Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore shown in 2024 during his trial on a charge of assault after he allegedly kicked a suspect who was in police custody in 2022. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger John Grismore, the Franklin County sheriff whose tenure was marked by two criminal trials and a legis lative impeachment investigation, will not run for reelection, he said Monday. In a press release, Grismore cited “moments of significant challenge, many of them highly public and deeply stressful” as a reason he was not seeking a second four-year term. “This decision was not made lightly, but with a clear understanding of the demands and challenges of public service in Vermont, as well as the timing for the next chapter of my life,” he said. Grismore’s term was engulfed in controversy before it even started. In August 2022, when he was still a deputy, Grismore was caught on body camera video kicking a handcuffed man who was in custody. Video of the incident was released to heavy scrutiny, and Grismore was fired from the office. Later that year, though, voters elected him to lead the office from which he’d just been dismissed. A year later, in December 2023, the state panel that disciplines police officers stripped Grismore of his law enforcement certification over the kicking incident, finding he violated Vermont’s policies on police use of force. That meant Grismore could no longer perform basic policing tasks and was limited to the administrative duties of his position. Grismore, at that point, also faced an assault charge stemming from the incident. The case went to trial in July 2024, but a jury failed to reach a verdict. Months later, it went to trial again — and again, a jury could not agree on whether to convict him. The prosecutor, Grand Isle State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito, dismissed the criminal charge shortly after. Even if Grismore had been convicted, the verdict would have had no legal bearing on his ability to maintain his post. Impeachment is the only way Grismore, or any county sheriff, could be removed from elected office under state law. Vermont legislators did open impeachment proceedings against Grismore, centered on allegations he had violated the public’s trust and, in his capacity before getting elected sheriff, had improperly paid himself using his own retirement funds. Nearly a year later, however, a special legislative committee dropped those impeachment proceedings. During his tenure, Grismore faced calls to resign from Gov. Phil Scott, Franklin County political leaders and his colleagues in other county sheriff’s offices. But Grismore repeatedly bucked those calls, insisting he had done nothing wrong and was acting only out of concerns for his own safety and that of two other deputies in the room. In Monday’s release, Grismore made a case that he was leaving the sheriff’s office in a strong position. It was not immediately clear Monday afternoon whether any candidates had announced a bid for the post. “In the face of scrutiny and adversity, its members carried themselves with integrity and emerged stronger and more unified, demonstrating the character and commitment that define this organization,” he said of the sheriff’s office. Read the story on VTDigger here: John Grismore, embattled sheriff of Franklin County, won’t seek reelection. ...read more read less