BURLINGTON — The former Addison County sheriff accused of committing sexual assault was put on a two-year probation Wednesday morning for the crimes he committed while in office in 2022. The sentence is a result of his plea deal, which allowed Peter Newton to plead guilty to lesser charges and potentially avoid jail time.
Earlier this year, Newton pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious conduct and simple assault, lesser charges than those originally filed against him, which included two counts of felony sexual assault and unlawful restraint.
Chittenden County Superior Criminal Court Judge John Pacht ruled that Newton’s sentence on the charge of lewd and lascivious conduct would be deferred for two years and he would be placed on probation. If Newton does not violate probation during those two years, the charge will be removed from his record.
Then Pacht made a distinction on the simple assault charge. He ruled that Newton would serve a 6-to-12-month sentence for the crime, all suspended for two years. That charge will remain on his criminal record even if he completes his two years of probation with no violations.
The decision came after Pacht heard from the victim in the case, who told the courtroom how her “body was dark purple with bruises from his hands.” The woman, who met Newton while he was doing his job as sheriff, said she now feels unable to trust the systems designed to protect her. VtDigger does not name victims of sexual assault.
“He used his position of authority and power to harm and exploit me,” she said.
Newton was originally charged with two felony counts of sexual assault, one felony count of unlawful restraint and one misdemeanor count of domestic assault. Together, the charges could have carried up to 14 years in prison. Then, earlier this year, Newton pleaded guilty to lesser charges of lewd and lascivious conduct and simple assault.
Though the prosecution agreed to the terms of the agreement, the victim said the outcome leaves her to fear for both her safety and the safety of her kids.
Pacht himself said he had concerns about the plea deal because of the brutality of the crimes described in police reports — and because Newton met the victim while doing his job as sheriff.
“What could be described as an abuse of power and abuse of trust is pretty significant here,” Pacht said.
After hearing from the victim, and considering the fact that both the victim and Newton were intoxicated during many of the events in question, Pacht reasoned a plea deal was an appropriate resolution to the case.
The victim, who sat in the prosecution’s chair, told the courtroom she was strongly opposed to the deferred sentence.
“It simply goes away after his probation, as if none of this ever happened, while the effects of this assault are lifelong for me,” she said.
Pacht told the courtroom he thought it was necessary in the interest of justice for Newton to be permanently convicted of assault. He said it isn’t likely the court would consider ever sealing those records after hearing the victim’s testimony.
Newton will have the same conditions of release on both charges, which bar him from serving in any law enforcement office. His conditions also require that he not contact or harass the victim or her family members.
The former sheriff will also be required to participate in individual mental health counseling and complete a 26-week domestic violence rehabilitation program. Newton will also be barred from drinking alcohol, have to submit regular urine tests and take part in substance use counseling.
Earlier in the hearing Pacht said that, while he had concerns with the agreement, he understood “why the case was settled this way,” he said.
In police affidavits, the victim said that she estimated she was under the influence about 90% of the time she and Newton would have sex.
“Peter was playing pharmacist. He was playing bartender,” she told police in 2022, affidavits show.
The affidavit, written by Vermont State Police Detective Sgt. Angela Baker, details Newton’s extensive abuse over months. In many instances described in the affidavit, Newton would restrain the victim and sexually assault her without her consent.
From his bench, Pacht said that both parties were likely “highly intoxicated” during many of the incidents described in the affidavit from police. “It made it complicated, I think, for both parties to get a complete understanding of exactly what did and didn’t happen. And that’s how we arrived at this agreement,” Pacht said.
The plea agreement leaves “everybody a little uncomfortable” because the victim noted “a degree of behavior much more expansive” than the altercation that happened the day the victim decided to contact police, Pacht said.
The victim originally met Newton when she sought help from him, as the sheriff, to leave a past abusive relationship. Then their sexual relationship began and he became abusive, she said.
“Peter represented safety to me, and I believed that he and his office would protect me,” she said in a shaky voice.
“Instead, he violated that protection. He used his position of authority and power to harm and exploit me,” the victim said. While she was speaking, Newton looked down and pet his dog who sat on the floor by his side.
The victim’s assigned advocate, Armina Medic, showed the court a picture of a large bruise across the victim’s right buttock, taken by law enforcement when she reported Newton. The bruise was dark purple and inches long.
The day Newton accepted the plea agreement in January, he posted on Facebook, referring to the mark as “a small bruise left on her butt from a spanking during sex.”
In the post, he said that after his arrest he “left the courthouse to face this nightmare from hell.” In his post, Newton also declared that he may run for political office because he is “good at standing up to corruption.”
After the victim’s statement, Pacht said that the picture of the victim’s bruise was not small at all. What’s most concerning about the case is that someone who is significantly trusted in a community “decided it was a good idea to get into a relationship, by his own description, with a woman who was quite vulnerable at the time,” Pacht said.
This story was republished with permission from VtDigger, which offers its reporting at no cost to local news organizations through its Community News Sharing Project. To learn more, visit vtdigger.org/community-news-sharing-project.
