Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore at his trial in Grand Isle County Superior criminal court in North Hero on Tuesday, July 23. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
NORTH HERO — The criminal case against Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore ended in a mistrial late Wednesday night after jurors failed to reach a consensus on whether or not the sheriff was guilty of simple assault for twice kicking a shackled man in a holding cell in August 2022.
After a three-day trial in Grand Isle County Superior criminal court, jurors entered into deliberations around 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday. By 9:30 p.m., they had told Judge Samuel Hoar that they did not think they could reach consensus. But even after giving the case further consideration, as Hoar instructed, the jurors entered the North Hero courtroom nearly two hours later to report the same.
“Are you convinced that there is no amount of further deliberation that will allow you to break through whatever impasse is preventing you from reaching a unanimous verdict?” Hoar asked the jury around 11:15 p.m.
“Yes, your honor, I am convinced,” replied the case’s designated lead juror, who was not identified.
Had he been convicted, Grismore could have faced up to a year in prison or a $1,000 fine. The jurors were tasked with considering whether Grismore’s actions were both “reckless” and caused the shackled man, Jeremy Burrows, pain — two key components of the assault charge.
In his final remarks to the court Wednesday night, Hoar appeared open to trying the case again later this year, though he did not set a date. Speaking to Robert Kaplan, the attorney who represented Grismore, Hoar noted that it had been nearly two years since the incident that prompted the sheriff’s charge took place.
“Frankly, your client deserves a resolution sooner rather than later,” Hoar said.
This story will be updated.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Assault case of Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore ends in mistrial.