otero county commissioner couy griffin

"I don't think it's fair to accuse me of insurrection," he says. | Media. 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.". Why didn't he stop Ashli instead of ASSIST Ashli? [3] La Junta, CO 81050 (719) 383-3000. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at [email protected], by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. [3], Griffin also said the recall hearing proceedings were tilted against him as Judge Manuel Arrieta had been appointed by a Democratic governor. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. 18.5K Followers. Otero County Courthouse: 13 West 3rd Street. State executives | Ballotpedia features 408,500 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. [4] The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling on June 28, 2021, allowing the recall effort to move forward. Attorneys Janani Iyengar and Kimberly Paschall also cited a video Griffin posted of himself on the inauguration stage next to the Capitol during the riot that forced the evacuation of lawmakers meeting to certify Joe Bidens election victory. States keep taking it. Griffin represented himself during a two-day bench trial last month in District Court in Santa Fe. Earlier this month, in the first trial, a juryconvicted a Texas man, Guy Wesley Reffitt, of storming the Capitol with a holstered handgun, interfering with police and obstructing Congress joint session to certify the Electoral College vote. The March 11 Otero County Commission meeting agenda can be found on the Otero County website and will be streamed on YouTube beginning 9 a.m. on March 11. [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. Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, Friday, June. Mr. Griffins removal and bar from holding office again is a step towards obtaining justice and restoring the rule of law, Dodd Law Office, LLC President Christopher Dodd said in a Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington news release. Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Recall supporters did not collect enough signatures by the deadline on September 28, 2021. Griffin is the first elected official to be removed from office for their involvement in the riot. [5][6], Recall supporters said Griffin had used the office for personal gain. Assistant U.S. District Court Judge Manuel Arrieta ruled in favor of the recall effort. Griffin is fighting to . A former Disneyland Paris rodeo cowboy and self-styled preacher, Griffin is a stonemason and racial provocateur whose use of social media won him plaudits from Trump and an invitation to the Oval Office. Address 1101 New York Avenue Alamogordo, NM 88310 "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. "I didn't have any intent of being a part of an insurrection or a violent mob. This is a historic win for accountability for the January 6th insurrection and the efforts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power in the United States," said Noah Bookbinder, the president of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), an ethics watchdog that filed a lawsuit against Griffin, calling for his removal. The decision to represent himself during the bench trial was made, Griffin said, because he felt hed provided the judge with strong evidence to have the case dismissed, and he never thought the case would go to trial. 0:36. Ive been in my office, cleaning my office out today with the undersheriff standing guard in the room. 21, 2022. Public policy. Address 1101 New York Avenue Alamogordo, NM 88310 The second proposed resolution is not the first which Otero County has considered in objection to New Mexico's public health emergency orders. More than 230 riot defendants have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and at least 127 of them have been sentenced. 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. Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. Griffin was released from federal prison on February 5, 2021. This story has been shared 127,521 times. The three New Mexicans were not the only ones who expressed interest in removing Griffin from office. Griffin, who is defending himself, said he went to Washington D.C. to peacefully protest and pray. 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. [2] District Court Judge Manuel Arrieta ruled on April 8, 2021, that the recall effort could move forward. This lawsuit is about removing a duly elected county commissioner from office through the civil court. In a court filing, prosecutors called Griffin an inflammatory provocateur and fabulist who engages in racist invective and propounds baseless conspiracy theories, including that Communist China stole the 2020 Presidential Election.. Griffins mockery of Native American rites got him banned from Mescalero Apache Tribe lands. Couy Griffin addresses reporters outside federal court in Washington on June 17. [7][8], Recall supporters listed five reasons for recall in their request to the Twelfth District Court, including:[2], At the recall hearing, Griffin called the recall supporters' allegations "frivolous, baseless and politically motivated," according to the Associated Press. Marquardt and Matherly, along withNew Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, asked Griffin to resign following his Jan. 17 arrest in which he was charged withknowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority by federal authorities foris participation in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol building. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. "Government officials are not immune from the rule of law. "He took an oath to support the Constitution of the United States [and then] engaged in that insurrection after taking his oath," Judge Mathew wrote. Humility, brother, he said with a chuckle. Sept 6 (Reuters) - A New Mexico county commissioner became the first public official to lose their job for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol when a state judge on Tuesday ruled that the Republican violated the U.S. Constitution by engaging in an insurrection. Griffins attorneys said in a court filing that Pence had already departed the restricted area before the earliest that Griffin could have entered it, but Secret Service inspector Lanelle Hawa testified that Pence never left the restricted area during the riot. He called the current bench trial unfair and un-American. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service [email protected] or call1-877-301-0013. The Soldiers' Monument, also known as The Obelisk, was toppled by Indigenous Peoples Dayactivists in October 2020, an event which has already resulted in five arrests. Much of Mondays trial was spent with the plaintiffs attorneys going over Griffins actions on January 6th, bringing up videos and pictures from that day. Instead, he will be hiring some great legal minds.. 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. Griffin was jailed for more than two weeks after his arrest on Jan. 19, 2021. "I regret their actions but I don't regret my actions. 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. The Otero County Commissioners have had enough of Cowboys for Trump leader Couy Griffin. 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. [9], That is to prayerfully hold the line on a constitutional side, to fight for individual rights, individual liberties and individual freedoms which I believe that by God's grace I have been able to do today. "Public health orders carry the full weight of law in every New Mexico county," Sackett said. Attempts by the Alamogordo Daily News to contact Griffin about the ruling were unsuccessful. 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. Social Services Annex: 215 Raton Ave. Video from that day shows Griffin "working up" supporters of Trump against then-Vice President Mike Pence, the court says. It would be one thing if he were arrested for assaulting someone, for planning to enter the building, for threatening members of Congress inside. According to a new filing at the Otero County Courthouse, Couy Griffin is facing a restraining order from Stephanie Dubois. Now he has regrets., In middle of Jan. 6 riot, Oath Keepers chief reached out to Proud Boys. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. A federal judge on Tuesday convicted Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin of trespassing in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, handing the Justice Department its second victory at trial in the probe and affirming its use of an unusual misdemeanor charge against breach participants who, like Griffin, were not violent. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,797. 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. But the case against Griffin is unlike most Jan. 6 cases and may not be a bellwether for defendants who are charged with storming the Capitol. Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Griffins nameplate and chair were both absent from the dais as the two remaining commissioners called the regular meeting to order. SANTA FE A New Mexico judge ordered Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin be removed from office, effective immediately, ruling that the attack on the Capitol was an insurrection and that Griffin's participation in it disqualified him under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. He was charged with "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority," according to the Alamogordo Daily News. Griffin and his two fellow commissioners voted to conduct the audit despite concerns about its legality noted by County Attorney R.B. Judge Mathews decision is a signal to elected officials everywhere who want to snub their noses at the constitution, foment mob violence and disobey the law, said Mario Jimenez, executive director of Common Cause New Mexico, in a news release. Couy Griffin's Tweets. 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. The outcome of Griffins trial could have a ripple effect, helping other Capitol riot defendants decide whether to let a judge or a jury decide their case. Griffin, one of three members of the Otero County Commission in southern New Mexico, is among a handful of riot defendants who either held public office or ran for a government leadership post in the 2 1/2 years before the attack. Their first witness was Matthew Struck, who joined Griffin at the Capitol and served as his videographer. 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. [2][5][6] They did not collect enough signatures by the deadline.[1]. Though Griffin was found guilty on thefederal trespassing charge, he was found not guilty on the disruptive conduct charge. He is among only three riot defendants who have asked for a bench trial, in which judges decide a case without a jury. 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 . Pinned Tweet. This decision marks the first time since 1869 that a court has disqualified a public official under Section 3, and . Amy Barela District 2 Commissioner. It's a real disgrace towards our democracy," he said during a brief phone interview. I know that sometimes you travel down a hard road to get to a better road, but Gods a gracious God, and I think hes got me on that track., GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX, by Ryan Lowery, Source New Mexico September 9, 2022. He knew there was danger! Michelle Lujan Grisham, confirmed that the governor will fill the vacancy, adding that the governor accepts applications from eligible residents as possible replacements. Maureen Cohen Harrington via Storyful, Storyful, U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Thats also when he learned he no longer had access to his county office, and that his county-issued computer had been removed from his office. An unusual series of items is scheduled for discussion at the March 11 Otero County Commission.. Otero County Commission Vice-Chairman Couy Griffin sponsored two resolutions on the Commission's . 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. He had also rhetorically suggested that the blood of political foes could be spilled at the Capitol in defense of the right to bear firearms. 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.

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