Vermont’s legislature adopts changes

Williamsburg, Va. (May 19, 2010) —  After decades of debate, the Vermont Legislature this month passed a bill that allows for the unification of county and state courts – a move aimed to save money and improve efficiency. The National Center for State Courts, NCSC, has been working with the Vermont courts for months, helping them plan and prepare for this sweeping restructuring.
 
“The success of this project is attributable to the entire Vermont Judiciary and particularly to the Supreme Court who demonstrated remarkable leadership in dealing with very challenging circumstances. The citizens of Vermont are well served,” said Daniel J. Hall, NCSC vice president of Court Consulting Services.

The restructuring bill puts criminal, civil, family, environmental, and probate courts under a single administrative umbrella overseen by the Supreme Court. County court employees will become state court employees. This unification, which begins in July, will allow the courts to make greater use of technology, make better use of employees and saves $1 million a year.

“In these times of decreasing financial resources, this legislation provides the Vermont Judiciary with complete flexibility to manage all the resources provided to the Judiciary in order to preserve access to justice and meet our constitutional and statutory priorities,” said Robert Greemore, Vermont State Court Administrator.

The Vermont legislature directed the Vermont Supreme Court to appoint a Commission on Judicial Operation to examine a number of areas, including consolidation of staff and regionalization of administrative functions. The commission membership represented all three branches of government and members of the public. The Vermont Supreme Court asked the NCSC to work with them to build a sustainable system based first on values and second on reduced costs. The legislature’s move comes nearly four decades after Vermont voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing for the unification. Since that 1974 vote, attempts to restructure the courts have not succeeded until now.