Supreme Court Turns Down Case Involving New Mexico Official Banned After Jan. 6
Photo of Jon Dougherty Jon DoughertyMarch 24, 2024
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by a former New Mexico state official who was disqualified from holding office after his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol Building.
Couy Griffin, a former Otero County commissioner, was known for endorsing former President Donald Trump with several horseback caravans. However, he is now the only elected official banned from holding office under the “insurrection” provision of the 14th Amendment, the Associated Press reported.
In 2022, Griffin was put on trial in a state district court and became the first person in more than a century to be removed from office under a provision of the 14th Amendment. This provision was created to prevent former Confederates from holding government positions after the Civil War.
Despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that states cannot prevent Trump or other federal office candidates from appearing on the ballot, the justices clarified that distinct rules apply to state and local candidates, the AP report noted.
“We conclude that states may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office,” the justices wrote in an opinion that was not signed.
The AP noted further: “Griffin, a Republican, was convicted in federal court of entering a restricted area on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6 and received a 14-day prison sentence. He served time following his arrest in Washington after returning there to protest Biden’s inauguration in 2021, which reduced the sentence. That conviction is under appeal. Griffin contends that he entered the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6 without recognizing that it had been designated as a restricted area and that he attempted to lead a crowd in prayer using a bullhorn, without engaging in violence.”
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https://conservativebrief.com/supreme-turns-81983/?utm_source=CB&utm_medium=539
