COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho — During the second day of trial in the case charging Lear Asset Management CEO Paul Trouette with eight misdemeanors, the woman who was physically removed from the Republican town hall early this year gave sworn testimony.
On the stand, Teresa Borrenpohl admitted to intentionally disrupting the event. When asked by Coeur d’Alene City Prosecutor Ryan Hunter what she hoped to accomplish with her comments at the town hall, Borrenpohl testified she did it to counter the “positive comments” being made so the legislators could “leave the town hall knowing the temperature of the community”.
Borrenpohl testified that she understood the jurisdiction during the event to be the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, not Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris. She based her understanding of law enforcement jurisdiction on what occurs at polling locations at public schools in the City of Coeur d’Alene on election days.
Borrenpohl described the incident from the town hall as “embarrassing” and “dehumanizing”. A video depicting how private security personnel were directed by Sheriff Norris to forcibly remove Borrenpohl was shown to the jury. A similar video can be viewed here.
Later on, during the cross-examination of Chief Daniel Haley, defense counsel Josh Hanners attempted to enter his first exhibit, a document written by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office.
“This document lays out very particularly the legal basis and justification for all of Sheriff Norris’ actions,” Hanners told the court. “Much of the state’s evidence, it rebuts.”
Hunter vehemently objected to the admission of the AG’s letter. Hunter claimed the AG’s interpretation of the law regarding Sheriff Norris’ authority and conduct at the town hall was “not relevant” to the case against Trouette and that allowing the jury to know the AG’s assessment of the matter would “confuse” them.
Judge Mayli Walsh admonished both parties to come back to court prepared with additional arguments before she rules on the admission of the defendant’s exhibit. Walsh appeared annoyed that the document had not been made known to her before trial began.
The trial resumes Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 17.
