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The case Vermont vs Hunt (1982) had two major outcomes. One was a ruling by the Vermont Supreme Court that side judges had the right to vote on plea agreements. The second was a lengthy review of judges conduct used to reach this conclusion. This resulted in a Judicial Conduct Board bringing 24 formal charges against three Supreme Court judges.
Background[edit]
The state accused Hunt of murdering a neighbor in 1982. His attorney attempted to plea bargain a minimum of ten years. The Vermont Superior Court Judge, James L. Morse, accepted the plea. Both side judges, including Jane Wheel, disagreed. They brought their objections to the Vermont Supreme Court and, in 1984, obtained a ruling in favor of the side judges plea.
Judicial conduct[edit]
Wheel was president of the professional society, Association of Side Judges. She was determined to win her initial appeal to the Supreme Court. She was mistress to two judges, William C. Hill and Thomas L. Hayes.[1] She threatened Vermont Attorney General John J. Easton Jr. with undermining his support for his candidacy for governor.[2]
Assistant Attorney General Brian L. Burgess punctured a hole in the wall, in order to eavesdrop on a conversation between Vermont Attorney General Jeffrey Amestoy and Hill, when Wheel was being investigated. Hill, a sitting Supreme Court judge, was attempting to influence Amestoy.[2]
At one point during appeal, all five court members were forced to step aside, and have their positions filled by temporary judges. The New York Times called the high court, a "rump court."[3]
In 1986 and 1987, Hill and two other justices, Hill, Ernest W. Gibson III, and Hayes, were accused of tailoring decisions to suit Wheel, and helping her cover up pay padding. Wheel was accused of wielding undue influence over the justices.[4] Hayes died before the charges could be resolved, and charges against Gibson were dropped.[4] Wheel was convicted on charges arising from the case.[5] Hill was found to have violated rules regarding judicial conduct, and opted to retire at the end of his second six-year term, rather than applying to remain on the court until age 70, Vermont's mandatory retirement age for judges.[6] His former colleagues banned him from serving as a judge again.[2]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "State Board Investigating Judge Wheel", p. 1.
- ^ a b c Lefebvre, Paul (August 6, 2018). "A look at a jaw-dropping judicial scandal". The Chronicle. Barton, Vermont. pp. 1A.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "'Breach of Trust' - When the Vermont Supreme Court was on trial". burlingtonfreepress.com. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ a b "High Court Drops Charges Against Gibson", p. 1B.
- ^ "Ex-Judge Wheel Gets Jail Term", p. 1.
- ^ "Former Vermont Supreme Court Justice Found in Violation of Conduct Rules".
External references[edit]
- Dunn, James L. (2018). Breach of Trust. Onion River Press. ISBN 9-78-099764587-3.
- "State v. Hunt".