A 45-year-old man from the Rexburg area named Nathan Lloyd Archibald got in trouble with the law after illegally killing a deer and leaving it to waste. Even though he didn’t go to jail for that specific act, he did get sentenced to 60 days in jail but for something else: driving to court with a suspended license.
Originally, Archibald faced several charges, including one felony for illegally having wildlife and multiple misdemeanors for hunting while his hunting rights were taken away, not having the proper tags, hunting with a spotlight, and trespassing on someone else’s land to hunt. In March, he made a deal with prosecutors: he pleaded guilty to the felony charge, and in return, the rest of the charges were dropped.
There was also another case against Archibald involving even more serious charges—four felonies and nine misdemeanors. That case ended up being dropped, too.
This all started when Idaho Fish and Game officers found a dead mule deer on private land in December 2023. A car was spotted near the area and stopped. Archibald was the driver. He said he and his passenger were out looking for coyotes, but officers found it suspicious that he was sweating a lot on a cold day. Later, the passenger admitted Archibald had told him he shot the deer.
Archibald went to court for sentencing on June 2. The prosecutor recommended he get three years of probation and pay around \$10,000 in restitution, though the final number isn’t confirmed. Archibald’s attorney argued that some issues with the case hadn’t been fully addressed like what kind of animal it was and whether his client actually had the right license during some of the incidents.
He also pointed out this was Archibald’s first felony and asked the judge to consider withholding the official conviction if Archibald successfully completed probation. That would mean Archibald wouldn’t have a felony on his record at the end.
The lawyer said his client was self-employed and a felony could hurt his business. Archibald also spoke, saying he wasn’t trying to blame anyone else and took full responsibility for what he did.
Judge Steven Boyce reviewed Archibald’s past, noting that he had a long history of similar violations dating back to 2006, including a fine in 2007 for hunting big game without a tag. Even though some previous charges were dismissed, they showed a pattern. Boyce said Archibald seemed to have a habit of doing whatever he wanted, regardless of the law.
The judge decided to sentence Archibald to four years of probation instead of prison but made it clear that the felony wouldn’t be taken off his record unless he successfully completes the probation.
Archibald must also complete 100 hours of community service, pay \$2,500 in fines and court costs, and possibly more in restitution later. His hunting license was taken away for 10 years, and he can’t go hunting even with someone else. He also got a 180-day jail sentence that he’ll only have to serve if he breaks probation but he will have to serve 60 days in jail right away for driving without a valid license.
Boyce made it clear he was especially bothered by the fact that Archibald drove to both his pre-sentence interview and to court—even though his license was suspended. This made the judge question whether Archibald would take the rules of probation seriously. Boyce said fines hadn’t worked before, so some jail time was necessary to make sure Archibald understood how serious the situation was.
The judge closed by warning Archibald that if he breaks any of the rules, especially anything involving hunting, fishing, or driving without a license, he’ll lose any chance of getting the felony off his record.
