The trial for former Addison County Sheriff Peter Newton, who was accused in June 2022 of sexually assaulting and unlawfully restraining a woman, is likely facing another delay after he told a judge he can no longer afford his private attorney.
Newton, in a court filing last week, wrote that he is “unable to fulfill my financial obligations” to attorney Jason Sawyer. He said he would seek a public defender.
“I request that the court discharge Attorney Sawyer as my lawyer so that I am not continuing to accrue further debt to Attorney Sawyer, as that is unfair to both myself, my family and to Attorney Sawyer,” Newton wrote.
He is accused of sexually assaulting, physically assaulting and unlawfully restraining a woman he knew in February 2022 while he was sheriff. He pleaded not guilty in June 2022 to two charges of sexual assault as well as single counts of unlawful restraint and domestic assault.
The former sheriff is free on conditions, including that he not contact the woman he is charged with assaulting.
Newton did not run for a third term in 2022 announcing that decision before charges were filed as the case was under investigation.
The Vermont Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case, which is being heard in Chittenden County to avoid any potential conflict that could arise with local prosecutors in Addison County.
At one point, Newton’s trial was set to take place in February. In January, it was pushed back after attorneys told Judge Michael Harris that they still needed to take additional depositions.
No new date has been set, but it appears likely it will be several months out if Newton is granted a public defender who would need to get up to speed on the case.
Harris has yet to rule on Newton’s request for a public defender and a separate request by Sawyer to withdraw from the case.
“Mr. Newton has been unable to and has not made payments on his balance due for many months,” Sawyer wrote in his filing.
He wrote that he had also taken additional witnesses’ depositions for which he has not yet billed Newton.
The next hearing in the case is set for April.
Asked if the attorney general’s office was concerned about further delays as Newton seeks new counsel, Lauren Jandl, chief of staff to Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, said in an email that “decisions regarding legal counsel are a defendant’s own prerogative.”
Newton could not be reached for comment.