Judge to hear Sandpoint’s motion for fees

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

Kootenai County District Judge Lansing L. Haynes is scheduled to hear a motion for attorney fees and costs on Oct. 27, marking the latest movement in the lawsuit Bonner County brought against the city of Sandpoint regarding The Festival at Sandpoint’s no-weapons policy.

The suit — which played out over roughly a year — saw its end Sept. 2, when Haynes ruled that Bonner County lacked standing to bring the case to court. Sandpoint filed a motion Sept. 16 asking that almost $94,000 in costs and fees be reimbursed. Bonner County filed an objection to the motion Sept. 30, with legal counsel alleging that “no one has won, and all parties lose if clarity on the law is not provided before the next Festival.”

While the county argues that the city has no right to limit firearm possession on publicly-owned War Memorial Field during Festival events, the city maintains that it does not limit firearms at all — that the authority to make such rules is transferred to The Festival under the lease agreement. Idaho law does not address leases in its firearm preemption code.

Haynes will consider the city’s motion for fees at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27.