TOWN OF LAGRANGE – Former Pleasant Valley Highway Superintendent John Baxter, 57, convicted in June of two misdemeanor counts of attempted unlawful surveillance for his role in placing a camera under the desk of his secretary at the highway department, was sentenced by LaGrange Town Justice Stephen O’Hare on Wednesday afternoon. Following a powerful victim impact statement asking for a maximum sentence and pleas from Baxter’s wife and a neighbor asking for leniency, O’Hare ordered Baxter to serve 60 days in the Dutchess County Jail. He was ordered to surrender to the jail by 5 p.m. on November 1, 2026.
On August 1, 2025, after discovering a camera under the desk of Baxter’s secretary at the highway department. On August 4, 2025, the town requested that Baxter take a voluntary leave of absence, according to Brooke Youngwirth, the town attorney for labor and employment issues.
John Baxter was subsequently arrested on the felony charge of unlawful surveillance on August 11, 2025, and town officials were notified the following day. The charge was later reduced to misdemeanor attempted unlawful surveillance.
.
.
Baxter, first elected highway superintendent in 2023, resigned in late June 2026 after the conviction.
Baxter’s former secretary and victim, Beth Ann Mona, wrote a victim impact statement that Director of the Family Services Center for Victim Safety and Support, Melissa Hardisty, read in court. Describing the suffering the incident caused, Mona’s statement said in part, “I struggle and continue to struggle with everyday tasks and feel like I have been stripped of normalcy and punished for the actions of a selfish, despicable individual I once trusted. Due to this traumatic event, I have experienced trust issues, betrayal, anger, fear, relationship struggles, and am constantly on guard to protect my well–being and mental health.”
Mona also addressed the victim-shaming she endured at the hands of the defense counsel during the trial. “Rather than place the blame on the individual who committed the crime, the defense focused on what I was wearing and the language I used while I was sharing my experience as a victim of a crime. It is the duty of society to recognize the harm and impact that victim blaming can have on a victim who spoke out about an injustice done to them. Blaming a survivor for the offenders‘ actions not only revictimizes the survivor but also exposes them to ridicule and scrutiny. It is my hope that we recognize the impact victim blaming has had on me and any other individual who has been a victim of a crime.”
Baxter’s wife of 19 years spoke about the issues their family has faced since the case came to light. “John has lost his identity and experiences great sadness,” while noting her husband spent years in the local fire department answering calls for help from the community at all hours of the day and night. She said they plan to move to a small town in the Adirondacks once he is allowed to leave the area. Defense attorney Rones told the court that Baxter, although being ostracized in his Pleasant Valley community, has also lost a lot, too.”
The Dutchess County Probation Department’s pre-sentencing report indicated that Baxter showed no signs of remorse or responsibility for his actions, but a tearful Baxter gave a different response on Wednesday, telling the court, “This is not who I am. I feel totally deflated and defeated,” before pausing to add, “I’ve been waiting a year to say I’m sorry – I never meant to hurt her (Mona).”
In addition to the 60 days in jail, Baxter is required to pay a fine of $500 and a mandatory surcharge of $205. The jail sentence will be followed by a three-year reporting to the Dutchess County Probation Department. At the request of ADA LaStella, Baxter will continued to be restrained from contacting the victim by a court-ordered long-term restraining order and he will be required to register as a sex offender. A hearing on the registry requirement will be heard by Judge O’Hare in early November.
Comments