In January of this year, when I was appointed as Washington County’s State’s Attorney, I stepped into an office with an exhausted staff, a growing backlog of cases, and intense public scrutiny. The office was also short two prosecutors between a vacancy and medical leave. It was a challenging time.
Fortunately, State’s Attorneys from near and far pitched in to help — taking on major felony cases, reviewing new cases, and helping with the day to day operations of the office. No one contributed more than Dennis Wygmans. Despite his own full docket in Addison County, Dennis volunteered to take on some of our most challenging cases and ably represented the State until my office returned to full staffing and achieved stability.
In those transitional months, Dennis became a regular presence in our office, meeting with victims, preparing cases, and strategizing as if they were his own in Addison County. His selflessness in assisting us in our time of need speaks volumes to his character and his dedication to all Vermonters.
In this period of criminal justice reform, Vermont needs State’s Attorneys who are dedicated to common sense outcomes, value rehabilitation, and respect victims’ rights. Dennis approaches criminal justice in a fair, intelligent, and reasonable way. He avoids generalizations and looks to the nuances and circumstances of each case or policy.
I sincerely hope the voters of Addison County elect Dennis as State’s Attorney.
Rory Thibault
Washington County State’s Attorney
Cabot