By Mike Donoghue, Senior Correspondent
Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer has pleaded not guilty to seven criminal charges stemming from his sexual relationships with four women.
Sheriff Ryan Palmer
Palmer, 39, of Windsor, said after his arraignment Wednesday afternoon, he does not plan to step down as the elected county sheriff and will be fighting the criminal charges.
Judge Cortland Corsones agreed to release Palmer without bail and on conditions. They include that the sheriff stay away from the four women – two 19-year-olds, a 25-year-old, and a 39-year-old former classmate when he attended Windsor High School, records show.
The release order includes not making contact in person, writing, by phone or electronic communication, including social media, with the women and was told not to abuse or harass them.
During the court hearing, Palmer denied two counts of aggravated stalking with a deadly weapon, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of prohibited acts, and one count of lewd and lascivious conduct.
Special prosecutor Jared Bianchi also asked that Palmer surrender his Vermont Criminal Justice police certification for the time being, but Corsones balked at the request.
The judge did agree to prohibit Palmer from buying, using, or possessing a firearm or any dangerous weapon pending his trial. That order will limit police work for Palmer, who was an active sheriff investigating cases and patrolling the roads.
Palmer would still be able to do some administrative work to help oversee the department, but he said he plans to take a step back.
The sheriff was scheduled to meet with department employees on Friday.
Palmer said after his arrest he was placing former Chief Deputy Sheriff Claude Weyant, the elected high bailiff in Windsor County in charge. Weyant has served with the Windsor County Sheriff’s Department for over 20 years and has been in law enforcement for almost 40 years, the department website said.
Weyant expected to coordinate the work with the next two highest-ranking officers: Lts. Rick King and Andy Leonard.
State police said they arrested Palmer at his office about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday on 12 criminal charges. Court records show he was released from police custody three hours later.
The next day, the prosecution filed only 11 counts in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland, but Judge Corsones found probable cause on only seven counts to charge Palmer. The judge rejected the other four charges at least for the time being.
Special prosecutor Jared Bianchi said in court he expected to possibly tweak the rejected charges to cover any shortcomings and that he could add more against the first-term sheriff.
The four charges that lacked probable cause were two felony counts of compounding a felony and two misdemeanor counts of false claims, records show.
The case appeared headed to Bennington County initially to avoid possible conflicts of interest in Windsor County, where Palmer’s department provides security and transports prisoners. Before Palmer was released from custody on Tuesday, the arraignment was switched to Rutland.
Palmer’s defense lawyer, Dan Sedon of Chelsea, said his client wants to have his case heard in Windsor County, where voters elected him as county sheriff in November 2022. No date has been set for the next hearing.
Sedon also tried unsuccessfully to get two counts of aggravated stalking with a deadly weapon reduced by questioning if the state had evidence of Palmer with a gun during the two incidents.
Corsones said for the time being, he would believe that the sheriff was armed with his gun.
While Palmer and his defense lawyer appeared in person for the hearing in Rutland, Judge Corsones had the arraignment available for the public by video. About 70 computers logged on to the Palmer hearing, and as soon as it ended, the audience dropped to about 20 computers. It was unknown how many people were at each computer.
Among the names on the video screen were two of Palmer’s deputies.
Also listed as viewing the hearing were the director and assistant of the Vermont Police Academy, its chief investigator, and the legal counsel for the state training council.
Investigators secured search warrants, including for Palmer’s home and his vehicle. A delegation of Vermont State Police officers was dispatched to his Main Street home. Among the things detectives were seeking were cellphones, computers, and other electronics, police said.
Another group of state police officers took Palmer into custody and placed him in handcuffs at his county office on Pleasant Street in Woodstock for the ride to the state police barracks in Westminster for processing.
Palmer, who serves on the selectboard for the town of Windsor, is a former board chair.
The criminal case began in July 2025 following complaints about possible misconduct involving finances and the management of funds at the Windsor County Sheriff’s Office, state police said.
The lead investigator, Detective Sgt. David Robillard of the Derby barracks soon received tips about possible sexual misconduct. Over the following months, state police identified several victims, who provided statements and evidence that supported the sexual misconduct allegations, Robillard said.
The case was assigned to detectives from the Vermont State Police in the Derby barracks to avoid any local potential conflicts of interest in pursuing the matter.
Bianchi and his boss, veteran Bennington County State’s Attorney Erica Marthage, were assigned to work with police and prosecute the case.
The president of the Vermont Sheriff’s Association (VSA) said her colleagues recognize the extreme gravity of these charges.
“We are deeply disappointed and troubled by these developments, as they strike at the core of the public trust that is essential to the mission of law enforcement,” Orleans County Sheriff Jennifer Harlow told the Standard.
“Our immediate concern is for the integrity of public safety services in Windsor County. The VSA is committed to supporting the dedicated employees of the Windsor County Sheriff’s Office during this difficult time,” she said.
The arrest is the latest dip in the roller coaster ride for Palmer and the sheriff’s department since he was sworn in three years ago.
Frugal former Windsor County Sheriff D. Michael Chamberlain left Palmer about $1.3 million in February 2023 from contracts and other fundraisers over his 40 years in office. It is unclear how much money remains.
Palmer had said earlier he drained a good chunk of the money when he proceeded to buy about a half dozen new fully equipped cruisers, body cameras for the department and other equipment.
Please check the Vermont Standard THIS WEEK website, thevermontstandard.com, for updates in the coming days, as well as the next print edition for more information on this story.
