SALEM, Ore. — A Marion County man has been sentenced to prison and probation after pleading guilty to repeatedly directing racial slurs and violent threats at a Gervais family, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
Richard Pennise, 52, was sentenced this week by Marion County Circuit Court Judge James Edmonds to two months in the Oregon Department of Corrections followed by 36 months of supervised probation. Pennise pleaded guilty to three counts of Bias Crime in the First Degree, a Class C felony, in Marion County Circuit Court Case No. 26CR29450.
According to prosecutors, the case stemmed from an incident in May when Gervais Police Chief Robert Morris responded to a complaint from a Gervais resident. The victim reported that Pennise, her neighbor, had repeatedly shouted racial slurs at her and her family while threatening to kill them.
Authorities said the harassment occurred on an almost daily basis and escalated to the point that the victim no longer allowed her younger children to play outside when Pennise was home.
When Chief Morris arrived at the scene, he reportedly heard Pennise yelling racial slurs at the victim, her husband, and their children as they cleaned their vehicle in their driveway. Investigators said Pennise also threatened to assault the family.
Court records indicate that in the weeks leading up to the incident, Pennise also threatened the victim’s older daughter and her boyfriend, made racially motivated threats targeting their Hispanic ethnicity, and challenged them with statements to the effect of, “Come and get this.”
“We all deserve to feel safe, but especially at our own homes,” said Marion County District Attorney-elect Brendan Murphy. “Hate crimes, stemming from bias and prejudice, will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
Deputy District Attorney Michael Kummerman prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Oregon.
The Marion County District Attorney’s Office also thanked the Gervais Police Department for its investigation and assistance, saying the agency’s work contributed to the successful prosecution of the case.
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