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. [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. | Instead, he showed up as a passenger in a pickup truck that had a horse trailer on the back. A federal judge on Tuesday convicted Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin of trespassing in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, handing the Justice Department its second victory at trial in the probe and affirming its use of an unusual misdemeanor charge against breach participants who, like Griffin, were not violent. 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. Protecting our democracy cannot be optional the people of Otero County deserve elected officials committed to protecting and upholding our laws.. [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." [1] Its county seat is Alamogordo. "Government officials are not immune from the rule of law. 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 . [2][3] Griffin appealed that decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court on April 19, 2021. 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. "Griffin shall be removed from his position as an Otero County Commissioner effective immediately.". This article was published more than1 year ago. Griffin is one of the few riot defendants who wasnt accused of entering the Capitol building or engaging in any violent or destructive behavior. 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 Amendment of the U.S. Constitution when he took part in the riot that left four people dead and 100 police officers injured, disqualifying him from holding local, state or federal office. Griffin and his two fellow commissioners voted to conduct the audit despite concerns about its legality noted by County Attorney R.B. 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. Otero County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. 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. 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. 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. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. "I do regret the actions of many on that day that fought with police officers and destroyed government property," he says. Come to Source NM for fresh reporting, insightful opinion and analysis from around the state. 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: . 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. Maureen Cohen Harrington via Storyful, Storyful, was found guiltyin federal court March 22. "I don't think it's fair to accuse me of insurrection," he says. He turned down an offer to plead to a lesser charge and probation, waived a trial by jury and took his chances with McFadden. ", Mares did not elaborate on what "moral turpitude" entails. 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. U.S. President | Gemunu Amarasinghe / AP file "I have huge concerns with the voting machines," said Commissioner. 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. Ryan Lowery is an award-winning independent journalist based in Albuquerque. Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm. Recall supporters did not collect enough signatures by the deadline on September 28, 2021. 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.. Otero County, N.M., Commissioner Couy Griffin stands outside the federal court after receiving a verdict in his trial on March 22, 2022 in Washington. 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. 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. "He took an oath to support the Constitution of the United States [and then] engaged in that insurrection after taking his oath," Judge Mathew wrote. This decision marks the first time since 1869 that a court has disqualified a public official under Section 3, and . FILE - Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, June 17, 2022. [9][10], After Griffin was arrested, District 1 Commissioner Gerald Matherly (R) and District 3 Commissioner Vickie Marquardt (R) called for his resignation. 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. My intent of going to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 was because I had concerns that our elections had been compromised.". 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. 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. 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. 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 . [3], Griffin was elected to the three-member Otero County Commission in 2018, defeating Democratic candidate Christopher S. Jones with 65% of the vote. 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.". Couy Griffin is no longer the District 2 Otero County Commissioner per a ruling by District Judge Francis Mathew. Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter. 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. Griffins nameplate and chair were both absent from the dais as the two remaining commissioners called the regular meeting to order. Amy Barela District 2 Commissioner. District Court Judge Manuel Arrieta ruled in favor of the recall effort. Nobody thinks a random tourist could sort of climb up there, right? McFadden said. I feel like I was just really railroaded," Griffin said. He went on some tangents prompting Judge Mathew to put his foot down to stay on track. U.S. Congress | Our elected officials and candidatesmust obey the law. 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. 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. 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. "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. And being in the audience of Thursdays meeting instead of being seated with the commissioners brought a specific feeling to his mind. According to a new filing at the Otero County Courthouse, Couy Griffin is facing a restraining order from Stephanie Dubois. Why didn't he stop Ashli instead of ASSIST Ashli? This lawsuit is about removing a duly elected county commissioner from office through the civil court. 7 Apr. Griffin is the first elected official to be removed from office for their involvement in the riot. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Struck has an immunity deal with prosecutors for his testimony. 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. My own actions were lawful.". Both carry maximum sentences of one years imprisonment. 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. 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. Maureen Cohen Harrington via Storyful, Storyful, U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Now he has regrets., In middle of Jan. 6 riot, Oath Keepers chief reached out to Proud Boys. Prosecutors didnt give any opening statements. 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. We are actively considering all options under New Mexico law. (Screenshot via the Otero County Commission livestream). 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 . La Junta, CO 81050 (719) 383-3000. SANTA FE A New Mexico judge ordered Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin be removed from office, effective immediately, ruling that the attack on the Capitol was an insurrection and that Griffin's participation in it disqualified him under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Griffin: A friend of mine in Roswell, New Mexico. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. 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. Public policy. 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. Griffin was unhappy that Stephanie DuBois, a Democrat, was appointed to his old seat . Griffin told NPR he will appeal this latest ruling. At the hearing, both recall supporters and Griffin were able to present evidence and witnesses. 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. This has been the hardest time of my life, not that Im trying to get anybodys sympathy. "[7][11][12], New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas (D) also called for Griffin's resignation in a letter published on January 16, 2021. Arguably, he was trying to calm people down, not rile them up, he said. After a tense back-and-forth about who drafted the pleadings, Judge Francis Mathew denied the motion. Griffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. Cities | If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service at AlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call1-877-301-0013. His lawyers argued that he was selectively prosecuted for his political views. He is among only three riot defendants who have asked for a bench trial, in which judges decide a case without a jury. 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. 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. Theres no room with the Nationals. At trial last month for the civil lawsuit, Griffin unsuccessfully sought to dismiss the case, the Journal reported. Assistant U.S. "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. 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. [1], Recall supporters filed paperwork on March 11, 2021. 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. 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. Griffin was arrested on Jan. 18, 2021after being 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. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Ballotpedia features 408,500 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. 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. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. This story has been shared 127,521 times. 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. 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. Hawa said agents took Pence from his office at the Capitol to a secure location at an underground loading dock on the Capitol complex. A county official in New Mexico who was convicted of entering a restricted area during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol must be immediately removed from office for his involvement in an insurrection, a judge decided Tuesday. 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. In . 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. 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. The Otero County Commissioners have had enough of Cowboys for Trump leader Couy Griffin. How to run for office | Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. 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. How to vote | A key question in Griffins case was whether he entered a restricted area while Vice President Mike Pence was still present on Capitol grounds, a prerequisite for the US Secret Service to invoke access restrictions. We can only get our country back from the ground floor. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Griffin won election in 2018 with 65 percent of the vote but is not seeking reelection. Griffin was released on his own recognizance. If you have questions about your subscription, please contact Customer Service atAlamogordoDailyNews@Gannett.com or call1-877-301-0013. Recall supporters did not collect enough signatures by the deadline on September 28, 2021. Federal courts | He says it was used in the 1860s and then has been very rarely invoked since. I kind of was bracing myself because I figured that it was going to go this way, Griffin said. 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. Recall supporters would have had to collect 1,574 signatures from registered voters in District 2 in 90 days to get the recall on the ballot. 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.