Attorney General declines to file charges against Sheriff Norris over town hall incident
HAILEY HILL | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 months, 2 weeks AGO
COEUR D’ALENE — The Idaho Attorney General’s Office will not pursue criminal charges against Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris following an investigation into complaints that he committed battery during a February town hall event, a letter from the Office of the Attorney General said Friday.
The decision stems from multiple public corruption complaints received earlier this year regarding Norris’s actions at the town hall event on February 22.
“We reviewed the complaints pursuant to Idaho Code § 31-2002,” the Attorney General’s Office wrote. “That statute authorizes the Attorney General to conduct an investigation of any allegation of a violation of state criminal law against a county officer occupying an elective office for violation of state criminal law in his official capacity.”
Investigators examined two specific instances of physical contact, specifically when Norris “attempted to arrest or remove Teresa Borrenpohl from the event” and when “he detained the man sitting between Borrenpohl and the aisle.”
The review focused solely on whether Norris’s actions met the legal definition of battery.
“Under Idaho law, a peace officer cannot be charged with battery so long as he is acting within the scope of his duties and in good faith and without malice,” the letter stated.
According to the Attorney General’s findings, “the investigation did not uncover any evidence to suggest the sheriff acted in bad faith or with malice, and criminal charges would not be appropriate.”
The office emphasized that its review did not consider whether Norris followed internal sheriff’s office policies or whether his actions could raise civil liability issues for the county.
Read the full letter here.
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