The state’s top lawyer oversight body is pushing to suspend Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos from practicing law, citing her DUI conviction and what officials describe as a pattern of professional misconduct that extended well beyond a single night.
Jon Alexander, disciplinary counsel for the Vermont Professional Responsibility Board, filed a 23-page request to the Vermont Supreme Court earlier this month seeking the “immediate suspension” of Vekos’ law license. The Vermont Supreme Court, which oversees discipline for all attorneys and judicial officers in the state, was scheduled to take up the matter at a hearing on March 19.
The filing centers on Vekos’ December no-contest plea to a drunken driving charge. According to the filing, police found her intoxicated at a suspicious death scene in January 2024, a call she responded to as part of her official duties as a prosecutor. She received a six-month deferred sentence, meaning the conviction could be cleared from her record if she commits no further violations during that period.
Alexander’s filing does not treat the DUI as an isolated lapse. He argues that Vekos’ conduct during and after the night of her arrest compounds the severity of the situation significantly.
“State’s Attorney Vekos committed her crime during the course of her law practice and performance of her public duties,” Alexander wrote. He added that, in an effort to avoid prosecution, Vekos “also committed additional and related professional misconduct of abusing her public office, attempting to improperly influence police officers and interfering with the administration of justice.”
Alexander is seeking the suspension specifically while formal disciplinary proceedings move forward before a Hearing Panel of the Professional Responsibility Board. Neither Vekos nor her attorney had responded to requests for comment at the time of the filing’s initial coverage.
Vekos has faced mounting pressure from across Vermont’s political spectrum. Leaders of both the Vermont Democratic and Progressive parties, as well as Republican Gov. Phil Scott, have called on her to resign. Those calls intensified following reporting in December about ethics complaints filed by crime victims who described how they were treated by her office. Vekos has contested those allegations and has said repeatedly that she does not intend to step down.
A separate internal investigation conducted by a law firm hired by the Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs found that Vekos had shown “significant failures” related to ethical and legal responsibilities. Vermont Public reported on those findings last month.
The Professional Responsibility Board’s involvement adds a legal dimension to what has largely been a political and public accountability story. A suspension of her law license would directly affect her ability to function as a prosecutor, since the position requires an active license to practice law in Vermont.
For communities across Addison County, the situation raises real questions about continuity of public safety functions and access to justice. A state’s attorney oversees prosecution of criminal cases, including those involving domestic violence, substance abuse, and crimes against vulnerable populations. Prolonged uncertainty about the office’s leadership creates gaps that fall hardest on people who depend on consistent, professional case management.
The filing’s framing is notable. By emphasizing that Vekos’ alleged misconduct occurred during the performance of her public duties, Alexander is making an argument that goes beyond character. He is arguing that the conduct directly compromised the integrity of the legal system she was charged with upholding.
Shortly after Vekos’ 2024 arrest, her law license was temporarily suspended at that time as well, after Alexander claimed she failed to cooperate with his investigation. That earlier action and this latest filing suggest the disciplinary process has been moving on a parallel track to the criminal proceedings for some time.
The Vermont Supreme Court’s upcoming hearing will determine whether the suspension moves forward while broader disciplinary proceedings continue. What happens in that courtroom will carry real consequences, not just for Vekos, but for every person in Addison County whose case sits in the queue of her office.
