Idaho Prosecutor Passes on Hate Crime Prosecution

Last month, the small elite town of Coeur d'Alene was in the national headlines, and not for a good reason. The visiting women's basketball team from the University of Utah went public, saying they were racially harassed while staying in Idaho. 

The allegations led to a media firestorm condemning the state of Idaho for its past racial incidents. Local reports dug up old stories of the Aryan Nations holding camps in the Gem State. Local officials condemned the act, vowing to find the alleged gang of culprits. Here's a look at the media covering the event as it happened in March. 

Prosecutors have declined to prosecute the eighteen-year-old man they believe is responsible for the incident. After investigating videos and witness statements, it appears the alleged harassment of the Ute squad was caused by one man. As we published here, Idaho is not a racist state. 

KSL.com provides the details on why there will be no prosecution:

On May 3, Coeur d’Alene Chief Deputy City Attorney Ryan Hunter wrote that the city attorney’s office considered charging the man with disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and malicious harassment. But the document stated there was “insufficient evidence” that the man “acted with a specific intent to intimidate or harass any specific person.”

Law enforcement stated that using the N-word and his other actions didn't cross a First Amendment line. A trial would've continued to add more unfortunate attention to this issue. Legal experts believe it would be an enormous challenge to prosecute the case. Several local officials complained to local media that they were disappointed that the case would not proceed.