Vermont Supreme Court
| Vermont Supreme Court | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Vermont Supreme Court | |
 | |
| Established | 1841 |
| Location | Montpelier, Vermont |
| Authorized by | Vermont Constitution |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of the United States |
The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont and is one of seven state courts of Vermont.
The Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices; the Court mostly hears appeals of cases that have been decided by other courts. The Supreme Court justices are appointed by the Governor of Vermont with confirmation by the Vermont Senate. When a judicial vacancy occurs, the judicial nominating board submits to the governor the names of as many persons as it deems qualified for appointment.[1] All Supreme Court justices come up for retention at the same time every six years. The next retention year is 2011. The Joint Committee on Judicial Retention reviews a justice's performance during the previous term and recommends to the Vermont General Assembly whether the justice should be retained. The committee consists of four House members appointed by the Speaker of the House and four Senate members appointed by the Committee on Committees. After open debate and discussion, the General Assembly votes by secret ballot.[2] Vermont judges may be removed in one of two ways: (1) Judges may be impeached by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly and convicted by a two-thirds vote of the Senate, and (2) a Judicial Conduct Board investigates complaints of judicial misconduct or disability and recommends any necessary action to the Supreme Court.[3]
The current chief justice is Paul L. Reiber. Reiber was appointed Associate Justice in October 2003 by Gov. Jim Douglas and then sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Court on December 17, 2004.[4]
The Vermont Supreme Court has overall administrative control of the court system and makes administrative and procedural rules for all courts.
The Vermont Supreme Court meets in a granite Beaux Arts style building in Montpelier just east of the Vermont State House and immediately west of the The Pavilion Office Building.
Membership
| Title | Name | Joined the Court[5] | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice | Paul L. Reiber | 2003 | Jim Douglas |
| Associate Justice | John Dooley | 1987 | Madeleine M. Kunin |
| Associate Justice | Denise Johnson | 1990 | Madeleine M. Kunin |
| Associate Justice | Marilyn Skoglund | 1997 | Howard Dean |
| Associate Justice | Brian L. Burgess | 2005 | Jim Douglas |
History
The original constitution called for a "Council of Censors" which provided oversight for the court and its membership. The Council was abolished in 1870.[6]