Breaking News: Jennifer O’Connell-Nowain Found Guilty on One Count, Jury Deadlocked on Second Count
- Elisa Ballard
- Dec 18, 2025
- 2 min read
December 18, 2025 - Update to Article of December 16, 2025
A Shasta County jury deliberated over a three-day period and approximately 10 hours before delivering its verdict to Judge Thomas L. Bender. Defendant, Jennifer O’Connell-Nowain, also known as Jenny Nowain, was found guilty of Penal Code §403, Willful disturbance of a public meeting, and deadlocked 11-1 on the second charge of Penal Code §148(a)(1), Willfully delaying a peace officer in performing his duties. Sentencing has been scheduled to occur on January 14, 2026, at 9 a.m. The §403 misdemeanor crime of willful disturbance of a public meeting is punishable by up to six months in jail and fines of up to $1,000.
These charges arose after O'Connell-Nowain and her husband, Benjamin Nowain, sat on the floor in front of the Shasta County Board of Supervisors' dais in protest on November 7, 2024, during a public meeting holding signs critical of then-Supervisor Patrick Jones. The board chair called a recess, issued warnings to leave, and eventually cleared the room. O'Connell-Nowain remained seated, leading to her arrest by Shasta County sheriff's deputies. Video evidence of the incident was shown to the jury where O’Connell-Nowain can be heard saying to the Board of Supervisors “I want you to stop it. I’m not going to listen to this anymore!” as the Supervisors were attempting to discuss an issue. The Board Chair, Kevin Crye, pleaded with her to sit down several times saying, “Please, please, please, Jenny, sit down.” The meeting was then temporarily shut down as the room was cleared to restore order. Jenny Nowain refused to leave the room voluntarily and eventually was placed under arrest by a Sheriff’s deputy. This was the second time that Jenny Nowain was removed from a supervisors' meeting by Sheriff’s deputies (the first in July 2024 resulted in no charges).
