Updated at 2:45 p.m.
State regulators voted on Wednesday to temporarily strip Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer of his law enforcement certification while he faces criminal sexual misconduct charges.
The Vermont Criminal Justice Council’s unanimous vote effectively restricts Palmer to administrative duties, preventing him from carrying out most aspects of typical police work such as investigating crimes or conducting patrols. He does not need to vacate his office, however. Vermont’s elected county sheriffs are not required to be certified law enforcement officers.
Palmer, through his defense attorney, informed the council ahead of the vote that he did not oppose the temporary revocation.
A state police investigation that began as a probe into potential financial mismanagement at Palmer’s department led detectives to three women who say the sheriff sexually harassed them. Prosecutors say Palmer paid two of the women to watch him masturbate — and, in one case, have sex with him — then encouraged them to lie to investigators. He’s also accused of threatening behavior toward at least two of the women.
Palmer pleaded not guilty last week to felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct, aggravated stalking with a deadly weapon, and obstruction of justice, along with misdemeanor soliciting prostitution charges.
He was released on conditions that he turn over any guns in his possession and avoid contact with the alleged victims. Prosecutors had also asked that he be forced to surrender his law enforcement certification, but a judge denied the request, saying that decision should be left to others.
Police decertification proceedings in Vermont can be lengthy affairs featuring hours of testimony. But the criminal justice council can summarily revoke certification if it deems the public to be at immediate risk. The fact that sheriffs are immune to any professional accountability short of impeachment proceedings factored into Wednesday’s decision.
“There is no other mechanism available that can restrain or limit the law enforcement actions of Ryan Palmer … as would be available in other agencies or for other officers not elected to the position,” the council wrote.
Moving forward, it remains unclear how involved Palmer will be in his department’s operations. He did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday morning.
The day before, Windsor County’s 19 state representatives and senators sent a letter calling on him to step away from the job while the criminal matter is pending. “The community’s faith in its public servant, and by extension its public safety, is in jeopardy while these allegations loom,” they wrote.
Gov. Phil Scott, meanwhile, called on Palmer to step down. “From what I have seen and read, he’s lost the trust of the folks in Windsor County,” Scott said at his weekly press conference on Wednesday.
Palmer, who has denied any wrongdoing, told reporters after his arraignment last week that he had no plans to vacate his office. Instead, he said he had delegated daily oversight to a deputy captain, Claude Weyant.
“I’m sure that I’ll keep an eye on things and make sure it’s running smooth,” Palmer said. He suggested he may even continue going into the office. “We’ll see,” he said.
Weyant told Seven Days on Wednesday that he was now running the department and planned to reach out to Palmer only if “something major” comes up.
The sheriff has checked in with the chief deputy several times since handing over control of the department, however, and also came into the office last Friday to briefly address staff, according to Weyant. “He just encouraged us to move forward,” Weyant said.
Weyant has also been fielding calls from concerned selectboards in some of the 14 towns with whom the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department holds contracts.
“I assured them we are going to be able to provide the service moving forward,” Weyant said.
Palmer would not be the first decertified sheriff to keep clocking in. Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore has remained on the job despite having his certification revoked in 2023, when regulators ruled that he had violated Vermont’s use-of-force policy when kicking a handcuffed man.
Grismore was charged with misdemeanor simple assault for that incident, but prosecutors eventually dismissed the charge after jurors failed to reach a verdict in two separate trials.
Kevin McCallum contributed reporting.
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