Gregory Vrooman, the State Trooper charged with one count of unlawful sexual contact and one count of tampering with a witness, made his initial appearance in Lincoln County Superior Court in Wiscasset on Jan. 27.
His appearance did not include a plea, as Vrooman, a 45-year-old Nobleboro resident, has not been arraigned. The next grand jury meets in February, court officials said.
Both charges are felonies carrying maximum sentences of five years in prison.
At the hearing, Vrooman’s attorney, Michael Turndorf, took issue with the fact that the state has not provided any indication of what probable cause the state had to arrest Vrooman.
Vrooman was arrested on Nov. 24, 2010, without a warrant. He was booked and released on bail almost immediately, Turndorf said. No affidavit or statements of probable cause for the arrest have been filed with the court or provided to Turndorf, he said.
“It’s been more than 60 days, and I have not seen any information from the state,” Turndorf said. He argued that the lack of information hinders his ability to conduct an investigation in defense of his client.
Assistant District Attorney Deb Cashman said that a full discovery would be provided after Vrooman’s indictment and subsequent arraignment. “[Turndorf] knows who [the alleged victim and her mother] are and where they are,” Cashman said. “There is nothing hindering his investigation.”
