Sheriff gets national attention and pushback for stance on public health orders (NM ABQ Bernalillo Cty LEO says he won't enforce orders subverting constitutional rights)

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | December 22, 2020 | Elise Kaplan

[CedarDave]

Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales is gaining national attention for a video he posted on YouTube saying some politicians are turning “everyday citizens into villains for simply attempting to live their lives,” and his department will not enforce any orders that “subvert your constitutional rights.”

The video was featured in a Fox News segment Tuesday morning, along with commentary from a former national public affairs director who applauded the sheriff and erroneously referred to the governor as “Michelle Lujan.”

The courts have not found the state’s public health orders to be unconstitutional in any cases to date.

The governor’s authority to impose restrictions – such as banning indoor dining and fining businesses that did not comply with public health orders – has been upheld by the state Supreme Court. In federal court, a judge ruled an order restricting houses of worship to 25% maximum capacity was legal and did not violate religious freedoms.

A spokeswoman from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office referenced those rulings and said that claiming the public health orders infringe on constitutional rights is a lie. “Public health measures don’t infringe upon anything except the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which is why it’s important that New Mexicans do their part to get through the pandemic by adhering to them and that municipal agencies, including law enforcement, do their part to ensure that their community is being safe,” Nora Meyers Sackett wrote

[CedarDave]

Lockdowns continue here though after photographs of long-lines in cold and wet weather surfaced, she was shamed to open big-box stores and supermarkets to more than 75 customers at a time.

[CedarDave]

Previous article not pinged to list:

When Republican Sheriff’s stand up to over reaching liberal lock downs! Some hope!

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[HollyB]

https://youtu.be/v95B1lpt_PM

The video

[BiglyCommentary]

Patriots need to re-target everything at White Sands to the commie governor’s mansion.

[fishtank]

MLG should appoint Darren White to do her dirty work.

I bet he’d be more than happy to comply.

[fishtank]

/sarc

[TStro]

Maybe I’ll go to Sandia Peak and ski. I drove 14 hours to Taos last January, to find they closed the ski area the night I arrived.

[LegendHasIt]

Good for him!

I’m kind of surprised that the Bernalillo County Sheriff had the guts to do this. The more rural counties, Yeah, but I never expect anything good out of Bernalillo or Santa Fe County officials,.

[glennaro]

From the governor's office:
"Public health measures don’t infringe upon anything except the spread of the COVID-19 virus ..."

This is an outright lie. Aside from the lie that none of the restrictions, mandates and lockdowns have done a damn thing to stop "the spread of the COVID-19 virus", these restrictions, mandates and lockdowns clearly and without a shred of doubt infringe significantly on the rights protected -- not granted, protected -- both by our Constitution as well as the unalienable rights recognized in our Declaration of Independence!

The volume of lies spoken by politicians, unelected bureaucrats and, of course, "the experts" over the past ten months is just breathtakingly unbelievable! ... even considering the sources of those non-stop lies. Politicians, unlelected bureaucrats and, of course, "the experts" are clearly not good at most things, but they absolutely excel at lying because they know much of what they say and command is simply not true, but they say and command them anyway; therefore, they are lying.

[rktman]

Wait, what? Bernalillo County Sheriff pushes back. Guess he’s looking for employment in another locale?

Merry Christmas to our NM FReepers.

[rktman]

Angel Fire/Red River? Good stuff there too.

[IYAS9YAS]

MLG should appoint Darren White to do her dirty work.

I got so sick of listening to him and then TJ Trout in the afternoons on 770, I haven't listened to the station since the lockdowns started in March. White is about as Quisling as Quisling can get.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I think he’s looking to run for ABQ Mayor against the current useless tool.

[wjcsux]

I always thought that he was a good guy.

[wjcsux]

Several sheriff’s throughout the country have refused to enforce the lockdown crap.

[pigsmith]

Those long lines of people freezing in cold and rain were dismissed by Grisham’s office as “Republican talking points”. That pissed off an awful lot of people and they made sure she knew it. Maybe she’s worried they’ll still be pissed off come election time, and is trying to soften things up.