A former Lamoille County Sheriff's Department deputy is facing possible revocation of his law enforcement certification over allegations he created mock trading cards of arrested individuals using booking photos and internal video images.
The Vermont Criminal Justice Council has set a Nov. 17 hearing for James Griffin, who resigned from the department in early 2024. The council can impose sanctions up to permanent loss of his police certification.
According to the hearing notice, investigators found 34 trading cards on Griffin's work computer, 15 of which depicted suspects. Images were taken from booking photos, a law enforcement internal system, and stills from holding cell video.
The allegations also involve an altered body-worn camera video of a domestic assault arrest that was uploaded to TikTok. The voices were modified and captioned to mock the arrested person. Griffin downloaded the video in January 2024 after the case had already been dismissed, according to the notice.
During an internal affairs interview, Griffin initially denied making trading cards but later said he made them only of co-workers. A file labeled 'Trading Cards' was found on his department computer, and physical copies were circulated among other deputies.
Lamoille County Sheriff Roger Marcoux declined to comment. Christopher Brickell, executive director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council, said Griffin is not currently working in law enforcement. The hearing may be resolved before November, Brickell said.
Originally reported by Hardwick Gazette.
Photo: Sarah Larson from Ann Arbor, MI, USA (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0). Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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