CommissionMEN Trespass Citizens for Not Disrupting?
by Shari Dovale
At January 26, 2024 Quarterly Budget meeting, Commissioner Omodt did not even allow seconds to pass before immediately removing 2 citizens from the building.
Dave Bowman and Richard Cramer had not said a word when the meeting started, as the official county recording shows:
The entire interaction (or lack thereof) took less than a minute and the meeting was, naturally, shut down for recess. This is standard behavior for the 2 CommissionMEN.
Sandpoint Police were called to the scene yet did not trespass the 2 gentlemen. Luke Omodt then made a decision to file for a “Citizen’s Arrest” and have the 2 men removed from the premises.
They were taken to the jail and released shortly thereafter. Law enforcement chose not to handcuff these dangerous criminals.
It has yet to be determined if the citizen’s arrest was, in fact, legal as defined by the statutes:
ARREST, BY WHOM AND HOW MADE
19-604. When private person may arrest. A private person may arrest another:
1. For a public offense committed or attempted in his presence.
2. When the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in his presence.
3. When a felony has been in fact committed, and he has reasonable cause for believing the person arrested to have committed it.
Generally, private citizens can arrest someone they reasonably suspect of committing a felony. However, even if the 2 gentlemen had been disruptive, though it is clear they were not, the crime would not be a felony. It would be a misdemeanor of, possibly, disturbing the peace, or similar.
This actually seems to show the 2 CommissionMEN, led by Luke Omodt, have become unhinged in their zealousness to shut out all public interaction with the doings of the county.
The First Amendment will prevail.
This is a Breaking News story. Stay tuned to Redoubt News for coming information.
Related: WATCH: Bonner County Meeting – Attempt to Trespass Constituent
Related: Comrade Omodt’s ‘Rules for Thee but Not for Me”
* Edited 1.26.24: Updated to reflect that the 2 men were not placed in handcuffs by Law enforcement.
[print-me/]
This behavior is outrageous. And he also continues to pull the “stay away from me, I feel threatened” or “hey, I don’t want to be accused of assault” BS on Bonner County citizens. Honestly, I question his mental health.