AG Clears Sheriff Norris After Town Hall Incident
A reminder that law, order, and elections matter
On February 22, 2025, the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) hosted a town hall meeting at Coeur d’Alene High School. Coming just a month after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the event took place amid a wave of disruptions by left-wing agitators across the country. This one proved no different.
Teresa Borrenpohl was already known in North Idaho for disruptive behavior. In 2022, she allegedly pulled a fire alarm during a meeting of the North Idaho College Board of Trustees, forcing a recess. The following year, she apparently obstructed a videographer working on behalf of the Kootenai Journal at another board meeting.
During the 2025 town hall, Borrenpohl repeatedly interrupted legislators as they spoke from the stage. When it became clear she had no intention of stopping, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris ordered her to leave. When she resisted, he had her removed with assistance from private security.
Watch some clips here:
Just five days earlier, the District 14 GOP held a town hall in Eagle to give citizens a chance to hear from their legislators. That event grew tense at moments, but thankfully nothing like what happened up north. Yet as I stood before the audience and saw rhetoric beginning to escalate, a dozen possibilities flashed through my mind, none of them good.
Handling leftist agitators is a delicate matter. Either you allow them to disrupt your meeting, or you have them removed, giving them not only the attention they crave, but also a pretext for a lawsuit. That’s exactly what Borrenpohl did, demanding $5 million from Sheriff Norris and the private security personnel who assisted him that day. In the aftermath, the City of Coeur d’Alene revoked the security firm’s business license, and prosecutors filed charges against five of its employees.
Following complaints against Sheriff Norris, the Office of the Attorney General investigated to determine whether any charges should be filed against him. Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Jeff Nye sent a public letter to the Kootenai County prosecutor stating that Sheriff Norris acted within his official capacity and should not face criminal charges.
We reviewed the investigation to determine only whether Sheriff Norris should be charged with the crime 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. Our investigator found two instances where the sheriff made physical contact with attendees: when the sheriff attempted to arrest or remove Teresa Borrenpohl from the event and when he detained the man sitting between Borrenpohl and the aisle. As explained below, 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.
Read the whole letter:
This episode perfectly illustrates why elections matter. Across the country, prosecutors have declined to charge Antifa and BLM rioters while pursuing harsh penalties against those who defend themselves. Remember Mark and Patricia McCloskey, prosecuted for brandishing firearms as a mob marched through their property? Remember Kyle Rittenhouse?
The offices of county sheriff, county prosecutor, and state attorney general are all elected positions. Left-wing organizations such as George Soros’ Open Society Foundations have spent millions to place progressive activists in these roles. In 2019, Soros-backed funding helped elect Chesa Boudin—the son of Weather Underground terrorists—as district attorney in San Francisco. His policies, including the routine release of repeat offenders, were so disastrous that San Franciscans recalled him in 2022.
Law and order are not mere slogans. A civil society cannot function if agitators, protesters, and rioters are free to disrupt civic life without consequence. I believe that leftists like Teresa Borrenpohl exploit our civility—pushing and provoking until we respond, at which point their allies in the media portray us as the aggressors.
I’m thankful that Kootenai County has a sheriff like Bob Norris upholding the law, and grateful to Attorney General Raúl Labrador and his team for ensuring it is properly applied. Elections matter, so no more staying home.
Feature image of Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris by KREM