The Vermont Superior Court building and the Orleans County Court House in Newport in March 2024. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger A Vermont man who spurred gun reform legislation eight years ago, after he was accused of plotting to shoot up a high school, was back in court — this time afte r allegedly breaking into the now-closed Sterling College. Jack Sawyer, 27, of Craftsbury, pleaded not guilty Tuesday during his arraignment in Orleans Superior criminal court in Newport to counts of grand larceny, unlawful trespass and unlawful mischief. Orleans County Deputy State’s Attorney Samuel Swope had asked the judge to impose $1,500 bail for Sawyer. “I think it does bear pointing out,” Swope said, “that upon information and belief this is the same Jack Sawyer who was a defendant in the infamous Fair Haven alleged school shooting case from years ago.” In February 2018, Sawyer, then 18, was arrested and charged in adult court in Rutland with three counts of attempted murder for allegedly plotting to shoot up the high school in Fair Haven. Jack Sawyer appeared by video for an October 2026 hearing from the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport. Screenshot by Alan J. Keays/VTDigger Those charges were later dropped after the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that mere planning did not rise to the level of an attempt under state law. Sawyer still faced misdemeanor charges of criminal threatening and carrying a dangerous weapon with the avowed purpose to commit serious injury or death.  His case was then handled in a judicial process specific to people under age 21, in which details are confidential and proceedings take place in Rutland Family Court.  Gov. Phil Scott had cited the Sawyer case and the details in a police affidavit as having prompted him to shift his stance on the need for added gun restrictions. The governor later signed into law new restrictions in April 2018. Mackenzie Dix, an attorney representing Sawyer in his latest case Tuesday, argued against the need for cash bail.  “The state’s primary arguments are based on previous conduct,” Dix told Judge Justin Jiron. Dix said her client was not a risk to flee and had long ties to Vermont.  READ MORE The judge said the records provided to him did not show any prior convictions for Sawyer, and he didn’t have many details presented to him Tuesday related to the earlier case.  “I’m not sure they justify the imposition of bail in any event,” the judge added. “The purpose of bail is to ensure the defendant returns to court, and so there we look to things like the various risks of flight factors.”  Jiron ultimately agreed not to set cash bail for Sawyer, but did impose an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.  The latest charges against Sawyer stem from a break-in at Sterling College in Craftsbury earlier this month. Vermont State Police reported on Sept. 14 they received a report of a burglary from the school with $20,621 in items stolen, including two arc welders from the blacksmith workshop and multiple backpacks and sleeping bags.  Police said they later arrested Sawyer and executed several warrants at properties connected to him, leading to the recovery of several of the items reported stolen from the college, which had closed this spring. Read the story on VTDigger here: Jack Sawyer, accused of foiled school shooting plot 8 years ago, is back in court on unrelated charges. ...read more read less