A 36-year-old man from Illinois, Julius A. Jones, has been ordered to remain in custody with a bail set at $15,000. This decision came on Wednesday following reports from Vermont officials that Jones had traveled to Brattleboro in violation of his probation and assaulted a victim related to a previous conviction.

In Windham County Superior Court, Jones faced a serious charge of aggravated domestic assault. According to prosecutors, he was on probation in Quincy, Illinois, due to a domestic battery conviction dating back to May 2025, and he has also encountered legal troubles for breaching a protection order in the past. Illinois probation authorities informed their Vermont counterparts they were actively searching for Jones, who had not complied with check-in requirements since January 21.

During the court proceedings, Windham County Deputy State’s Attorney Karen Schwabe detailed that Jones had evaded his probation obligations, made contact with the protected individual despite enforced no-contact conditions, and had followed the victim to Vermont. She indicated that an arrest warrant was planned once Illinois officials confirmed his whereabouts.

Brattleboro police responded to a call from the alleged victim at the Quality Inn on Putney Road shortly after midnight on March 3. The victim claimed Jones had physically harmed them earlier that day and attempted to force his way into their room. The complainant recounted a previous incident from February 13 when a disagreement over a cellphone escalated into a struggle, resulting in an injury from a broken charging cable. The victim indicated that the pain from the injury had intensified over the following days and they expressed significant anxiety during the altercation. Notably, a 1-year-old child was present in the room at the time of the incident.

Jones admitted to the confrontation but contended that the victim had caused their own injury when the cord broke. He disputed the events of March 3, claiming no physical altercation took place.

During the hearing, defense attorney Mimi Brill categorized the alleged behavior as relatively minor. She stated that Jones intended to reside with his sister-in-law in Brattleboro while awaiting legal proceedings and expressed his willingness to return to Illinois to sort out his probation status due to financial constraints that prevented him from posting bail. She also highlighted that the hearing date coincided with Jones’s birthday, advocating for his release to facilitate his return to Illinois.

Judge Michael Kainen characterized the underlying actions as seemingly minor but acknowledged that Vermont law elevates such incidents to felony charges due to past convictions related to domestic assault. He pointed out Jones’s record of disregarding court orders, including violations of a protection order and the stipulations of his Illinois probation that prohibited any contact with the victim. Judge Kainen agreed with the state’s request for bail, deeming the $15,000 amount reasonable given the circumstances.

The court established standard conditions for his release, mandating that Jones have no contact with the victim and maintain a distance of at least 300 feet away. The case will be revisited next week, pending confirmation from Illinois regarding their intentions and any required extradition paperwork.