The United States District Court for the District of Vermont (in
case citation
Case citation is a system used by legal professionals to identify past court case decisions, either in series of books called reporters or law reports, or in a neutral style that identifies a decision regardless of where it is reported. Case ci ...
s, D. Vt.) is the
federal district court
The United States district courts are the trial courts of the U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each federal judicial district, which each cover one U.S. state or, in some cases, a portion of a state. Each district cou ...
whose jurisdiction is the federal district of
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
. The court has locations in
Brattleboro
Brattleboro (), originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire, which is the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is located about no ...
,
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
, and
Rutland
Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire.
Its greatest len ...
. The Court was created under the
Judiciary Act of 1791 under the jurisdiction of the
Eastern Circuit Court. Under the
Midnight Judges Act
The Midnight Judges Act (also known as the Judiciary Act of 1801; , and officially An act to provide for the more convenient organization of the Courts of the United States) represented an effort to solve an issue in the U.S. Supreme Court during ...
, the Circuits were reorganised and this Court was assigned to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate juri ...
where it has remained since. Originally created with one Judgeship, in 1966 a second Judgeship was added.
Appeals from the District of Vermont are taken to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (in case citations, 2d Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. Its territory comprises the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The court has appellate juri ...
(except for
patent
A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...
claims and claims against the U.S. government under the
Tucker Act
The Tucker Act (March 3, 1887, ch. 359, , ) is a federal statute of the United States by which the United States government has waived its sovereign immunity with respect to certain lawsuits.
The Tucker Act may be divided into the "Big" Tucker A ...
, which are appealed to the
Federal Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is a United States court of appeals that has special appellate jurisdiction over certain types of specialized cases in the U.S. federal court ...
).
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. the United States Attorney is
Nikolas P. Kerest.
Current judges
:
Former judges
Chief judges
Succession of seats
U.S. Attorneys
U.S. Attorneys for Vermont since it attained statehood in 1791 include:
U.S. Marshals
Duties and responsibilities
The United States Marshal for the District of Vermont oversees all Marshals Service operations in Vermont.
The Vermont district maintains offices in Burlington and Rutland, enabling the Marshals Service to carry out its role with respect to public safety in Vermont.
The U.S. Marshal for Vermont is responsible for federal law enforcement activities within the state, including apprehending fugitives and sex offenders, managing transport of federal prisoners, and protecting federal courthouses.
History
The offices of U.S. Marshal and Deputy Marshal were created by the 1st U.S. Congress when it passed the Judiciary Act of 1789.
Marshals were presidential appointees and their duties included supporting the federal courts within their districts and to executing the orders of the president, Congress and federal judges.
Support of the courts included serving subpoenas, summonses, writs, and warrants, making arrests, and handling prisoners.
Marshals were also responsible for the finances and administration of the courts, including paying fees, expenses, and salaries for court clerks, U.S. Attorneys, jurors, and witnesses.
Marshals serve at the pleasure of the president, and when the positions were created, Congress created a time limit on Marshals' service.
Marshals are limited to four-year, renewable terms that expire unless they are reappointed.
In the country's early years, Marshals rented courtroom and jail space, and hired and supervised bailiffs, criers, and janitors.
They also handled the day-to-day activities of court proceedings, including ensuring that defendants were present, jurors were available, and witnesses appeared as required.
Marshals were also called upon to carry out federal death sentences and investigate counterfeiting.
Because they were paid on a fee system, the positions were lucrative and highly sought after.
Marshals also filled a gap in the federal government as it was originally designed, executing numerous tasks because no other agency was available to do them.
These duties included taking the national census every 10 years until 1870, distributing Presidential proclamations, collecting statistical data for use by federal agencies, and supplying data on federal employees for including in a national register, deporting foreigners who entered the country illegally, and capturing fugitive slaves.
Over time, the duties of Marshals grew to include activities such as enforcement of the
Eighteenth Amendment, the prohibition of the sale and transport of alcoholic beverages.
In the modern era, the duties and responsibilities of U.S. Marshals include witness protection and apprehension of federal fugitives.
U.S. Marshals and dates of appointment
Vermont's U.S. Marshals have included:
*
Lewis R. Morris, March 4, 1791
*
Jabez G. Fitch, June 9, 1794
*
John Willard
John Willard ( 1657 - August 19, 1692) was one of the people executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, during the Salem witch trials. He was hanged on Gallows Hill, Salem on August 19, 1692.
At the time of the first allegations of witchc ...
, March 11, 1801
*
David Robinson
David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...
, January 7, 1811
*
Heman Allen, December 14, 1818
*
Joseph Edson, March 3, 1823
*
Heman Lowry, June 6, 1829
*
George W. Barker, December 30, 1835
*
Heman Lowry, March 7, 1837
*
William Barron, March 10, 1841
*
Jacob Kent Jr., March 15, 1845
*
John Pettes
John Pettes (March 17, 1793 - March 24, 1868) was a businessman and public official who was active in Windsor, Vermont. Among the offices in which he served were Sheriff of Windsor County (1837-1839) and United States Marshal for the District ...
, March 13, 1849
*
Charles Chapin
Charles E. Chapin (October 19, 1858 – December 13, 1930) was a New York editor of Joseph Pulitzer’s Evening World. He was convicted of the murder of his wife and sentenced to a 20-year-to-life term in Sing Sing prison.
Career
Chapin was b ...
, April 1, 1853
*
Lewis S. Partridge, May 2, 1857
*
Charles C. P. Baldwin, April 12, 1861
*
Hugh H. Henry, July 25, 1865
*
George P. Foster, January 24, 1870
*
William W. Henry, April 10, 1879
*
John Robinson, June 24, 1886
*
Rollin Amsden
Rollin Amsden (June 19, 1829 - January 27, 1899) was a Vermont businessman and government official. A lifelong resident of Windsor County, Vermont, he served in town offices including constable, tax collector, and selectman. He also served as d ...
, June 18, 1890
*
Emory S. Harris, June 9, 1894
*
Fred A. Field
Fred A. Field (June 17, 1850 – April 18, 1935) was a businessman and public official from Vermont. Among the offices in which he served, Field was United States Marshal for the District of Vermont from 1898 to 1903.
Early life
Frederick A. Fi ...
, June 14, 1898
*
Frank H. Chapman, October 16, 1903
*
Horace W. Bailey, October 21, 1903
*
Arthur P. Carpenter, February 14, 1914
*
Albert W. Harvey, June 2, 1922
*
Edward L. Burke, June 7, 1935
*
Dewey H. Perry, March 14, 1954
*
Thomas W. Sorrell, August 3, 1961
*
Christian Hansen Jr., June 20, 1969
*
Earle B. McLaughlin, July 28, 1977
*Christian Hansen Jr., March 17, 1982
*John Edward Rouille, September 29, 1994
*John H. Sinclair, November 29, 1999
*John R. Edwards, March 18, 2002
*David E. Demag, August 18, 2009
*Bradley J. LaRose, January 2, 2019
See also
*
Courts of Vermont
*
List of current United States district judges
The following is a list of all current judges of the United States district and territorial courts. The list includes both "active" and "senior" judges, both of whom hear and decide cases. There are 89 districts in the 50 states, with a total ...
*
List of United States federal courthouses in Vermont
References
External links
*
United States Attorney for the District of Vermont Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:United States District Court for the District of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...
Brattleboro, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Rutland, Vermont
1791 establishments in Vermont
Courthouses in Vermont
Courts and tribunals established in 1791