Allen sentenced to four years probation with time served

LIHU’E — A Kaua’i woman was sentenced to four years of probation by Fifth Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Watanabe Wednesday morning.

Jenifer Allen, 35, was placed on four years of supervised probation, which includes a stay-away order from the alleged victim.

Allen faced burglary charges in the second degree, theft exceeding $750, criminal trespass in the second degree, and criminal property damage in cases dating back to 2018. Allen will serve no additional jail time because of 250 days credit given for time served.

During Allen’s hearing in early November, it was stated by Watanabe that she could face potential charges of perjury for allegedly lying under oath.

After this, a mental evaluation was ordered to see if Allen was fit to proceed.

Allen, who was interviewed by both her attorney, Mark Zenger, and the prosecuting attorney, struggled to recall various details about the case, from which she took a plea bargain in September of 2019.

During the examination, Allen suggested her attorney at the time, Stephanie Char, pressured her, and she felt like she was “signing her future away” with the agreement. Allen even accused Char of unintentionally extorting her to sign the plea agreement.

After hearing this testimony, the judge suspended the case to have further evaluation to ensure that Allen was fit to proceed with the trial.

There were no additional charges of perjury filed after Allen experienced what Zenger referenced as a “disequilibrium.”

Before being sentenced, there was some minor drama that unfolded. After being found fit to proceed prior to her sentencing, Allen requested to terminate the services of Zenger.

Watanabe chose not to grant the motion of termination, or have Allen and Zenger work as co-counsel. The judge did call for a short recess to allow Zenger to discuss the implications before they proceeded with Zenger acting as Allen’s attorney.

After the situation was sorted, Allen was sentenced to four years of probation and was reminded that given the nature of her charges, the recommendation from the state of Hawai’i was generous, according to Watanabe.

Though Allen refused to sign the probation documents, she was told she would still be bound to the terms and conditions of her probation.

If Allen is found to violate any of the substantial terms and conditions of her probation, she could potentially face the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for her charges.