If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service atAlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call1-877-301-0013. Both the agenda and resolution were approved by a two-to-one margin with Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, who is currently out of state, being the sole vote against both.. Gemunu Amarasinghe / AP file "I have huge concerns with the voting machines," said Commissioner. "There are several bases for removal including conviction of a felony or misdemeanor 'involving moral turpitude' and 'failure, neglect or refusal to discharge the duties of office'. And being in the audience of Thursdays meeting instead of being seated with the commissioners brought a specific feeling to his mind. Both carry maximum sentences of one years imprisonment. The resolution states that employees and elected . Ukrainian photographer missing following captured journali Woman has 'loud, full body orgasm' in the middle of LA concert, Bride killed, groom seriously hurt by drunk driver just minutes after leaving reception, Red carpet live updates and star-studded highlightsfrom the Karl Lagerfeld-themed Met Gala, Pete Davidson keeps it casual in a bucket hat on the Met Gala 2023 red carpet, Paris Hilton makes Met Gala 2023 red carpet debut in a black leather gown, Kim Kardashian is draped in pearls and corset at Met Gala 2023, Khristina Williams previews the New York Liberty's 2023 WNBA season, Elon Musk Tells Bill Maher Woke Mind Virus Is Dangerous On Real Time, Met Gala red carpet: Live updates of all the celebrity outfits. He says the ruling sends a message to other public officials across the country who have been undermining the results of the 2020 election, as well as other democratic norms. He said the civil lawsuit that led to it was unfair and "purely political." All of this would suggest to a normal person that perhaps you should not be entering the area, McFadden said from the bench. The resolution on the table calls the COVID-19 public health orders unconstitutional on series of grounds including that itinfringes on New Mexicans' First Amendment right to free exercise of religion and to peaceably assemble. Ryan Lowery is an award-winning independent journalist based in Albuquerque. [2] Its southern boundary is the Texas state line. School districts | But McFadden acquitted the defendant of disorderly conduct, finding prosecutors had not proved he was acting knowingly to disrupt a government proceeding. Contact Editor Shaun Griswold for questions: info@sourcenm.com. Noah Bookbinder the president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW said the ruling against Griffin is the first time since the Civil War era that any public official has been removed under the provision of the Fourteenth Amendment, which bars anyone from holding state or federal office if they engage or support any kind of insurrection or rebellion against the U.S. According to a new filing at the Otero County Courthouse, Couy Griffin is facing a restraining order from Stephanie Dubois. 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. 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. He was charged with "knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority," according to the Alamogordo Daily News. "Griffin shall be removed from his position as an Otero County Commissioner effective immediately.". Couy Griffin, a county commissioner in Otero County, New Mexico, stands outside a federal court in Washington on March 22, 2022, after receiving a verdict in his trial. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Couy Griffin, an Otero County commissioner, responded to questioning in court, after watching a video of himself on U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. 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. This little-known provision was included in the Fourteenth Amendment in the wake of the Civil War, Bookbinder says, as a way to exclude those who were part of the Confederacy from holding public office again. State legislature | "Elected officials must respect the rule of law, and we will evaluate whether this misdemeanor convictionand any of Griffin's other actions warrant his removal from public office," Mares said March 22. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. Thanks for contacting us. This has been the hardest time of my life, not that Im trying to get anybodys sympathy. That is offensive and wrong, Smith told the judge during his brief opening statements. Email Amy Barela. Now its no longer the peoples choice. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. 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 . Monday - Thursday 8 am to 5 pm, Fridays telecommuting Other evidence recorded by a videographer Griffin brought with him to Washington showed him climbing over a stone wall that marked the Capitols security perimeter and walking over trampled plastic mesh fencing and dismantled bicycle rack barriers. Counties | Public Works, Land Use, & Building Department: 411 N 10th St. Rocky Ford, CO 81067 (719) 383-3035. 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. And in May, officials in Georgia ruled that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene could remain on the ballot after her role in the Capitol riot. The Otero County Commission held a special meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss a resolution about county employees or elected officials who travel of state.. [4] The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling on June 28, 2021, allowing the recall effort to move forward. Griffin: A friend of mine in Roswell, New Mexico. The ruling also states that although the plaintiffs in the case presented evidence to support their claim, Griffin did not present any evidence for his defense. The New Mexico Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the State's authority to impose such mandates. 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. Theres no room with the Nationals. "His protestations and his characterizations of his actions and the events of Jan. 6, 2021 are not credible and amounted to nothing more than attempting to put lipstick on a pig," Mathew's ruling states. 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. Leading up to Jan. 6, Griffin and his organization helped mobilize the "Stop the Steal" movement that falsely claimed Donald Trump's election defeat in 2020 was the result of widespread fraud, an assertion rejected by multiple courts, state election officials and members of his own administration, Mathew wrote. AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File A. This lawsuit is about removing a duly elected county commissioner from office through the civil court. [10] Griffin said he would not resign. [3] The court is expected to resume Tuesday at 9 a.m. CREW represented three New Mexico residents who brought the civil lawsuit against Griffin this past March and called for him to be removed. I love the smell of napalm in the air, Griffin said in an apparent reference to a quote from the war movie Apocalypse Now.. An Otero County budget work session is scheduled for March 24. The courts ruling today is a historic moment for our country. The state supreme court then stepped in, ordering the county to certify. In his ruling on the case, Mathew contended that Griffin was not eligible to . Couy Griffin speaks for three minutes during the public comment period of the Otero County Commission meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. 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. 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. After attendingTrumps Stop the Steal rallyon Jan. 6, Griffin and Struck walked over barriers and up a staircase to enter a stage that was under construction on the Capitols Lower West Terrace for Bidens inauguration, according to prosecutors. (Screenshot via the Otero County Commission livestream) Email Amy Barela. 0:36. Amy Barela District 2 Commissioner. But in charging documents and plea talks, prosecutors have also deployed stiffer misdemeanor charges against those accused of more egregious or disruptive conduct than passing quietly through restricted areas, or, in a small number of cases like Griffins, did not enter the Capitol. Couy Griffin, a county commissioner in Otero County, New Mexico, speaks on June 17 outside federal court in Washington, D.C., where he was convicted of entering a restricted area during the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. [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. Griffin, however, attended the meeting and even spoke during the public comment session. "I didn't have any intent of being a part of an insurrection or a violent mob. He called the current bench trial unfair and un-American. Were your resource. Maureen Cohen Harrington via Storyful, Storyful, U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. U.S. President | It's one thing to be charged, it's another thing to be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Griffins attorneys say hundreds if not thousands of other people did exactly what Griffin did on Jan. 6 and havent been charged with any crimes. 18.5K Followers. We are actively considering all options under New Mexico law. This story has been shared 182,853 times. Griffins trial in Washington, DC, was the second among the hundreds of federal cases arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, siege. Otero County, N.M., Commissioner Couy Griffin was arrested Sunday for illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6. [3], Griffin was elected to the three-member Otero County Commission in 2018, defeating Democratic candidate Christopher S. Jones with 65% of the vote. 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.". Jail guards snapped photos of Griffin in his cell like he was a monkey, Smith told the judge. Couy Griffin's Tweets. What kind of security issues does that raise if the Secret Service is required to tell people who is in a restricted area, for the restricted area to have teeth? McFadden asked. "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. He claims the plaintiffs in the case were from liberal counties in the state and were being supported by liberal groups. He says it was used in the 1860s and then has been very rarely invoked since. 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. 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. 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. Attempts by the Alamogordo Daily News to contact Griffin about the ruling were unsuccessful. Judge Mathew ruled Tuesday that Griffin was to be removed from his elected position and barred for life from holding any other elected federal and state positions. January 6, 2021 was a dark day in our history. Griffin won election in 2018 with 65 percent of the vote but is not seeking reelection. Assistant U.S. Griffin was previously convicted of a misdemeanor for entering Capitol grounds and was sentenced to 14 days, but was given credit for time served. This story has been updated with a statement from Couy Griffin and more information about the recall. Griffin was unhappy that Stephanie DuBois, a Democrat, was appointed to his old seat . Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Nora Sackett said the resolution was preposterous. Public policy. Detailed Commissioner Calendar Otero County Commissioners District 1: Rob Oquist, Chairman First Elected: November 2020 Current Term Expires: January 2025 Otero County Courthouse 13 W. 3rd Street, Room 212 La Junta CO 81050 Phone: (719) 383-3000 Fax: (719) 383-3090 Cell: (719) 468-8044 Email: roquist@oterogov.org District 2: Tim Knabenshue Pinned Tweet. He went on some tangents prompting Judge Mathew to put his foot down to stay on track. In September 2022, it was employed by a judge in New Mexico, who removed Couy Griffin, a county commissioner in Otero County, from office for his participation in the January 6 insurrection. The hearing was held on April 8, 2021. 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. "(Griffin) became constitutionally disqualified from federal and state positions specified (under the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, Section 3) and forfeited his current office as Otero County Commissioner effective Jan. 6, 2021," Mathew's ruling states. A jury will consider this week whether the support group Cowboys for Trump and cofounder Couy Griffin violated state election law by failing to register as a political organization without filing related public financial disclosures. 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. Griffin is the co-founder and spokesman for the political advocacy group Cowboys for Trump. In August 2020, the Commission unanimously passed a resolution on the same topic. Griffin is the first elected official to be removed from office for their involvement in the riot. Griffin was accused of trespassing onto the west steps of the Capitol Building Jan. 6. The second proposed resolution is not the first which Otero County has considered in objection to New Mexico's public health emergency orders. The Otero County Commissioners have had enough of Cowboys for Trump leader Couy Griffin. State and local courts | 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 . Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. But Griffin also used the final minute of his allotted time to address his removal from office, telling those in attendance that his computer was seized by county officials before he was notified that District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew had ruled Griffin could no longer serve in his elected position or any other for the rest of his life. [9][14], New Mexico allows recalls at the county level for "malfeasance or misfeasance in office or violation of the oath of office by the official concerned." Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. They are not above it. U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden found Griffin, who is also an elected New Mexico county commissioner, guilty of illegally entering or remaining on restricted grounds after a one-day bench trial, and not guilty of a second misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. The ruling also states that although the plaintiffs in the case presented evidence to support their claim, Griffin did not present any evidence for his defense. [1], Recall supporters filed paperwork on March 11, 2021. His name is Hiram., Griffin: As God as my witness I do not know his last name. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. Pence spent Jan. 6 at underground Senate loading dock, Secret Service confirms. 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. Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. But hes being prosecuted for standing on the steps, a place a federal appeals court has declared to be a public forum, Smith said. 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 . This article was published more than1 year ago. 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. 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. Our elected officials and candidatesmust obey the law. "Government officials are not immune from the rule of law. Some Republicans in Washington state cast a wary eye on an election security device, Scandal-plagued Rep. Madison Cawthorn is ousted in North Carolina primary, Georgia officials rule that Marjorie Taylor Greene can remain on the ballot. Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. Failing to be present at county commission meetings, Being unable to perform his duties within his district due to being banned from the sovereign nation and lands of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Filming a video inside the County Commission Administration building to solicit funds for a political organization, Filing a travel voucher with the county to pay for events that did not relate to his duties as a county commissioner, Soliciting and receiving a donation from a restricted donor. He also said he was a target because of his relationship with former President Donald Trump. By New Mexico state law, any New Mexican can file to have any New Mexico county official removed from office. Griffin's actions were "overt acts in support of the insurrection.". Griffin and his two fellow commissioners voted to conduct the audit despite concerns about its legality noted by County Attorney R.B. Misogyny is fueling the countrys gun violence epidemic,. As of 1 p.m. March 22, Otero County had not responded to inquiries for comment from theAlamogordo Daily News. Now he has regrets., In middle of Jan. 6 riot, Oath Keepers chief reached out to Proud Boys. hide caption. Ballot measures, Who represents me? "We have been fortunate as a country to not have many episodes of insurrection and certainly not insurrections in which elected officials have played a part," Bookbinder says. The left is always crying about how our democracy is under attack. 0:36. 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. January 6, 2021 was a dark day in our history. Maureen Cohen Harrington via Storyful, Storyful, was found guiltyin federal court March 22. 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.. We can only get our country back from the ground floor. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. The three New Mexicans were not the only ones who expressed interest in removing Griffin from office. A criminal court convicted Griffin of misdemeanor trespassing on Jan. 6, which he plans to appeal. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. 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. 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.". In considering closing arguments submitted by Griffin in the case asking Mathew to consider the will of District 2 constituents, the judge said: "The irony of Mr. Griffin's argument that this Court should refrain from applying the law and consider the will of the people in District 2 of Otero County who retained him as a county commissioner against a recall effort as he attempts to defend his participation in an insurrection by a mob whose goal, by his own admission, was to set aside the results of a free, fair and lawful election by a majority of the people of the entire country (the will of the people) has not escaped this court.". [3], Griffin, who founded the organization Cowboys for Trump, was arrested in Washington, D.C., on January 17, 2021, for his alleged role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Griffin was arrested on Jan. 8, 2021and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building relating to his participation in theCapitol riot. 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. 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. 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. if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; What's on my ballot? After being jailed in connection with the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Otero County Commission Vice Chairman Couy Griffin was back in attendance at the Feb. 11.
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