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. Cowboys for Trump founder returns to Otero County Commission It's a real disgrace towards our democracy," he said during a brief phone interview. Griffin is fighting to . 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. 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. Otero County Commissioner and founder of Cowboys for Trump. ", Mares did not elaborate on what "moral turpitude" entails. Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance charge This story has been shared 182,853 times. According to Barron's Law Dictionary, moral turpitude is "a subjective term for baseness, vileness or dishonesty of a high degree A crime of moral turpitude is one demonstrating depravity in the private and social duties which one person owes to another and society at large,contrary to what is accepted and customary.". Cities | 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. U.S. President | Come to Source NM for fresh reporting, insightful opinion and analysis from around the state. After a tense back-and-forth about who drafted the pleadings, Judge Francis Mathew denied the motion. Were your resource. He said the civil lawsuit that led to it was unfair and "purely political." Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Address 1101 New York Avenue Alamogordo, NM 88310 Bloomberg CityLab on Instagram: "Couy Griffin marched to the steps of 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. [3] 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. Couy Griffin (@CowboyCouy) / Twitter Social Services Annex: 215 Raton Ave. La Junta, CO 81050. Amy Barela District 2 Commissioner. Amy Barela | Otero County, NM Their first witness was Matthew Struck, who joined Griffin at the Capitol and served as his videographer. In his ruling on the case, Mathew contended that Griffin was not eligible to . We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. 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.. hide caption. As of 1 p.m. March 22, Otero County had not responded to inquiries for comment from theAlamogordo Daily News. Assistant US Attorney Janani Iyengar said Griffin climbed over metal bike racks, up a plywood ramp and shouted over the crowd about his belief that the election was stolen from Trump. Tweets. After climbing over a stone wall and entering a restricted area outside the Capitol, Griffin said, This is our house we should all be armed, according to prosecutors. They are not above it. Jeter Downs needs to play to develop. [1] Its county seat is Alamogordo. 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. NEW MEXICO (KRQE) -The trial for Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder, Couy Griffin begins Monday in Santa Fe. The verdict may post grounds for his removal, the New Mexico Attorney General's Office speculated. 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. 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. The court is expected to resume Tuesday at 9 a.m. 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. Instead, he will be hiring some great legal minds.. Regardless of what happens next, Bookbinder says this is the first time a court has ruled that what happened on Jan. 6 was an insurrection. My office will continue its examination of Otero County and the concerns of its residents.. Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. But its been very difficult for me, Griffin said. This story has been updated with a statement from Couy Griffin and more information about the recall. 17, 2022. Couy Griffin recall, Otero County, New Mexico (2021), States that have pre-petition signature requirements for recalls, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Couy_Griffin_recall,_Otero_County,_New_Mexico_(2021)&oldid=8562281, Pages using DynamicPageList3 dplreplace parser function, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. 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. Hes on the [inauguration] stage, while police worked to restore order for hours. 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.". 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. Cowboys for Trump founder sentenced to 14 days for breaching Capitol [5][6], Recall supporters said Griffin had used the office for personal gain. 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 That resolution was also sponsored by Griffin. 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. ( AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File) This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Couy Griffin - Wikipedia Tribes need tax revenue. The Otero County Commissioners have had enough of Cowboys for Trump leader Couy Griffin. [10] Griffin said he would not resign. Gemunu Amarasinghe / AP file "I have huge concerns with the voting machines," said Commissioner. Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. McFadden set sentencing for June 17, after defense attorney Nicholas D. Smith declined an offer for immediate sentencing. 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. 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. Home | Otero County 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. NEW MEXICO(KRQE) The trial for Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder, Couy Griffin begins Monday in Santa Fe. Couy Griffin (@CowboyCouy) / Twitter 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, one of three members of the Otero County Commission in southern New Mexico, is among a handful of riot defendants who either held. "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'. All rights reserved. How to vote | My own actions were lawful.". 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. 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. But the judge said prosecutors didnt meet their burden to prove that Griffin engaged in disorderly conduct. Judge removes Otero County's Couy Griffin for Jan. 6 role : NPR Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Recall supporters filed paperwork on March 11, 2021. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Griffin was released from federal prison on February 5, 2021. 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. Why didn't he stop Ashli instead of ASSIST Ashli? Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. 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. 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. School districts | 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. According to a new filing at the Otero County Courthouse, Couy Griffin is facing a restraining order from Stephanie Dubois. Couy Griffin @CowboyCouy . Why did he motion Byrd to wait? It really looked a whole lot like what the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment had in mind.". On Jan. 6, Griffin joined thousands of people at the Capitol. 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. New Mexico StateAuditor Brian Coln said his office's work would continue in the face of the conviction. 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. 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. In the first trial of a felony defendant earlier this month, a jury deliberated barely two hours before finding Guy Reffitt guilty on all five counts, convicting the recruiter for a self-styled Texas militia movement of felony charges including obstruction of an official proceeding, witness tampering and interfering with police in a riot. "I do regret the actions of many on that day that fought with police officers and destroyed government property," he says. 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. This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Couy Griffin removed from District 2 Otero County Commissioner seat, U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause, Couy Griffin removed from District 2 Otero County Commissioner seat. He called it a great day for America and added, The people are showing that they have had enough, prosecutors said. This lawsuit is about removing a duly elected county commissioner from office through the civil court. Griffin told Reuters that he plans to appeal the ruling, saying Mathew did not have jurisdictional standing to remove him from office. Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm. January 6, 2021 was a dark day in our history. He is among only three riot defendants who have asked for a bench trial, in which judges decide a case without a jury. But hes being prosecuted for standing on the steps, a place a federal appeals court has declared to be a public forum, Smith said. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service atAlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call1-877-301-0013. New Mexico county certifies election results, bowing to court order By allowing this case to move forward, youre going to set a very dangerous precedent, said Griffin. COUNTY COMMISSIONERS' OFFICE 719-383-3000: CSU EXTENSION OFFICE 719-254-7608: HEALTH DEPARTMENT (LA JUNTA) 719-383-3040: HEALTH DEPARTMENT (ROCKY FORD) 719-254-5300: . All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. That is offensive and wrong, Smith told the judge during his brief opening statements. He says it was used in the 1860s and then has been very rarely invoked since. 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. Ive been in my office, cleaning my office out today with the undersheriff standing guard in the room. 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. Griffin, who is defending himself, said he went to Washington D.C. to peacefully protest and pray. Address 1101 New York Avenue Alamogordo, NM 88310 His name is Hiram., Griffin: As God as my witness I do not know his last name. "The court's decision sent a message that powerful people can't rise up against the execution of the laws of the United States and the peaceful transfer of power without consequences," he says, "and the country needs to be protected against those who would undermine our democratic principles.". See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Griffin was sentenced in federal court in June to 14 days in jail over his role in the riot, two months after he was convicted in a bench trial of a misdemeanor count of entering and remaining on restricted grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. read more. Griffin was jailed for more than two weeks after his arrest on Jan. 19, 2021. The courts ruling today is a historic moment for our country. 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. 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.. 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. New Mexico judge removes county commissioner from office for Each charge was punishable by up to one year in jail. Fax: 575-443-2928. (Screenshot via the Otero County Commission livestream) [3] Griffin appealed that decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 19, 2021. The second proposed resolution is not the first which Otero County has considered in objection to New Mexico's public health emergency orders. Instead, he showed up as a passenger in a pickup truck that had a horse trailer on the back. Amy Barela | Otero County, NM America's Defensive Democracy Tradition - The Atlantic Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 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. Official guilty of illegally entering Capitol grounds Jan. 6 Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. 2023 www.alamogordonews.com. 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.. Monday - Thursday 8 am to 5 pm, Fridays telecommuting Griffin was accused of trespassing onto the west steps of the Capitol Building Jan. 6. [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." Feb 24 Who is the guy in the blue jacket? The courts ruling today is a historic moment for our country. Video from that day shows Griffin "working up" supporters of Trump against then-Vice President Mike Pence, the court says. 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. His lawyers argued that he was selectively prosecuted for his political views. Otero County Courthouse: 13 West 3rd Street. Contact Editor Shaun Griswold for questions: info@sourcenm.com. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. 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. Couy Griffin attends Otero County Commission meeting as a member of the 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. This has been the hardest time of my life, not that Im trying to get anybodys sympathy. Phone: 575-491-7265. And there is also footage of Griffin illegally breaching multiple security barriers and egging on violence by rallying rioters with a bullhorn. She's the current county commissioner for the area.. Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin back in court - KRQE New Mexico county official convicted of January 6 trespassing - CNN Griffin, the head of a group called Cowboys for Trump, claims he got. 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. County Commission | Otero County, NM Griffin told NPR that he was shocked by the ruling. Hawa said agents took Pence from his office at the Capitol to a secure location at an underground loading dock on the Capitol complex. 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. [4] The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling on June 28, 2021, allowing the recall effort to move forward. "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. Email Amy Barela. 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. 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. And in May, officials in Georgia ruled that Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene could remain on the ballot after her role in the Capitol riot. I feel like I was just really railroaded," Griffin said. Nobody thinks a random tourist could sort of climb up there, right? McFadden said. 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. Michelle Lujan Grisham's public health orders as unconstitutional. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service atAlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call1-877-301-0013. The ruling also marks the first time a judge has ruled that the incident was an insurrection and the first time since 1869 that a judge has removed a public official under Section 3. 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 . , 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 the first elected official to be removed from office for their involvement in the riot. 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. Were here to serve you. But McFadden acquitted the defendant of disorderly conduct, finding prosecutors had not proved he was acting knowingly to disrupt a government proceeding. 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 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. He also expressed frustration that a judge, and not Otero County voters, had the final say. Though Griffin was found guilty on thefederal trespassing charge, he was found not guilty on the disruptive conduct charge. An unusual series of items is scheduled for discussion at the March 11 Otero County Commission.