Idaho AG’s Office pursues criminal charge against former Shoshone County Sheriff

The Idaho Attorney General’s Office is pursuing a criminal charge against former Shoshone County Sheriff Holly Lindsey for her alleged involvement in an off-duty hit-and-run crash in October.

Lindsey is facing one count of inattentive driving, a misdemeanor, according to Idaho court records. The complaint filed on Nov. 26 by the Idaho Attorney General’s Office alleges Lindsey struck a post at a gas station with her car.

The maximum penalty for inattentive driving is 90 days in jail and a $300 fine.

Lindsey, whose law enforcement career has spanned 21 years, resigned following the incident. She wrote on social media she is exiting the office with “a heavy heart” and hopes to leave Shoshone County better than before.

“I have watched as this county and Sheriff’s Office has constantly strived to improve upon itself,” the letter said. “We stand by our family, friends, and neighbors through the good times and the hard times … I ask for the continued support of our Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office and the team that will continue to provide law enforcement excellence for many years to come.”

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office was contacted to conduct “any investigation which may have been necessary related to the accident.” The attorney general’s office is the customary investigating agency for any Idaho sheriff facing potential criminal charges.

William Eddy was appointed as the county’s new sheriff after Undersheriff Lance Stutzke had been filling the role in Lindsey’s absence. Stutzke resigned the day Eddy was appointed, saying in his resignation letter that people with personal and political agendas were actively working against the department to see it fail, the Coeur d’Alene Press reported.

Lindsey, a Democrat, was a big advocate of a law enforcement levy meant to address budget shortfalls within the department. She posted on Facebook on Aug. 27 that the shortfall would cut county law enforcement funding by nearly a million dollars, which would have “devastating impacts” on the department’s ability to tackle crime.

Shoshone County was ranked No. 2 in 2023 with one of the highest rates of arrests, according to the Idaho State Police Uniform Crime Reporting database.

“… Honestly, it will set us backward by about 15 years,” Lindsey wrote of the budget cuts. Ultimately, voters rejected the levy in November, 13 days after Lindsey resigned.