The Vermont Supreme Court has granted former Franklin County legislator Norm McAllister a new trial on alleged sex charges.

The high court said the trial court committed “reversible error” when it allowed “prior-bad acts evidence” to be admitted and then instructed the jury to disregard it. 

McAllister was accused of setting up a woman living on his farm to have sex with a man in order to pay her utility bill. In July 2017, he was convicted of prohibited acts, a misdemeanor, and acquitted of one count of sexual assault, a felony. 

McAllister’s attorney, Bob Katims brought the case to the state’s highest court in May. 

During oral arguments in Montpelier, he argued that the trial court “has no authority after the jury begins deliberations to then strike it from the testimony and not give the defense an opportunity to supplement it, to present different testimony, to react as trial attorneys with evidence and when it is objected to and when it’s not.” 

Local 22 & Local 44 News has reached out to Katims for comment.