He also expressed frustration that a judge, and not Otero County voters, had the final say. 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 . "I do regret the actions of many on that day that fought with police officers and destroyed government property," he says. Griffin is fighting to . In his ruling on the case, Mathew contended that Griffin was not eligible to . Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. 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. U.S. President | Judge: Now Imgoing to ask you again, who drafted those pleadings? 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. Thats the thing that has hurt the most in this. | Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Address 1101 New York Avenue Alamogordo, NM 88310 We can only get our country back from the ground floor. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. 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. Couy Griffin arrives for trial in Washington, D.C. Cowboys for Trump founder guilty of illegally entering US Capitol grounds in Jan. 6 riot, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The judge denied the motion and said he would refer Hiram to the disciplinary counsel for the investigation of possibly practicing law without having a license. My own actions were lawful.". Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 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. Griffins mockery of Native American rites got him banned from Mescalero Apache Tribe lands. Otero County Courthouse: 13 West 3rd Street. This article was published more than1 year ago. This has been the hardest time of my life, not that Im trying to get anybodys sympathy. Monday - Thursday 8 am to 5 pm, Fridays telecommuting He also said he was a target because of his relationship with former President Donald Trump. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service at AlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call1-877-301-0013. Griffin, the head of a group called Cowboys for Trump, claims he got. Griffin was accused of trespassing onto the west steps of the Capitol Building Jan. 6. Griffin, who is defending himself, said he went to Washington D.C. to peacefully protest and pray. 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. He is among only three riot defendants who have asked for a bench trial, in which judges decide a case without a jury. 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. Why didn't he stop Ashli instead of ASSIST Ashli? Migrants still coming despite threat of Title 8 removals, Le Creuset just launched a dreamy new color for spring, $4.4M ABQ home listing situated to soak in mountain, New Mexico family seek answers after hit-and-run, Teen who threw baby in dumpster sentenced, Speeders in ABQ to be targeted if ordinance updated, Thousands head to El Santuario de Chimay on Good, Whats happening around New Mexico Apr. Amy Barela District 2 Commissioner. Otero County, N.M., Commissioner Couy Griffin was arrested Sunday for illegally entering the Capitol on Jan. 6. 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. 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. 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 "incited, encouraged and helped normalize the violence," Mathew wrote. 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. Elections in 2023 | 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. 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. [2][5][6] They did not collect enough signatures by the deadline.[1]. At the hearing, both recall supporters and Griffin were able to present evidence and witnesses. "(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. An Otero County budget work session is scheduled for March 24. Feb 24 Who is the guy in the blue jacket? 18.5K Followers. 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. 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. 17, 2022. Couy Griffin, one of three commissioners in Otero county in southern New Mexico, was immediately removed from his position and cannot hold elected office again, Francis Mathew, a district. Commissioners ultimately voted 2-1 for certification, with Griffin the lone no vote. [3], Griffin was elected to the three-member Otero County Commission in 2018, defeating Democratic candidate Christopher S. Jones with 65% of the vote. Come to Source NM for fresh reporting, insightful opinion and analysis from around the state. "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. Fax: 575-443-2928. School districts | 2023 www.alamogordonews.com. [2][3] Griffin appealed that decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 19, 2021. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. According to a new filing at the Otero County Courthouse, Couy Griffin is facing a restraining order from Stephanie Dubois. 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. "I regret their actions but I don't regret my actions. In an interview Thursday, Griffin told Source New Mexico that he learned of the judges ruling during a phone call from the Otero County manager. "[7][11][12], New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas (D) also called for Griffin's resignation in a letter published on January 16, 2021. 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. hide caption. 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. | Though Griffin was found guilty on thefederal trespassing charge, he was found not guilty on the disruptive conduct charge. Lujan Grisham spokeswoman Nora Sackett said the resolution was preposterous. Gemunu Amarasinghe / AP file "I have huge concerns with the voting machines," said Commissioner. "Griffin shall be removed from his position as an Otero County Commissioner effective immediately.". At trial last month for the civil lawsuit, Griffin unsuccessfully sought to dismiss the case, the Journal reported. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. "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'. He claims the plaintiffs in the case were from liberal counties in the state and were being supported by liberal groups. It's one thing to be charged, it's another thing to be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This story has been shared 182,853 times. Griffin is the second person to be tried of over 700 charged in connection with the riot that day. 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.". Griffin, one of three members of the Otero County Commission in southern New Mexico, is among a handful of riot defendants who either held. We are actively considering all options under New Mexico law. Couy Griffin speaks for three minutes during the public comment period of the Otero County Commission meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Public policy. 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. Griffin was unhappy that Stephanie DuBois, a Democrat, was appointed to his old seat . Of the many agenda items concerning the commissioner on the April 8 agenda, the item that generated the most contentious discussion was the ratification of a press release that Commissioners Gerald Matherly and Vickie Marquardt -- both Republicans -- sent to media calling for Griffin's resignation. 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. [4] The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling on June 28, 2021, allowing the recall effort to move forward. 0:36. 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. Hes on the [inauguration] stage, while police worked to restore order for hours. Otero County Courthouse: 13 West 3rd Street. 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. Griffin crossed over three walls, needing help from others or a ladder to get over them, the judge noted. Griffin and his two fellow commissioners voted to conduct the audit despite concerns about its legality noted by County Attorney R.B. [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, 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. Now he has regrets., In middle of Jan. 6 riot, Oath Keepers chief reached out to Proud Boys. Well what bigger example is there whenever the courts remove a duly elected representative only to make way for the governor to hand select who she wants to represent the people? Griffin said. 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. Griffin, an ardent conspiracy theorist who refused to certify the state's primary election results this summer in Otero County, told CNN he has been ordered to clean out his office and. Social Services Annex: 215 Raton Ave. La Junta, CO 81050. Griffin's actions were "overt acts in support of the insurrection.". Why did he motion Byrd to wait? 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. 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. More: Cowboys for Trump founder guilty of illegally entering US Capitol grounds in Jan. 6 riot. Griffin could not only lose his seat on the commission but could also be barred from ever running for office again. 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. He is among only three riot defendants who have asked for a bench trial, in which judges decide a case without a jury. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Counties | Lowery was awarded the 2020 William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Award from the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, and the 2021 Sunshine Award from the New Mexico Press Association for his reporting that highlighted lack of transparency from multiple government agencies. 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. [3] Griffin appealed that decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 19, 2021. How to vote | 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. Some high-profile legal efforts to remove public officials from their positions due to their involvement in Jan. 6 have failed so far. Griffin was jailed for more than two weeks after his arrest on Jan. 19, 2021. That resolution was also sponsored by Griffin. This lawsuit is about removing a duly elected county commissioner from office through the civil court. 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. Media & News Company Joined August 2021. According to the judge's ruling, Griffin's group, called Cowboys for Trump, "played a key role in Stop the Steal mobilization efforts" ahead of Jan. 6, 2021. In July, Griffin filed a motion to quash the lawsuit. 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. This conviction is an example of accountability and justice," Coln said. 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. 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. The verdict may post grounds for his removal, the New Mexico Attorney General's Office speculated. Source New Mexico maintains editorial independence. 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. 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. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) -The trial for Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder, Couy Griffin begins Monday in Santa Fe. Maya Srikrishnan, Center For Public Integrity. I feel like I was just really railroaded," Griffin said. 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 posed a different legal test, requiring U.S. prosecutors to prove that the defendant knowingly breached a restricted area where then-Vice President Mike Pence or others receiving Secret Service protection were or would be present. Griffin, who attended proceedings in a black cowboy hat, left the courthouse in D.C. echoing former president Donald Trumps baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen. This story has been updated with a statement from Couy Griffin and more information about the recall. Otero County Commissioner and founder of Cowboys for Trump. 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.".
Vikas Uppal Cause Of Death,
Lafayette Avenue Station Flooded,
Articles O
