KTRV Fox 12 Pentico Sentenced

Pentico Sentenced

Boise, Idaho -- Chris Pentico, the Mountain Home man convicted of trespassing on Borah Building property, has been sentenced.

Cheering erupted after he was given only 30 days of probation for his sentence. No jail time, no fine, and no restrictions against returning to any of the buildings he had been banned from.

"It's not an issue of being a Republican, a Democrat, a Libertarian, a Constitutionalist, it's an issue of standing up for your rights and doing the right thing," said Pentico.

Where this case gets murky, though, is why Pentico was convicted of trespassing on public property in the first place. Idaho law surrounding trespassing does not make a clear distinction between public and private property.

"If I were in the business of making law, I would make that distinction," said Judge Swain during Pentico's sentencing.

The case has drawn attention from civil rights groups in the area including Idahoans for Liberty. Following the sentencing the group marched to the governor's office and requested a meeting with Governor "Butch" Otter.

"I'd like to see the law worded in a way that you can't be arrested for trespass on public property that belongs to the people," said Challis Mcaffe, with Idahoans for Liberty.

And while Otter was out of the office, I did get a chance to speak with his spokesman. John Hanian says they did give the go-ahead to forbid Pentico from going to the Borah Building. Hanian says Pentico had already spoken to the governor in person three times, had sent him a letter, and still kept asking to speak to governor. However, Hanian did make it clear, Pentico was never a threat, just a nuisance.

"He kept returning and asking the same question repeatedly when his question had been addressed repeatedly both by the governor and staff members here," said Hanian.

Idaho State Police will not comment on the case. If Pentico makes it through his 30 days of probation without a problem, the case will be dismissed. He did say he plans on considering doing things differently in the future.