“Lawlessness in Taos”

Editor’s Note: Below Taos Friction posts excerpts from a letter by Jeff Northrup to “Town Leaders.” Once again, town employees and cops, under orders, apparently from Mayor Darren Cordova, have “mugged” the picketer, taken his signs despite lacking proper authority, according to the town’s own municipal judge. In fact, the town employees approached the sign man without the tools of their trade and were unable to issue a citation but, apparently, grabbed his signs. The cops stood by and allowed this “mugging” to take place.

Jeff’s case is similar to the  notorious situation of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, wherein Taos Pueblo has targeted street vendors. In that case, see top story, Rio Grande Bridge Vendors: Endangered Species, Taos Pueblo convinced the BIA to write a letter threatening Gov. Martinez with legal action that could result in the closure of Highway 64 and eastern access to the bridge if NMDOT didn’t force the Vendors out. The state bowed to “political pressure” and erected cement barricades to stop vendors but also created an inhospitable environment for tourists, drivers, and pedestrians.

Perhaps the Mayor should seek assistance from NMDOT, barricade the shoulders of Highway 68, where Northrup pickets. By overreacting to either Vendors or Picketers, Taos Pueblo, the Town of Taos, State of New Mexico, and the U.S. Government and their leaders have become the punch line for a joke.

Now, the Taos County Sheriff’s Office has joined in the follies, see El Milagro de Christmas at Orlando’s, wherein a deputy rolled his county vehicle, wacked three cars and knocked down a patio fence on Christmas Eve. The vehicle came to rest, and, reportedly, beer cans rolled out on the patio.  (Thank goodness no one was killed: Hence El Milagro.) The cops claim there was no reason to suspect the perpetrator of violating laws concerning DWI or “open container” violations, etc. (The next time you get stopped by the cops, try telling them you borrowed the car and your wife left beer cans confiscated from your teenage son in the vehicle and besides, “everybody knows you don’t drink.”) Still, the deputy was placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation, so, in Taos County, at least, there’s some semblance, ironically, of “law and order.”

The initial reaction by officialdom to the Milagro de Orlando’s illustrates, along with the story about Vendors, why the public has little if any respect for authority. When elected and appointed officials suggest a cover up or act under color of law to deprive citizens of due process, then the rule of law has been replaced by politics. We Taosenos don’t mind a little politics but things are getting out of hand. Each time the officials bust the Vendors or the Sign Man, the latter gain more public support and the former are thought of with less respect.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Jeff’s Letter

Jan. 1, 2012

To Taos town leaders:

Despite my pleas that you leave me alone while I lawfully and peacefully
Picket, I have been accosted by town officials twice in the last two
days. I spoke before the Town council on Tuesday, December 27, urging
the town to respect Judge Sanchez’s “not guilty” verdict on October 18,
2011; but, I have since received three tickets for the same alleged
Right-of-way violation that Judge Sanchez ruled (against) on Oct. 18. Double
jeopardy is prohibited in the US Constitution, but apparently not
recognized in Taos. Or triple or quadruple jeopardy, for that matter.

Additionally, the “hand held” sign issue has arisen, though it has
absolutely nothing to do with my picketing. I have now twice been cited
under this section of the sign code, with the first trial, hopefully,
this month. No rational person could apply this code to my picketing
activity.

As I pointed out at the above-mentioned council meeting, I have now
become a self-employed Taos News street vendor, which should allow me
the same special privileges and immunities enjoyed by my fellow
vendors— not that I need them, as I always operate within the town
codes, and they almost always operate in violation of the same codes.
But it seemed like a good cushion for me to fall back upon.

While I was enjoying a warm, sunny afternoon picketing today I was
approached by two Taos Code Enforcement employees, both taken from their
Families and football games this January 1, on orders of their boss,
William Morris, who, I understand, is in Ruidoso. Neither was able to
ticket me, as their ticket book is safely locked in Town Hall for the
long weekend. I was offered the opportunity to take the signs and
leave, but I declined. They were not able to ticket me, nor were they
willing to give me any paperwork related to why they felt entitled to
take my property, or even a receipt for the 14 signs I had. I could see
no lawful reason for their demands, so I refused to remove the signs. I
believe they continued their communications with Mr. Morris, and soon
seized the signs.

Two Taos cops were also on the scene for the better part of an hour.
They sided with code enforcement, of course. As code enforcement was
unable to ticket me, I virtually begged the cops to give me a ticket for
anything they could think of– littering, poor grammar/spelling,
loitering, visual clutter, nuisance, whatever. I just wanted a court
date so I could stand before a judge to get my signs back and again
establish the lawlessness of the town in dealing with my protests of a
town government out of control. Cops demurred.

It is clear that William Morris has no reason to constantly hassle me
other than the mayor telling him to. A citizen’s only real protection
against evil politicians is the media, for how else are we to know what
the politicos are up to? In Taos the politicians own the media,
…Mayor Darren owns four radio

Happy New Year

Yours sincerely, wasting away,

Jeff Northrup