Criminal Justice & Public Safety

Vermont was one of at least 15 states — including Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island — to receive suspicious packages in mid-September. Local election officials here will have access to overdose-reversing medication while opening election mail.

Grand Isle County State’s Attorney Doug DiSabito is dismissing the simple assault charge against Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore that's been pending for nearly two years. The move came a week after a second jury failed to reach a verdict in the case.

Brian Crossman Jr., 22, is accused of killing his father, stepmother and stepbrother in a shooting last month. He’s been charged with three counts of aggravated murder, and faces a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole if convicted.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington filed for bankruptcy on Monday in a bid to resolve more than two dozen sexual abuse lawsuits. Since 2006, the diocese has paid more than $30 million to settle abuse allegations.

The most recent horse seizure came on Sept. 10, when Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department game wardens and Vermont State Police troopers took at least 20 horses from Townshend's Friesians of Majesty. Troopers seized two more horses earlier this year, and 13 last year, due to a lack of care.

Restorative justice is a process that focuses on the offender repairing the harm caused by their actions, and uses dialogue and empathy rather than punishment. Vermont's only women's prison has had restorative justice classes for the past few years.

Vermont State Police say 46-year-old Brian Crossman, 41-year-old Erica Crossman and 13-year-old Colin Taft were found dead Sunday. All three deaths were ruled homicides, and police say they believe this was an isolated event and there is no threat the community.

In May, the Department for Children and Families unveiled a plan to build a new secure youth facility in Vergennes — partially on land that once housed the Weeks School, a former youth detention center with a troubled history. Some advocates say it’s a physical reminder that the state hasn't done enough to reckon with the past.

The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles recently unveiled the Blue Envelope Program. The program intends to make routine traffic stop interactions between drivers on the autism spectrum and law enforcement officers easier.

St. Johnsbury police Sgt. George Johnson was cited by Vermont State Police for allegedly using excessive force against a 35-year-old man he initially stopped for jaywalking.