Bonner County settles and apologizes to second man trespassed from meetings

Bonner County issued an apology Tuesday to a resident who commissioners trespassed from public meetings early last year.

As part of a lawsuit settlement agreement with Rick Cramer, the county will pay him $275,000.

Asia Williams, chair of the county commissioners, read the apology at a commission meeting Tuesday morning.

“Bonner County hereby apologizes to Mr. Rick Cramer,” the statement said. “Bonner County recognizes that Mr. Cramer held it accountable to the Constitution and the laws of the state of Idaho with his tort claims and litigation in the federal court for the District Court of Idaho. Bonner County accepts the reproach and will learn from this experience.”

Cramer’s settlement follows a similar apology and settlement with David Bowman earlier in December.

In January 2024, then-chair Luke Omodt declared Bowman and Cramer trespassed from public meetings after he said they had repeatedly disrupted county business and posed a threat to public safety. Omodt has said he felt some of Bowman’s emails were threatening, though Bowman has strongly denied that they were.

When Bowman and Cramer refused to leave the meeting, Omodt placed them under citizen’s arrest. Sandpoint police transported them to the county jail, but Sheriff Daryl Wheeler refused to book them.

Bowman returned to the next commission meeting and was arrested by Sandpoint police. County Prosecutor Louis Marshall later dropped a misdemeanor charge against Bowman, who settled his tort claim for $200,000.

Cramer’s lawsuit, filed in federal court for the District of Idaho, claimed violation of First Amendment rights, false arrest and defamation. He sought $1,455,000 in damages.

“Mr. Cramer was peaceful and did not pose any safety threat, as shown on numerous videos,” Cramer’s attorney Dan Sheckler said in a statement. “He was falsely arrested for exercising his constitutional right to attend meetings of the Bonner County Commissioners.”

Cramer’s settlement releases Omodt and Commissioner Steve Bradshaw from individual liability, Sheckler said.