Local Citizen Challenges Political Machine

Unlike major news organizations, Taos Friction does not “hack” into other people’s email. We can’t say how we obtained the email, posted below, but the details of the “Northrup Legal Strategy” are revealing. Apparently Mr. Northrup, a once and future (?) candidate for Mayor, has become a threat to the political machine at Town Hall. “If he runs again, I predict he’ll get over 200 votes,” said one longtime observer at the El Prado social club. Meanwhile, the Crier plans to mount a massive legal defense against the Town of Taos.

Northrup’s exemplary use of the “sign and picket” mode, a kind of performance art, is seen as a threat to the modern media in Taos. Despite his status as a “Taos Treasure,” the man could be leading an insurrection against the status quo. Certainly, he’s an apt subject for monitoring by the staff at the new “Command Center, once it’s up and running. Many decent people say the itinerant Town Crier, who has alerted local residents to the best gas deals, animal cruelty issues, and alleged violations of the fireworks ordinance must be stopped–regardless of the cost to taxpayers.

In order to protect himself, friends say Northrup never sleeps in the same place—two nights running. Currently, the slippery sign man has escaped to Colorado and is staying at an unknown address. Another source declared that Northup hides behind a local copy machine and creates facsimiles of himself during the long boring nights  for daytime use as an effigy.

Is he made out of paper mache or is he real? We want to know.

Northrup to Town Attorney

Sun, 21 Aug 2011

Jack [Town Attorney]:

I have a trial scheduled in Taos Municipal Court on August 31, 2011. I received a citation 8-16-11. I plan to represent myself, as I understand that as a result of your efforts last summer, people such as myself are not granted free legal representation just by way of receiving old age social security. Please let me know if that prohibition has been relaxed. If so, I might avail myself of the town-paid attorney.

I have a few issues which I need addressed by you:

I received the ticket at about 10:20 am, and was told to remove my signs. The five town employees returned at about 11:00 am and took my signs, though they did not follow through on their threat to arrest me. I presume they took the signs based on alleged public safety concerns— otherwise, I believe I would have 10 days to remove my signs. I would like clarification here. They did not show me a court order, nor was I given any sort of receipt for this property.

At this point I consider that those signs were stolen from me.

These five took pictures of the signs, just where I had placed them, prior to seizing them: I assume they photographed all of them. I would like copies of these photos and any other documents that were generated by town employees as a result of this incident so that I may prepare my defense.

Mayor Cordova and William Morris were quoted in the Taos News related to this incident. I want them at the courthouse so that I might question them on the stand. Would you say I need to subpoena them, or will they be testifying as your witnesses? Additionally, if there were any town employees who had a part in deciding that my signs need to be removed I need their name(s).

And I believe the incident on 8-16-11 stretches back to at least Saturday, 8-13-11. At approximately 2:00 pm that day Mr. Morris approached me, and asked that I remove the signs. I told him that I was respectfully declining to do such, and I believe he said he would notify Chief Anglada to that effect. Within 20 minutes of Mr. Morris leaving, the winds came up and it began raining— I quickly gathered my signs and left.

In the August 18, 2011 Taos News, a Police Blotter entry under August 14 indicates that a 911 call was received at 2:43 pm– I’m guessing that the Taos News (which frequently makes mistakes), meant to put in August 13, not 14; if so, that call was probably placed by Mr. Morris,”requesting assistance in confronting a man about the sign ordinance.”

I believe Mr. Morris was not working on that Saturday, and he was directed to report to work and deal with my signs. It is critically important for me to understand the full sequence of events leading up to the ticket and seizure of my signs on 8-16-11.

I have spoken very harshly about the way Judge Richard Chavez conducted my trial for criminal trespassing; the trial was in March, 2011. My remarks appeared in the Albuquerque Journal as well as literature I printed and dispensed widely throughout Taos during the ensuing week, including leaving two copies of my writings at the Municipal Court, one addressed to Judge Chavez.

Additionally, I spoke against the hiring of Jim Fambro as the fill-in judge for Judge Chavez at the town council meeting several weeks ago— at that meeting Mr. Fambro was hired despite my concerns, one of which is his close relationship with the town, the entity which is prosecuting me. I will request that both judges be excused.

I will send you a copy of my request to the Municipal Court. I hope this is honored, and that you can make arrangements to bring in a neutral judge from out of Taos county, if at all possible. Or possibly there is a third judge in line who I’m not aware of.

I may bring up various constitutional questions relating to freedom of speech and the press, due process, equal protection and who knows what else. I don’t believe that Mr. Fambro, with his very limited judicial experience, is qualified to handle such evidence. Additionally, I will be requesting a jury trial, if such is allowed in Municipal court.

I’m not certain of what communication is allowed between myself and the court prior to my trial, nor what you as the prosecutor are allowed to do. You may share anything I’ve written in this letter with anyone you wish. I may also share it with other individuals.

I will request that the trial be postponed to September: I’m hoping your witnesses will cooperated in letting me interview them prior to the trial.

I expect to be back in Taos before noon on Friday, August 26. My phone (770-7555) will probably not be working for a good portion of my trip. However, feel free to leave messages, and I’ll retrieve sometime late Thursday. And, again, I’ll forward the letter to you that I’m writing to Judge Chavez this afternoon.

Thank you for your consideration of these matters, and I look forward to getting back to you this Friday.

Sincerely,

Jeff Northrup

Northrup to Town Judiciary

Dear Judge Chavez:

I have a trial scheduled in your court on August 31, 2011, for 10:00 am. It involves a citation from the Taos police. I ask that you be exused from this case.

Additionally, I would like to have newly-appointed judge Jim Fambro likewise excused, in light of my speaking against his appointment, before the Taos town council, the day that he was hired. I also feel that the constitutional issues that I might raise could unfairly challenge an inexperienced judge. In fairness to all parties, we need to find a third judge, whatever it takes.

I would like to request a jury trial if such is allowed in Municipal court. While I will be out of Taos until noontime on Friday, I can arrange for a friend to drop off the fee if such is required to request a jury trial. Please call me if I’m facing such a deadline, and leave a message if I do not answer (575-770-7555). I will be out of cell phone range for a good part of the trip. Someone may be checking my email, so any of your messages can be backed up by sending emails.

At this point I’m representing myself, and it seems unlikely that I’ll have an attorney.

I’m also requesting that the trial be postponed until at least September 12.

Thanking you in advance for working with me.

Respectfully yours.

Jeff Northrup

Letter to Northrup

Dear Jeff:

Do you think it would be okay to ask the commander and his minions why they feel that pursuing you is a high priority? Do they really need a center for the commander and his minions?

There seems to be a lot of negative energy directed to you from all sources, i.e. radio and about every division of our town government. How much is this costing the taxpayers of Taos? Doesn’t the town need to be attending to other emergencies i.e. domestic abuse, alcohol offences, drug dealing, burglaries, corruption, graffiti, joblessness, and poverty? Yet they seem to feel that you are such a threat, that they call in Town employees on their day off?  Are we paying for overtime?

If you Jeff are the biggest threat in this community, then we should be in the global news. We have the answer to utopia…or heaven…depending on you beliefs. A civil righter, like you, doesn’t seem to be worth the cost of this whole thing (sorry Jeff). What and who are they “dispatching”?

I would really like to hear an explanation. I am sure it is really important. I am not a mayor or any other government employee, so maybe I can’t see the logic.

Do you think I could take this stand?

Thanks for listening (or reading)

Jan Enright–friend of truth, justice, and the American way.