Ex-Shiriful Peter Newton is pleading guilty

March 6, 2025

By Klara Bauters, Vtdigger

Former Sheriff of Addison County, Peter Newton, appears for a change in the pleading hearing at the upper criminal court of Chittenden County in Burlington, on January 24th.
Photo by Glenn Russell/Vtdigger

Burlington – former Sheriff of Addison County, Peter Newton, accused in 2022 by sexual assault and illegal restriction of a womanHe said guilty for lower lewd and lascivious conduct and simple aggression during a court on January 24th.

During the procedure, Judge John Pacht said that Newton was accused of intentional involvement in an “open and coarse” behavior, as well as “Lewd and Lasciv”, with the intention of sexual satisfaction.

Newton had been accused of sexually assaulted, physically assaulted and illegally restricted a woman he knew in February 2022, while she was a sheriff. He was first chosen as a sheriff in 2018. He refused to apply for the re -election in 2022.

At least two cities in Addison county and many public officials asked Newton to resign At the time of his arrest, but the parliamentarians did not assume the difficult task of getting him out of office.

For the accusation of Lewd and lascivious conduct, Newton would receive a postponed punishment for two years and, if successfully completed, the accusation would be expelled. For the simple assault, he would face a suspended sentence of six to 12 months with two years of evidence, according to the conditions of the pleading agreement that was submitted earlier. in January.

The judge postponed the acceptance of the reason, ordering a pre-test investigation and a psychosexual evaluation, including a screening to determine if Newton needs alcohol or mental health.

“The delayed sentence can be a very good business for a defendant, or maybe not such a good business for an defendant, which really depends on how well someone does during the two -year -old probationary,” said the judge.

Newton must also complete a 26 -week -old domestic violence counseling program, refrain from holding firearms or other deadly weapons and is forbidden to work as a law officer under agreement.