Washington County

Washington County follows Vermont law on arrests, release, and courts. These rules are the same in every county in the state; the full set covers prosecutors, defense, and jails too.

Who decides release first

After an arrest, the officer must call a judicial officer, a Superior Court judge or a court clerk, to set temporary release. For charges carrying less than two years, a person the Court Administrator designates may also set bail.

13 V.S.A. 7554(f) and 7559a

Time to see a judge

The rules say an arrested person must be brought before a judicial officer without unnecessary delay, and set no hour limit. The U.S. Supreme Court's 48-hour rule for a probable cause finding applies as the federal floor.

V.R.Cr.P. 3(k)

Money bail

Money bail is allowed. Since 2018, a court may not set bail at first appearance for a cited misdemeanor, and may set at most $200 for a misdemeanor eligible for expungement.

13 V.S.A. 7551(b)

Courts

Vermont has one trial court, the Superior Court, with a unit in each county. Its criminal division hears all crimes, felonies and misdemeanors alike. The Judicial Bureau hears civil violations, not crimes.

Vermont Judiciary, About the Vermont Judiciary

Judges and magistrates

The governor appoints judges, and the state Senate confirms them, for six-year terms. At the end of each term, the General Assembly votes on whether the judge stays.

Vt. Const. ch. II, s. 32 and 34

Read from the statutes and court rules cited, 2026-09-30. The state constitution says state's attorney districts are set by law; that each county is one district was not read in the statute. Whether clerks or designees who set bail must be lawyers was not confirmed.

Pretrial practice

Mapping Pretrial Injustice listed its risk tool in 2021 as the Ohio Risk Assessment System Pretrial Assessment Tool (ORAS-PAT).

MediaJustice and Movement Alliance Project, Mapping Pretrial Injustice county map (data as of fall 2021)

From Mapping Pretrial Injustice, a map compiled by MediaJustice and the Movement Alliance Project, advocacy groups that campaign against pretrial risk assessment tools. Its data is from fall 2021; CrimeDB uses it only where no court, government, or research list covers the county.

• Barre8,412
• Montpelier8,014
• Barre town8,005
• Northfield town5,920
• Waterbury town5,405
• Berlin town2,880
• East Montpelier town2,612
• Middlesex town1,943
• Waitsfield town1,918
• Marshfield town1,863
• Calais town1,713
• Warren town1,585
• Cabot town1,579
• Duxbury town1,548
• Moretown town1,532
• Fayston town1,342
• Plainfield town1,314
• Roxbury town942
• Worcester town831
• Woodbury town659
• Marshfield village470

Every city, village, town, and township with any of its land in Washington County, largest first. Population, the whole place's: Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024.

• State Police: BerlinState police agency26,401 served
• Barre Police DepartmentCity police department8,261 served
• Barre Town Police DepartmentCity police department8,043 served
• Montpelier Police DepartmentCity police department7,877 served
• Northfield Police DepartmentCity police department5,916 served
• No name VT0120400City police department5,461 served
• Berlin Police DepartmentCity police department2,883 served
• Attorney GeneralOther state agency
• Capitol PoliceOther state agency
• Department of Liquor Control: Division of Enforcement and LicensingOther state agency
• Department of Motor VehiclesOther state agency
• Fish and Wildlife Department, Law Enforcement DivisionOther state agency
• Secretary of State, Investigations UnitOther state agency
• Vermont State Police Headquarters Bureau of Criminal InvestigationsState police agency
• No name VTVSP1400Other state agency
• Washington County Sheriff's OfficeSheriff or county police

Agencies: FBI NIBRS master file 2025 batch headers; names from the FBI agency list, pulled 2026-09-29. An agency that serves several counties appears on each. Population served is the FBI's figure.