A Lincoln County Superior Court justice denied a Maine State Trooper’s motion for change of venue during a brief hearing May 26.
Gregory Vrooman, 45, Nobleboro, is charged with several counts of unlawful sexual contact with a minor, assault and tampering with a witness.
Last Thursday, Justice Jeffery Hjelm denied Vrooman’s request to move his trial to Sagadahoc County Court on the grounds that there is no substantive evidence at this time that it will be impossible to find an impartial jury in Lincoln County.
Vrooman’s attorney, Michael Turndorf, argued that given Vrooman’s position as a State Trooper patrolling Lincoln County for 20 years, and the extensive media attention the case has received, it will be difficult to find a jury in Lincoln County that does not have prior knowledge of Vrooman or the case.
Turndorf brought a collection of news articles and Internet material he said demonstrated a bias among the public towards Vrooman’s guilt. Some of the “blogs indicate what a creep [Vrooman] is and question what he must have done in the first 24 years of his career,” Turndorf said.
Although the ruling does not preclude a change of venue in the future – and the matter may be reconsidered after an attempt to select a jury later this year – Hjelm said he’s “not sure the record shows it would be futile to try to find a jury” in Lincoln County.
At the May 26 hearing, Hjelm granted Clifford Orders Turndorf submitted for two individuals related to Vrooman’s case. A Clifford Order allows the defense to view sealed Dept. of Health and Human Services child protective records.
Vrooman, 45, of Nobleboro, served as a Maine State Trooper for 24 years before his arrest on Nov. 24, 2010. He is charged with four counts of unlawful sexual contact, four counts of unlawful sexual touching, four counts of assault and one count of tampering with a witness.
The unlawful sexual contact, unlawful sexual touching and assault charges all stem from four alleged incidents between Dec. 16, 2009, and Oct. 27, 2010, involving a 13-year-old Nobleboro girl, according to Vrooman’s indictment, handed down by a Lincoln County grand jury in February.
The tampering with a witness charge names the alleged victim and her mother and alleges that Vrooman attempted to induce them to “withhold testimony, information or evidence.”
As of earlier this month, he was on unpaid leave from the State Police, Turndorf said.
