Breaking: John Grace gets pretrial probation in ‘scarecrow’ case
“My family can breathe a sigh of relief,” Grace told The Concord Bridge after Monday’s court proceedings.
The criminal case against Concordian John Grace could go away — if he stays out of trouble for the next six months.
Concord District Court Judge Lynn Brendemuehl agreed on Monday to place Grace on pretrial probation in the case involving his alleged placement of “scarecrows” criticizing schools Superintendent Laurie Hunter.
Grace must not commit any offenses and must abide by a harassment prevention order that Hunter has in place against him. Defense attorney George King said prosecutors will dismiss the case if Grace complies with the rules.
“My family can breathe a sigh of relief,” Grace told The Concord Bridge after the proceedings.
The arrangement could end the prosecution without requiring Grace to admit any guilt.
“Given how heavily they litigated the case after they raided his house with almost a dozen law enforcement personnel, it’s a stunning resolution,” King told The Bridge. “It’s also the right resolution.”
A schools spokesperson said Hunter “has no comment on this matter” when asked about Grace’s pretrial probation.
A Middlesex District Attorney’s Office spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to Bridge questions.
The history
Grace has clashed with officials dating back to his time as a parent of a child attending public school. A jury acquitted him in 2024 after a 2022 incident when he allegedly said he could “drive down there and put two into somebody.”
Grace has called that allegation inaccurate.
Scarecrows and signs with messages including “The hatchet for Hunter” and “Fire liar Hunter” started cropping up around Concord last fall.
Police say they traced the displays to Grace and arrested him in November 2025 on a charge of violating a harassment prevention order that Hunter had secured after previous incidents.
Hunter said the signs and their language frightened her. King has framed the messages as protected political speech calling for a public official’s ouster.
King said his free-speech arguments have been vindicated, “because they [prosecutors] essentially dropped the case.”
Hunter “should recognize that as a well-compensated senior public official, there are some bothersome aspects to the job that people in such positions have to deal with,” he said.
The path forward
King has moved to toss out evidence gathered from a search of Grace’s house.
He argued the search lacked probable cause, but Justice Hector Zumbado disagreed and deemed the evidence admissible. Zumbado’s decision would matter if the case ever goes to trial.
Though the main Concord District Court case is on pause, “We’re still taking it further,” King said.
He said he’s formally appealed Hunter’s underlying harassment prevention order, which he argues is improper. He’s also appealed a judge’s decision to deny a special motion to dismiss the charge against Grace.
