By Mike Donoghue, Senior Correspondent
Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer has issued commissions to three more deputy sheriffs as he brings his appointments into compliance with state law.
The appointments of John Martin, Greg Molgano, and Ryan Prince ensure their arrest powers are in place if they have to take action.
Martin, who served as a longtime deputy at the Orange County courthouse, tends to work court security.
Molgano, a retired Springfield Police sergeant, does investigative work on behalf of the Windsor and Windham County State’s Attorneys.
Prince is an investigator with the Vermont Secretary of State. He is a former K-9 officer with Springfield and Weathersfield Police.
Palmer is now up to 28 deputies that have their commissions registered with Windsor County Clerk Pepper Tepperman.
An investigation by the Vermont Standard this summer uncovered the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department had been using deputy sheriffs that had not been properly appointed.
The Standard reported initially online on Sept. 15 and later in print that at least seven law enforcement employees at the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department were never officially commissioned to work as deputy sheriffs.
Soon after the Standard’s investigation, Palmer began to get the paperwork completed. The newspaper reported last week that Tepperman had received 25 signed commissions from Palmer that she logged into the county record book to make the appointments official.
Tepperman reported this week three more were subsequently filed. It is unknown if Palmer has more coming.
One of the deputy sheriffs without a recorded commission was involved in a fatal on-duty shooting in Springfield in August. Palmer has said he has allowed Bryan Jalava, the deputy sheriff involved in the fatal shooting on Valley Street, to return to work with limited law enforcement duties.
Jalava and Springfield Officer Vincent T. Franchi both fired shots that are believed to have hit and killed James Crary, 36, of Newport, N.H., on the night of Aug. 21, according to Vermont State Police. Franchi remains on paid leave, Springfield Police Chief Jeff Burnham has said.
Palmer, who was sworn as county sheriff on Feb. 1, 2023, admitted that he did not complete all the steps required for county sheriffs hiring their deputies. He told the Standard that he took full blame and also went on social media to say he dropped the ball.
The usually talkative Palmer has since become somewhat reserved. He has not returned phone messages left by the Standard over the past week.
Earlier, Palmer learned from the Vermont Standard that he was under investigation by Vermont State Police for unrelated matters. The anonymous tip focused mainly on the department’s money and finances, state police have said.
The state police investigation remains open and the last time he was speaking, Palmer had said he had not been interviewed.
Vermont law states: “A deputy shall not perform an official act until his or her deputation and oath are filed for record in the office of the county clerk.”
Also, the final line of all the appointment documents the sheriff issues makes clear that the record must be filed with the county clerk before a deputy can go to work.
“This commission must be recorded in the Windsor County Clerk’s Office before the Deputy Sheriff is authorized to act,” the official form mandates.
It remains unclear what impact the lack of recorded appointments would have on pending criminal charges in Vermont Superior Court, and even recent criminal convictions during 2 ½ years that Palmer has served as county sheriff.
