Redding attorney Michael Borges, left, poses for a photo with his client, Jenny O’Connell-Nowain, outside Shasta County Superior Court following a court appearance on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. A jury trial for O’Connell-Nowain was set for mid-October. All photos by Mike Chapman.
Shasta County Board of Supervisors protester Jenny O’Connell-Nowain wanted her case heard by a jury of her peers, and so far, that is what she’s going to get.
The Redding woman appeared Monday in Shasta County Superior Court with her attorney, Michael Borges, and had her jury trial set for Oct. 14, 2025.
A settlement conference was the original purpose of the morning court appearance.
“We could not come to an agreement outside of court so we’re going to trial in October,” the Redding woman posted afterward on husband Benjamin Nowain’s Facebook page.
(Note: A News Cafe occasionally publishes Benjamin Nowain’s videos and reporting.)
Jenny O’Connell-Nowain appeared in Shasta County Superior Court on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, before Judge Stephan Baker. Her jury trial was set for Oct. 14, 2025. O’Connell-Nowain got in trouble for her sit-down protest during a Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting on Nov. 7.
O’Connell-Nowain, 41, is charged with two misdemeanors – disturbing a public meeting and resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer.
She did a sit-down protest during the supervisors’ nighttime meeting on Nov. 7 that resulted in a recess.
The sheriff’s department put her under arrest when she didn’t leave on her own and she was booked into jail.
She had walked to the front of the supervisors’ chambers and, in front of then-Supervisor Patrick Jones, held a sign that read, “Patrick Jones resign.” She later held a sign that read, “Joanna is the true Patriot” in reference to Joanna Francescut, the former assistant ROV rejected by the Shasta County Board Majority for an appointment as acting ROV.
In past interviews, O’Connell-Nowain has said she was upset with Jones’ persistent criticism of county employees. She also supported since-fired assistant Registrar of Voters Francescut.
During her first court date in July, the District Attorney’s Office presented a plea-bargain offer for her to perform community service without the need of making a plea and asked for a promise not to disrupt another meeting again.
O’Connell-Nowain rejected the offer and pleaded not guilty instead.
“They wanted to shove it under the rug. And I was like, ‘I’m not shoving this under the rug.’ You wrongly arrested me and held me in jail for exerting my First Amendment right. And I think that should be known,” she told A News Cafe at the time.
O’Connell-Nowain went into more detail following Monday’s court session.
“All I had to do is community service, and then I would be able to be free to go about my business as long as I never do it again,” she said Monday. “But the question is, what is ‘it.’ Because they said, ‘as long as you never disturb a meeting.’ But even by their own testimonies, I did not disturb the meeting. We’ve read over the paperwork and they said that I wasn’t the disturbance, but I was arrested.”
One issue is what constitutes a disturbance.
“If they can’t tell me what a disturbance is, then someone needs to define that,” O’Connell-Nowain said.
“If a jury of my peers defines that for me, then it works out,” she said. “Then now there’s a definite ‘this is what you can and cannot do.’”
In addition to attorney Borges, O’Connell-Nowain was accompanied Monday by husband Benjamin and several supporters.
Borges said after court that their intention Monday was to get a jury trial date.
“That is what we had planned,” he said. “So that was the plan. We’re happy with that being accomplished,” he said.
Borges believes they have a strong case.
“We think we do. We think Miss O’Connell-Nowain had every right to do what she was doing under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to oppose what the board was doing.
“I think the board’s selective enforcement of its decorum policy is inappropriate. We expect Miss O’Connell-Nowain to go home when the trial is over,” he said.
In January this year – two months after O’Connell-Nowain’s protest and right after Supervisor Kevin Crye was reappointed as board chairman – another woman named Dawn Ashmun did her own spontaneous sit-down protest. The difference that time was that Ashmun wasn’t arrested.
Dawn Ashmun meditates as Supervisors Corkey Harmon, Kevin Cyre and Chris Kelstrom look on.
As a strong supporter of the First Amendment and the entire Bill of Rights, Borges stepped forward to represent O’Connell-Nowain pro-bono, or at no charge.
“Often, people get accused of crimes that they feel they didn’t commit and they didn’t commit,” he said.
“I see too often those people being pressured into compromising their values and their principles when they don’t want to. Sometimes that’s because of money. And so I have my time that I can offer to Miss O’Connell-Nowain to help her vindicate her rights,” Borges said. “That’s why I’m here.”
Prior to the planned mid-October jury trial, a trial readiness conference was set for Oct. 10.
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