Vermont State Senator Terry Williams Jailed on Domestic Assault Charge Days Before Election
A two-term Vermont state senator from Rutland County was arrested and jailed on a misdemeanor domestic assault charge, just days before he was set to appear on the ballot for re-election, according to Vermont State Police.
Terry Williams, 74, of Poultney, was taken into custody following a police investigation into an incident reported around 5:40 p.m. Tuesday. State police officials stated that their investigation developed probable cause to determine that Williams had caused pain and injury to a household member a day earlier, on Monday.
Following his arrest, Williams was transported to the Rutland state police barracks for processing before being transferred to the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility and the Rutland jail, where he was held on $500 bail.
Williams Faces Arraignment as Senate Republicans Monitor Situation
Williams is scheduled to appear in Vermont Superior Court in Rutland for an arraignment at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Additional details regarding the incident are expected to be made public following the court appearance and the subsequent release of the police affidavit filed in support of the charge.
Senate Minority Leader Scott Beck addressed the arrest in a written statement released Wednesday morning, noting that legislative colleagues are monitoring the situation.
“Vermont Senate Republicans are aware of the Vermont State Police incident report that was released this morning regarding Sen. Terry Williams. We are not aware of any details beyond the VSP report and will make no comment at this time,” Beck said.
Williams, a Republican who has represented Rutland County in the Statehouse since 2022, is facing re-election on Tuesday. Senate leadership indicated that further comment from the caucus is anticipated following Wednesday afternoon’s arraignment hearing.
