20th Judicial District Court News
William Pablo scheduled for revocation hearing
William Howard Pablo, appeared in Judge Molly Owen’s Court on May 24 for a hearing to revoke his deferred sentence for felony possession of dangerous drugs, and that hearing was continued until May 31. According to court documents, Pablo’s maximum possible sentence could be three years in the Montana State Prison, less credit for time served.
Pablo’s involvement with the court system began in 2003,when he was sentenced by Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher, standing in for Judge C.B. McNeil, for felony robbery. He was given 15 years with 12 years suspended.
On March 31, 2006, Pablo was released from Montana State Prison. The Adult Probation and Parole Office filed three reports of violations from Nov. 30, 2006 through April 10, 2007. Due to these violations Pablo’s 12-year suspended sentence was revoked, and he was sent back to Montana State Prison for 12 years with eight years suspended.
Pablo completed inpatient chemical dependency treatment on July 16, 2007, at the Connections Corrections Program. After completing time at the Missoula Pre-Release Center in 2008 he was granted a conditional release from the Montana Department of Corrections custody, although he was on parole.
In March 2009, as Pablo was being booked back into tribal jail after having been on work release, a detention officer saw him take something out of his jacket pocket and hide it in his hand. The two long white pills were subsequently identified as the prescription drug Vicodin and he was charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs.
Later that year, Pablo was again in Judge McNeil’s court and was sentenced to three years, with all but 30 days suspended. This sentence was to run consecutively with another sentence for felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs.
Pablo completed inpatient chemical dependency treatment for the second time in July 2010, and was sent to the Butte Pre-Release Center. He was transferred to the START program, which offers an assessment/sanction center for adult males who have violated conditions of community placement including pre-release, parole, or probation.
Pablo was arrested on a bench warrant for absconding, or failing to report, on Sept. 27, 2016, was released on his own recognizance on Oct. 5, and told to register as a violent offender. A bench warrant was issued on Jan. 18, 2017, and on May 19, 2017, he was arrested on the warrant and went to the Lake County Jail. Judge James Manley sentenced him to four years with none suspended on June 14, 2017.
A year later, he began a conditional release from Butte Pre-Release, and since then has been arrested and released after serving time in Butte Silver Bow Jail and at Montana State Prison, while racking up alleged violations for non-compliance.
Pablo was arrested on May 5, 2023, in Missoula County for felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs after law enforcement found fentanyl on his person. He also was arrested on a bench warrant for failure to register as a violent offender, and several incidents of failure to report to his probation office in Polson. Parole and Probation requested his three-year suspended sentence be revoked and that none of that time be suspended. They also requested he be screened to address his substance use and for a later pre-release.
Randal Lumpry receives three-year deferred sentence
Randal J. Lumpry appeared in Judge Molly Owen’s court on May 24. The judge noted that Lumpry was not properly dressed for court, and informed everyone that basketball shorts or shorts are not usually allowed in court.
The court “extremely reluctantly” agreed to a plea agreement, with Lumpry pleading guilty to felony possession of dangerous drugs, and the state authorizing the sentence to be deferred for three years. Lumpry was given credit for 272 days time served and was directed to immediately meet with Adult Probation and Parole.
This case was severed from another case on March 15, 2023. In the second case, Lumpry was charged with felony aggravated assault and felony aggravated burglary. He will be in Judge Owen’s court for a revocation hearing on these charges on June 31.
Fenton sentenced for felony drug charge
Jenna Nache Fenton was sentenced for felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs on May 24 in Judge Owen’s court. The imposition of the sentence was deferred for three years, and she was given credit for 212 days served.
The case stems from a Feb. 23, 2022, vehicle stop where Fenton was the passenger. The driver had a warrant out on him so the vehicle was subject to a probation search, and drug-related items were found in the vehicle. Police officers asked Fenton if she would agree to be searched. She agreed and was found to have multiple items of drug paraphernalia in her pockets, including a green hollowed melted pen sheath, and a small pink ziploc bag containing approximately one-quarter gram of a white crystalline substance, later identified by the Montana State Crime Lab as methamphetamine.
Fenton failed to show up for arraignment on Sept. 14, 2022, and a warrant was issued for her. She was not located and was thought to be in treatment, possibly at Royal Life in Spokane.