Police issued a citation Friday to the homeowner, who they said was having a yard sale over the past week, Rathdrum Police Department said in a news release on Facebook.
The yard sale is not considered an "essential business" as part of Idaho's stay-at-home order, police said.
Violating the stay-at-home order in Idaho is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in a county jail or a $1,000 fine, or both, the Idaho Statesman reported.
"The family has had a yard sale for the past week within the City of Rathdrum," Rathdrum Police Department said in the statement. "A garage sale/yard sale is not an essential business and should not be open for business."
Christa Thompson, the homeowner, told the Coeur d'Alene Press that she was taking inventory noting belongings on the yard of her late father's home, and that she was not having a yard sale.
"(Police) stopped by last weekend," her husband Peter Thompson told the Coeur d'Alene Press. "They told us we couldn't have a yard sale, that it violated the governor's order. I asked them if we could sort some things out on the lawn, and if it was OK to sell a few things to some people. They said, 'Sure, as long as there's no signs or advertising or anything like that. So we didn't.'"
Police, however, said they first told the homeowners that their yard sale was in violation of Gov. Brad Little's stay-at-home order and gave her a copy of it, according to police. The next day, a second officer reported that the homeowner said she would remove the yard sale signs, saying she was "only sorting items in the yard," police said.
Three days later, on April 17, the homeowners posted to Craig's List that they were having a yard sale, Rathdrum police said. An officer then issued them a written warning, according to officials.
Police returned to the home and found "a large quantity of items were still out in the front yard and sales transactions were occurring while police were present. The Rathdrum Police Department attempted to educate and warn prior to issuing a citation."
Police said they received "several complaints from the public" about the yard sale.
"This was a large non-essential yard sale that filled the entire front yard and spilled into the back yard as well," Rathdrum Police Department said. "These yard sale items could be seen from Highway 41."
Neighbor Peter Thompson told the Press that the family didn't do anything wrong.
Christa Thompson will appear in court May 8, according to the Coeurd'AlenePress.
Speaking of which, governor in our state "authorized" the head of H&HS to "extend lockdown order." So if I am understanding this legally, no law was passed or rule approved by state congress, and extention not through executive order, but instead, the PERSON who issued the ORDER is a H&HS employee? Really don't think they have that authority, but very very curious as to how/why governor was able to wash his hands of this order, and how/why an employee of H&HS at the state level has the authority to ORDER anything.