Griffin told NPR he will appeal this latest ruling. Phone: 575-491-7265. Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals, Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; editing by Jonathan Oatis, Texas man accused of killing five neighbors was deported four times, US may default June 1 without debt ceiling hike; Biden calls McCarthy to meet, US to end COVID vaccination requirements on May 11 for foreign travelers, federal workers, Biden urges Republicans take debt default off table, warns interest rates would jump, Brazil police shoot dead 4 illegal gold miners on Yanomami reservation, British royals release photo of a beaming Princess Charlotte, UK retailers report record food inflation but see falls ahead, US lawmakers dig into partisan corners as debt ceiling default looms, Sudanese fleeing north face arduous crossing into Egypt. 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. Griffin crossed over three walls, needing help from others or a ladder to get over them, the judge noted. Commissioners | Otero County 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. Griffin was released from federal prison on February 5, 2021. The decision against Griffin, who made headlines earlier this year by refusing to certify his county's election results, comes after some similar, high-profile Fourteenth Amendment challenges to incumbent lawmakers across the country failed. The court is expected to resume Tuesday at 9 a.m. 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.". 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. In regards to my position here in Otero County, it is a position that has been a great honor to date and I believe will continue to be a great honor moving into the future. 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. Griffins defense argued there was no evidence that he saw any Do Not Enter sign, was told by police that any area was restricted or knew that Pence was present at the Capitol the same time he was. [2][3] Griffin appealed that decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 19, 2021. "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. [3], Griffin also said the recall hearing proceedings were tilted against him as Judge Manuel Arrieta had been appointed by a Democratic governor. Griffin was charged with two misdemeanors: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds. 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. 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. 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. Commissioners ultimately voted 2-1 for certification, with Griffin the lone no vote. 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. 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. 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. Follow Source New Mexico on Facebook and Twitter. Couy Griffin, whose violent rhetoric Trump promoted, is arrested - The The left is always crying about how our democracy is under attack. 2023 www.alamogordonews.com. The video also showed he spent more than an hour on the front railing of the inaugural stage with a bullhorn, ignoring the lingering odor of police-deployed pepper spray and leading the crowd below in prayer. [2] Its southern boundary is the Texas state line. He has supported a $50,000 taxpayer-funded audit of the 2020 election results in the small conservative county, whose 24,000 votes Trump carried by 25 percentage points. Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm. The state supreme court then stepped in, ordering the county to certify. Smith argued that one could find the events of Jan. 6 embarrassing and shameful, but also conclude that it was offensive and wrong to selectively prosecute and convict Griffin for exercising his freedom of speech and leading a prayer. The Albuquerque Journal has reported that Griffin's commission term concludes at the end of the year, but that he is considering a run for sheriff. Griffin is one of three members of the Republican-led Otero County commission that is refusing to certify June's primary election results, citing unfounded conspiracy theories about voting. 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.". 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. "Griffin shall be removed from his position as an Otero County Commissioner effective immediately.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. His name is Hiram., Griffin: As God as my witness I do not know his last name. Some high-profile legal efforts to remove public officials from their positions due to their involvement in Jan. 6 have failed so far. Couy Griffin recall, Otero County, New Mexico (2021) More: Couy Griffin arrives for trial in Washington, D.C. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17 in person in U.S. Federal Court. Counties | This story has been shared 127,521 times. Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. Maureen Cohen Harrington via Storyful, Storyful, U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. "This is very evident of the tyranny that is raising its head up in our country.". 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. Griffin is one of the few riot defendants who wasnt accused of entering the Capitol building or engaging in any violent or destructive behavior. "I didn't have any intent of being a part of an insurrection or a violent mob. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP) Listen 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. Public Works, Land Use, & Building Department: 411 N 10th St. Rocky Ford, CO 81067 (719) 383-3035. Whens the best time to see the sunset in Albuquerque? Griffin won election in 2018 with 65 percent of the vote but is not seeking reelection. "I don't think it's fair to accuse me of insurrection," he says. 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 covers politics and criminal justice and has reported on New Mexico for the Las Vegas Optic, Santa Fe Reporter, Los Angeles Times and others. By allowing this case to move forward, youre going to set a very dangerous precedent, said Griffin. The list includes 69 candidates for governor in 30 states, as well as 55 candidates for the U.S. Senate, 13 candidates for state attorney general and 18 candidates for secretary of state in places where that person is the states top election official. In his ruling on the case, Mathew contended that Griffin was not eligible to . He [Griffin] crossed over three walls, McFadden said. [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. Email Amy Barela. Griffin was jailed for more than two weeks after his arrest on Jan. 19, 2021. Those actions must have occurred during the official's current term of office in order for a recall effort to be approved to circulate petitions. State legislature | "A county commissioner could propose a resolution saying that pigs can fly, it doesn't make it true.". This article was published more than1 year ago. Daves Hot Chicken will have you begging for more, and maybe for mercy, Josiah Gray finishes April with a flourish as Nats avoid a series sweep, at least 163 Republicans who have embraced Trumps false claims, National Football League began playing Lift Every Voice and Sing, what is referred to the Black national anthem. A criminal court convicted Griffin of misdemeanor trespassing on Jan. 6, which he plans to appeal. Griffin said the allegations against him were baseless and politically motivated. He also said he was a target because of his relationship with former President Donald Trump. 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. Former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin caused a fuss at the Otero County Commission meeting last week when his time at the public comment table became so heated, one of the sitting county commissioners plans to file a restraining order against Griffin. 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 . 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.. ", Mares did not elaborate on what "moral turpitude" entails. He breached security barriers outside of the building and eventually assumed a leadership role in the mob and egged on the violence, Mathew said in his ruling. 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. Griffins trial in Washington, DC, was the second among the hundreds of federal cases arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, siege. Otero County Commission Vice-Chairman Couy Griffin sponsored two resolutions on the Commission's agenda: one calling for the FBI to investigate the destruction of the Soldier's Monument in Santa Fe, and another labeling New Mexico Gov. Address 1101 New York Avenue Alamogordo, NM 88310 Fax: 575-443-2928. McFadden set sentencing for June 17, after defense attorney Nicholas D. Smith declined an offer for immediate sentencing. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 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. 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. Griffin, founder of politicaladvocacy group Cowboys for Trump, also requested a discussion period be placed on the agenda which would focus on Chairman Gerald Matherly and Commissioner Vickie Marquardt's call for Griffin to resign his Commission seat. My own actions were lawful.". New Mexico Supreme Court upholds Couy Griffin recall decision And though hes been removed from his seat on the county commission, Griffin showed that he wont be silenced when it comes to county matters and is more than willing to address decisions made by his former colleagues as a private citizen. 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. Couy Griffin speaks for three minutes during the public comment period of the Otero County Commission meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. Phone: 575-491-7265. He knew there was danger! Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm. The three New Mexicans were not the only ones who expressed interest in removing Griffin from office. 1101 New York Avenue Alamogordo, NM 88310-6935 Phone: 575-437-7427 Fax: 575-443-2904 Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. 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. Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin skirted extra prison time for Arguably, he was trying to calm people down, not rile them up, he said. In . 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. Otero County is a county located in the U.S. state of 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. And in May, officials in Georgia ruled that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene could remain on the ballot after her role in the Capitol riot. Misogyny is fueling the countrys gun violence epidemic,. We've received your submission. Ballot measures, Who represents me? Griffin could have thought business was still taking place, but the burden was on the government to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, McFadden said. 0:36. The founder of the group Cowboys for Trump was sentenced to 14 days in jail for entering a restricted area. States keep taking it. How to vote | He turned down an offer to plead to a lesser charge and probation, waived a trial by jury and took his chances with McFadden. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,797. Couy Griffin (@CowboyCouy) / Twitter 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. My intent of going to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 was because I had concerns that our elections had been compromised.". Maureen Cohen Harrington via Storyful, Storyful, was found guiltyin federal court March 22. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service atAlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call1-877-301-0013. Griffin, the head of a group called Cowboys for Trump, claims he got. Amy Barela District 2 Commissioner. Pence spent Jan. 6 at underground Senate loading dock, Secret Service confirms. NEW MEXICO(KRQE) The trial for Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder, Couy Griffin begins Monday in Santa Fe. 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. Couy Griffin - Wikipedia Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. "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. DEIJ Policy | Ethics Policy | Privacy Policy. 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. 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. Smith said prosecutors apparently believe Griffin engaged in disorderly conduct by peacefully leading a prayer on the Capitol steps. Our elected officials and candidatesmust obey the law. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. I kind of was bracing myself because I figured that it was going to go this way, Griffin said. Monday - Thursday 8 am to 5 pm, Fridays telecommuting Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Couy Griffin removed from District 2 Otero County Commissioner seat Source New Mexico is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. It would be one thing if he were arrested for assaulting someone, for planning to enter the building, for threatening members of Congress inside. More:Couy Griffin released from pretrial detention after being held on Capitol riot charges, More:Matherly, Marquardt demand Griffin resign from Otero County Commission. 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. 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 . [4] The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling on June 28, 2021, allowing the recall effort to move forward. [1] Its county seat is Alamogordo. 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. "(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. 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. An unusual series of items is scheduled for discussion at the March 11 Otero County Commission. Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Griffin was arrested when he returned to Washington on Jan. 17, 2021, after saying during an Otero County Commission meeting that he planned to return for Bidens inauguration with his .357 Henry Big Boy rifle and single action revolver. Couy Griffin first elected official barred from office for participating in Jan. 6 attack. In Tuesdays decision, Judge Mathew ruled that Griffin had broken his oath to support the Constitution when he participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack in Washington, D.C., violating Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Griffin said he plans to appeal the ruling and that during the appeals process, he wont be representing himself. Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance charge He called the current bench trial unfair and un-American. 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.". Griffin: A friend of mine in Roswell, New Mexico. 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. "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. Griffin is the first elected official to be removed from office for their involvement in the riot. 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. 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. "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. "I was shocked by the response from the court. Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Nobody thinks a random tourist could sort of climb up there, right? McFadden said. 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 . 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. 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. Couy Griffin's Tweets. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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