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. Elections in 2023 | 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. "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. [4] The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling on June 28, 2021, allowing the recall effort to move forward. Griffin's actions were "overt acts in support of the insurrection.". 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. [4] The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed the lower court's ruling on June 28, 2021, allowing the recall effort to move forward. 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 . Amy Barela District 2 Commissioner. He says it was used in the 1860s and then has been very rarely invoked since. 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. Michelle Lujan Grisham, confirmed that the governor will fill the vacancy, adding that the governor accepts applications from eligible residents as possible replacements. 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 is the first elected official to be removed from office for their involvement in the riot. NEW MEXICO(KRQE) The trial for Otero County Commissioner and Cowboys for Trump founder, Couy Griffin begins Monday in Santa Fe. 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. I feel like I was just really railroaded," Griffin said. Couy Griffin: New Mexico county commissioner removed from elected 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. 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: . U.S. President | Each charge was punishable by up to one year in jail. The state supreme court then stepped in, ordering the county to certify. Couy Griffin speaks for three minutes during the public comment period of the Otero County Commission meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. More:Couy Griffin released from pretrial detention after being held on Capitol riot charges, More:Matherly, Marquardt demand Griffin resign from Otero County Commission. New Mexico official first politician removed over January 6 attack Phone: 575-491-7265. But hes being prosecuted for standing on the steps, a place a federal appeals court has declared to be a public forum, Smith said. 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. Griffin, one of three members of the Otero County Commission in southern New Mexico, is among a handful of riot defendants who either held. Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance charge This article was published more than1 year ago. 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. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. 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. "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. 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. 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. School districts | Follow Source New Mexico on Facebook and Twitter. Attempts by the Alamogordo Daily News to contact Griffin about the ruling were unsuccessful. 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. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. 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. Amy Barela | Otero County, NM Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, Friday, June. This decision marks the first time since 1869 that a court has disqualified a public official under Section 3, and . 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. In March, a judge blocked a lawsuit seeking to remove Republican North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn from running for reelection. 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. 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. She's the current county commissioner for the area.. Maureen Cohen Harrington via Storyful, Storyful, was found guiltyin federal court March 22. 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. 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. Griffin, who is defending himself, said he went to Washington D.C. to peacefully protest and pray. 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. 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. 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. 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. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Couy Griffin (@CowboyCouy) / Twitter Ryan Lowery is an award-winning independent journalist based in Albuquerque. U.S. Congress | Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Otero County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. New Mexico county official convicted of January 6 trespassing - CNN KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. More than 230 riot defendants have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and at least 127 of them have been sentenced. Couy Griffin recall, Otero County, New Mexico (2021) 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. | SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) - A prominent figure in New Mexico politics surrounding the events of the 2020 presidential election, Otero County Commission Couy Griffin has been removed from office ba "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. 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. Cowboys for Trump founder sentenced to 14 days for breaching Capitol 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. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service at AlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call1-877-301-0013. I kind of was bracing myself because I figured that it was going to go this way, Griffin said. CREW represented three New Mexico residents who brought the civil lawsuit against Griffin this past March and called for him to be removed. [13], At a county commission meeting on February 11, 2021, Griffin said he was accused of crimes but not convicted. County Commission | Otero County, NM 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. "I just want those that have already come to the conclusion that I'm guilty, I just again ask you to put the brakes on a little bit and let the legal process take place," Griffin said. Phone: 575-491-7265. Griffin is fighting to . That resolution was also sponsored by Griffin. 21, 2022. Griffin was released on his own recognizance. It's a real disgrace towards our democracy," he said during a brief phone interview. "I didn't have any intent of being a part of an insurrection or a violent mob. He went on some tangents prompting Judge Mathew to put his foot down to stay on track. New Mexico Supreme Court upholds Couy Griffin recall decision By New Mexico state law, any New Mexican can file to have any New Mexico county official removed from office. Thats the thing that has hurt the most in this. Cities | Our elected officials and candidatesmust obey the law. New Mexico StateAuditor Brian Coln said his office's work would continue in the face of the conviction. Griffin said he plans to appeal the ruling and that during the appeals process, he wont be representing himself. Nora Meyers Sackett, a spokesperson for Gov. 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. DEIJ Policy | Ethics Policy | Privacy Policy. 0:36. Amy Barela District 2 Commissioner. 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 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. McFadden, an appointee of President Donald Trump, said there was ample evidence that Griffin knew he was in a restricted area and didnt leave. By New Mexico state law, any New Mexican can file to have any New Mexico county official removed from office. Griffins attorneys said in a court filing that Pence had already departed the restricted area before the earliest that Griffin could have entered it, but Secret Service inspector Lanelle Hawa testified that Pence never left the restricted area during the riot. 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. Monday - Thursday 8 am to 5 pm, Fridays telecommuting FILE - Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, June 17, 2022. 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. Griffin, the head of a group called Cowboys for Trump, claims he got. Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm. Smith said prosecutors apparently believe Griffin engaged in disorderly conduct by peacefully leading a prayer on the Capitol steps. [9][10], After Griffin was arrested, District 1 Commissioner Gerald Matherly (R) and District 3 Commissioner Vickie Marquardt (R) called for his resignation. 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. The three New Mexicans were not the only ones who expressed interest in removing Griffin from office. 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. Judge removes Otero County's Couy Griffin for Jan. 6 role : NPR 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. 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. Nobody thinks a random tourist could sort of climb up there, right? McFadden said. 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. He was being extremely loud, climbing over barriers, engaging with the crowd, she said in her closing arguments. 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.".