reservation.In September 2022, Griffin was removed from office under the Disqualification . A criminal court convicted Griffin of misdemeanor trespassing on Jan. 6, which he plans to appeal. 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Thats the very essence of democracy, and this ruling affirms it., Jimenez added that Common Cause hoped the ruling would set a precedent for other elected officials who "disregard their oath of office.". My intent of going to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 was because I had concerns that our elections had been compromised.". Griffin says he was not violent while at the Capitol that day and wasn't aware that he was trespassing at the time. The quo warranto complaintasking for Griffin's removal from office was filed by Marco White on Santa Fe County, Mark Mitchell of Los Alamos County and Leslie Lakind of Santa Fe County. Phone: 575-491-7265. The Commission meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Griffin's attendance was not confirmed at the meeting, as a federal district court arraignmentwas scheduled for the same time and day. He condemned people who view the Confederate flag as racist as vile scum. In July 2020, when the National Football League began playing Lift Every Voice and Sing, what is referred to the Black national anthem, before games, Griffin suggested that players go back to Africa and form your little football teams over in Africa and you can play on a[n] old beat-out dirt lot and you can play your Black national anthem there.. The New Mexico Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the State's authority to impose such mandates. Amy Barela District 2 Commissioner. | He also expressed frustration that a judge, and not Otero County voters, had the final say. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Prosecutors played video clips that showed Griffin moving through the mob that formed outside the Capitol, where police used pepper spray to quell rioters. [3], Griffin was elected to the three-member Otero County Commission in 2018, defeating Democratic candidate Christopher S. Jones with 65% of the vote. How to run for office | US District Judge Trevor McFadden heard one day of testimony without a jury on Monday before handing down a verdict in the misdemeanor case against Otero County CommissionerCouy Griffin, a 48-year-old former rodeo rider who helped found a group called Cowboys for Trump. It is named for Miguel Antonio Otero, the territorial governor when the county was created. The Washington Post has reported that at least 163 Republicans who have embraced Trumps false claims are running for statewide positions that would give them authority over the administration of elections. Watch Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin get arrested in Washington D.C. Couy Griffin has been charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. [2] Its southern boundary is the Texas state line. "Griffin shall be removed from his position as an Otero County Commissioner effective immediately.". District Court Judge Francis Mathew ruled that Couy Griffin, an Otero County commissioner, is now disqualified from holding public office because he violated Section 3 of the Fourteenth. The judge also said it would be preposterous to require the Secret Service, before it could enforce a given security perimeter, to announce in advance that a person under its protection was present. The quo warranto complaintasking for Griffin's removal from office was filed by Marco White on Santa Fe County, Mark Mitchell of Los Alamos County and Leslie Lakind of Santa Fe County. Counties | My office will continue its examination of Otero County and the concerns of its residents.. McFadden rejected that contention before trial, finding that Griffins alleged leadership role, more blatant conduct and position as an elected official might rationally merit different handling by prosecutors. We've received your submission. I think that its just very difficult that I dont have the respect of being able to be out by Friday without having the county sheriff or the sheriffs department standing guard.. He continued to claim he was a victim of political persecution although his judge was appointed by Trump in 2017 and served as a Justice Department criminal division official in the Trump and George W. Bush administrations. All of this would suggest to a normal person that perhaps you should not be entering the area, McFadden said from the bench. "I regret their actions but I don't regret my actions. They wont even give me a key to my office so I can get my stuff out without being surveilled by the sheriffs department.. McFadden set sentencing for June 17, after defense attorney Nicholas D. Smith declined an offer for immediate sentencing. , Photos: Sky News 13 flies over Good Friday pilgrimages, PHOTOS: Storm moves through New Mexico leaving snow, Snow causes difficult driving conditions across NM, Map: New Mexico Veterans Monuments and Memorials, BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this spring, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day, Mothers Day inspo: This foot massager has 20,000, Drew Barrymores Walmart collection is perfect for, Best Mothers Day gifts for the budding plant mom, 13 Broadcast Pl SW, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. Judge Mathew ordered that effective immediately, Griffin is "barred for life" from serving as a senator, congressman, elector or from holding any civil or military office federally or in any state. I love the smell of napalm in the air, Griffin said in an apparent reference to a quote from the war movie Apocalypse Now.. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. In his ruling on the case, Mathew contended that Griffin was not eligible to hold office because of his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots. "Government officials are not immune from the rule of law. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Behind US recruitment woes, Joes risky alternative strategy and other commentary, Pence testifies for 7 hours before Jan. 6 grand jury after Trumps bid to block him fails, Former Rep. Liz Cheney to publish book warning of Trump threat, Capitol rioter who crushed officer with shield gets 7 years. Griffin was previously convicted of a misdemeanor for entering Capitol grounds and was sentenced to 14 days, but was given credit for time served. That is offensive and wrong, Smith told the judge during his brief opening statements. Monday in court Griffin argued that he has already faced a criminal trial in the federal court system and that previous recall efforts to remove him from office failed. Fax: 575-443-2928. Instead, he will be hiring some great legal minds.. Thanks for contacting us. [13], At a county commission meeting on February 11, 2021, Griffin said he was accused of crimes but not convicted. Couy Griffin @CowboyCouy . Brazilian police and environmental protection agents were ambushed by illegal gold miners on the Yanomami Indigenous reservation in the Amazon on Monday and four miners were shot dead in the exchange of gunfire, a government statement said. At trial last month for the civil lawsuit, Griffin unsuccessfully sought to dismiss the case, the Journal reported. "But now we had this thing happen where people in the U.S. engaged in an armed insurrection to stop the legally mandated counting of votes and the peaceful transfer of power. Couy Griffin first elected official barred from office for participating in Jan. 6 attack. The second proposed resolution is not the first which Otero County has considered in objection to New Mexico's public health emergency orders. Griffin is fighting to keep his seat on the county commission after three residents of Santa Fe and Los Alamos Counties filed a lawsuit saying he should be removed from office because of his participation in the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol. Each speaker was given three minutes to address the commission, and Griffin used his time to discuss two items on the agenda funding for a road and a contract extension for the county attorney. I only know him by his first name, which his first name is Hiramand hes not a licensed attorney, hes not a BAR-certified attorney, hes a friend of mine who knows the law.. Resolutions, when passed, do not hold the weight of law, rather indicate positions of understanding or support. Nichols, and awarded a nearly $50,000 contract to audit about 24,000 votes to Echomail, which was among the companies who audited the 2020 vote in Maricopa County, AZ. At the hearing, both recall supporters and Griffin were able to present evidence and witnesses. The judges verdict bolstered U.S. prosecutors decision to charge about half of the more than 750 people arrested to date in the Capitol siege with misdemeanors only if they did not assault police, damage property or act to obstruct the proceedings of Congress. 1,584 Following. "I didn't have any intent of being a part of an insurrection or a violent mob. The left is always crying about how our democracy is under attack. hide caption. McFadden, an appointee of President Donald Trump, said there was ample evidence that Griffin knew he was in a restricted area and didnt leave. But McFadden acquitted the defendant of disorderly conduct, finding prosecutors had not proved he was acting knowingly to disrupt a government proceeding. Come to Source NM for fresh reporting, insightful opinion and analysis from around the state. An effort to recall Couy Griffin (R) from his position as the District 2 representative on the Otero County Commission in New Mexico did not go to a vote in 2021. The case against Griffin was initially filed in March by three New Mexico residents who argued Griffin should be removed from his elected position for violating the Constitution, specifically because of his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Griffin could not only lose his seat on the commission but could also be barred from ever running for office again. Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. The judge citied Griffins recorded statements saying that by the time he arrived on the grounds at 2:31 p.m., he erroneously thought Pence and Congress had already certified the election. An Otero County budget work session is scheduled for March 24. The hearing was held on April 8, 2021. More than 770 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. In August 2020, the Commission unanimously passed a resolution on the same topic. Otero County, N.M., Commissioner Couy Griffin was arrested Sunday for illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6. On Jan. 6, Griffin joined thousands of people at the Capitol. Local news, weather, sports, events, restaurants and more, Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin guilty in first Jan. 6 misdemeanor trial, QAnon Shaman stays in jail as judge slams his arguments: So frivolous as to insult the Courts intelligence, He kicked back in Pelosis office on Jan. 6. It's a real disgrace towards our democracy," he said during a brief phone interview. Follow Source New Mexico on Facebook and Twitter. (Screenshot via the Otero County Commission livestream). Recall supporters would have had to collect 1,574 signatures from registered voters in District 2 in 90 days to get the recall on the ballot. It's one thing to be charged, it's another thing to be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. [15], Supporters of the recall against Griffin filed paperwork with the New Mexico Twelfth Judicial District Court on March 11, 2021, requesting a hearing to determine if their recall petition could be circulated. He was found guilty of the charge at a federal district court hearing on March 22 and sentenced on June 17 to 14 days of time served and ordered to pay $500 in restitution, a $3,000 fine and complete community service and one year of supervised release. 145 likes, 4 comments - Bloomberg CityLab (@citylab) on Instagram: "Couy Griffin marched to the steps of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 in an attempt to stop the . McFadden found they did, after forcing the Secret Service to publicly confirm for the first time that Pence was evacuated to an underground Senate loading dock and remained there for four to five hours on the afternoon of Jan. 6. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. This article was published more than1 year ago. State District Court Judge Francis Mathew wrote in his decision that Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, founder of a group called "Cowboys for Trump," violated Section 3 of the 14th. Watch Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin get arrested in Washington D.C. Couy Griffin has been charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. CREW represented three New Mexico residents who brought the civil lawsuit against Griffin this past March and called for him to be removed. Public policy. The court is expected to resume Tuesday at 9 a.m. The resolution also alleges thegovernor's emergency powerswere meant for short-term issues andthat "the use by state officials of emergency power for extended periods is antidemocratic and is danger to the rights of the people," the resolution reads. "Under New Mexico law, a local officer may be removed from office upon written accusation," New Mexico Attorney General's Office spokeswoman Jerri Mares said. After a tense back-and-forth about who drafted the pleadings, Judge Francis Mathew denied the motion. Prosecutors didnt give any opening statements. Despite claims in the proposed resolution, houses of worship are allowed to seat 25% of their capacity and peaceful assemblies have been held in Otero County throughout the pandemic. The NAACP, Common Cause and the National Council of Jewish Women submitted amicus briefs stating their support for Griffin's removal as an Otero County Commissioner. White, Mitchell and Lakind were represented by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the New Mexico-based law firms of Freedman Boyd Hollander and Goldberg P.A, Dodd Law Office, LLC, and the Law Office of Amber Fayerberg, LLC, as well as by Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin leaves the federal court in Washington on March. Humility, brother, he said with a chuckle. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. It would be one thing if he were arrested for assaulting someone, for planning to enter the building, for threatening members of Congress inside. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. A news release regarding the request for resignation alleged Griffin "from his first day as an Otero County Commissioner has devoted himself to promoting his Cowboys for Trump organization rather than being a county commissionerwho serves the citizens of Otero County who elected him.". Some high-profile legal efforts to remove public officials from their positions due to their involvement in Jan. 6 have failed so far. Tribes need tax revenue. But hes being prosecuted for standing on the steps, a place a federal appeals court has declared to be a public forum, Smith said. Public Works, Land Use, & Building Department: 411 N 10th St. Rocky Ford, CO 81067 (719) 383-3035. But the judge said prosecutors didnt meet their burden to prove that Griffin engaged in disorderly conduct. He called it a great day for America and added, The people are showing that they have had enough, prosecutors said. Pinned Tweet. Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. WASHINGTON A federal judge on Tuesday convicted an elected official from New Mexico of illegally entering restricted US Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct duringthe riotthat disrupted Congress from certifyingJoe Bidens presidential election victory. The resolution states that employees and elected . More than 220 individuals have pleaded guilty so far, most of them to a petty offense of misdemeanor parading, picketing or demonstrating punishable by no more than six months in jail. A county official in New Mexico who was convicted of entering a restricted area during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol must be immediately removed from office for his involvement in an insurrection, a judge decided Tuesday. And there is also footage of Griffin illegally breaching multiple security barriers and egging on violence by rallying rioters with a bullhorn. A key question in Griffins case was whether he entered a restricted area while Vice President Mike Pence was still present on Capitol grounds, a prerequisite for the US Secret Service to invoke access restrictions. The Otero County Commission met Thursday for the first time since former Commissioner Couy Griffin was removed from office by court order earlier this week because of his participation in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Griffin was removed from office under theU.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause, which states that an elected official may be removed from their position for acts against the government, including insurrection which some experts have labeled the events of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots. | Maya Srikrishnan, Center For Public Integrity. As of 1 p.m. March 22, Otero County had not responded to inquiries for comment from theAlamogordo Daily News. Griffin is one of at least 10 people charged in the riot who either held public office or ran for a government leadership post in the 2 years before the attack, according to an Associated Press tally. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. [2][5][6] They did not collect enough signatures by the deadline.[1]. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Prior to the verdict, the New Mexico Attorney General's Office discussed what a conviction would mean for the Otero County Commission, where Griffin holds the District 2 seat. We can only get our country back from the ground floor. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Griffin was booted from the board earlier in the week by court order due to his participation in the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Griffin, one of three members of the Otero County Commission in southern New Mexico, is among a handful of riot defendants who either held. 7 Apr. I kind of was bracing myself because I figured that it was going to go this way, Griffin said. Their first witness was Matthew Struck, who joined Griffin at the Capitol and served as his videographer. That resolution was also sponsored by Griffin. Griffin, however, attended the meeting and even spoke during the public comment session. Approximately 100 others have trial dates. He called the current bench trial unfair and un-American. More than 230 riot defendants have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and at least 127 of them have been sentenced. All of this would suggest to a normal person that perhaps you should not be entering the area. The judge added that Griffin said in videos he recorded the next day and Jan. 14 that he joined a crowd that pushed through fencing into areas roped off by police for the inauguration. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. Griffin told NPR he will appeal this latest ruling. Defense attorney Nicholas Smith said the case against Griffin was built on a series of false assumptions and premises. Trial testimony showed Griffin went to the Capitol to support free and fair elections, Smith told the judge. This lawsuit is about removing a duly elected county commissioner from office through the civil court. Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm. [2] District Court Judge Manuel Arrieta ruled on April 8, 2021, that the recall effort could move forward. [3] Griffin appealed that decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 19, 2021. Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Commission unanimously passed a resolution, Couy Griffin released from pretrial detention after being held on Capitol riot charges, Matherly, Marquardt demand Griffin resign from Otero County Commission, March 11 Otero County Commission meeting agenda, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service atAlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call1-877-301-0013. Misogyny is fueling the countrys gun violence epidemic,. District 2 Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, 48 of Tularosa, was found guilty in federal court March 22 during a bench trial for trespassing on federal grounds during the during the . In July, Griffin filed a motion to quash the lawsuit. In . Griffins mockery of Native American rites got him banned from Mescalero Apache Tribe lands. This story has been shared 127,521 times.

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