Continued incarceration pending trial might have left Griffin in jail for longer than the one-year maximum sentence amid pandemic-related court delays, Howell said.
She noted repeatedly that Griffin on Jan. 6 did not carry weapons, commit violence or enter the U.S. Capitol.
“I appreciate that the charge here is that he disregarded signage about restricted areas of the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Griffin, an elected commissioner in Otero County, has led the Cowboys for Trump group in horseback parades through cities across the country in support of Donald Trump.
State election regulators recently sued Griffin over his refusal to register Cowboys for Trump as a political group, as he agreed upon in arbitration.