Commonly Asked Questions about the Vermont Attorney General's Office
* What does the Attorney General's Office do?
* Where do I go when I have a consumer complaint?
* Is gambling legal in Vermont? What's allowed and what's not?
* What are my rights as a citizen to attend public meetings?
* What are my rights to access public records and documents?
* How do I file a complaint against an attorney?
* How do I file a complaint against a court or a judge?
* Where do I go to file a complaint against a law enforcement officer?
What does the Attorney General’s Office do?
The Attorney General’s Office is the law firm for Vermont state government. When the State is sued, the AG’s Office defends the case in court. When the state Legislature or a state agency needs legal advice, the AG’s Office provides it. The Office’s work, however, extends well beyond these more traditional roles. For example, the AG’s Office has statewide jurisdiction to prosecute criminal cases. The Office also enforces a whole host of other state laws, including our environmental protection, consumer protection, civil rights and professional licensing laws, to name a few. The AG’s Office is involved in many diverse areas of practice, including: contracts, torts, criminal law, welfare law, employment law, real estate, bankruptcy, tax, education and many others. 
Does the Attorney General supervise the State’s Attorneys in each of Vermont’s counties? If not, who does?
Although the Attorney General does have statewide authority to prosecute criminal cases, and does often consult with and assist the various State’s Attorneys, the Attorney General does not manage the operations of the State’s Attorney's offices. Each of the State’s Attorneys is independently elected in his or her county and is tasked with prosecuting crimes committed in those jurisdictions. Ultimately, the State’s Attorneys are answerable to the voters in their own communities.
Where do I go when I have a consumer complaint?
The Attorney General’s Office has its own consumer complaint handling operation, known as the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP). For more information on the CAP and how to file a complaint please click CAP.
Is gambling legal in Vermont? What’s allowed and what’s not?
Professional gambling is illegal in Vermont. Vermont’s gambling laws are designed to ensure that only nonprofit organizations can operate games of chance and that all the proceeds from such games, except for prizes and reasonable expenses, go to charity. For a summary of Vermont’s gambling laws, please click Gambling Laws.
What are my rights as a citizen to attend public meetings?
Generally all meetings of public bodies in Vermont must be open to the public unless there is a specific provision in the law that allows a meeting, or a portion of a meeting, to be closed to the public. For purposes of the Open Meeting Law, "public body" means any board, council, or commission of any state agency, authority of or instrumentality of the state or of a subdivision of the state. In limited circumstances public bodies can vote to go into executive session and exclude the public from the executive session. The following are among the subjects that may properly be considered in executive session: the appointment or evaluation of public officials, negotiation of real estate purchases, the consideration of records or documents that are not available to the public.
The Open Meeting Law is found at 1 V.S.A. Sections 310 through 314. The Secretary of State’s Office has "A Short Guide to Vermont’s Open Meeting Law" available on the Internet at the Secretary of State’s Home Page.
What are my rights to access public records and documents?
Vermont has a Public Documents Law providing that all written or recorded matters produced or acquired in the course of the business of a state agency are public documents. However, the law provides that a number of specifically listed types of documents are not available to the public. The list of types of documents not available to the public includes: documents made confidential by any law, documents which are recognized as being privileged (such as medical records), documents dealing with criminal investigations, tax returns, trade secrets, records relevant to active litigation, records relevant to the negotiation of contracts, and records containing certain types of personal or financial information about individuals.
The procedures for requesting public documents are set out in the Public Documents Law. Generally speaking, you are probably best advised to put your request in writing and mail it to the agency in question, although many agencies are well equipped to handle in-person requests. If you believe you were wrongly denied a request for public records, you may appeal first to the head of the agency and, if still dissatisfied, may then file an appeal in Superior Court. The Public Documents Law is found at 1 V.S.A. Sections 315 through 320.
Someone told me the Attorney General wrote a formal opinion on a matter I am interested in. How do I find it?
Our office prepares perhaps a half dozen formal legal opinions per year on a variety of topics, usually when a state agency or the Legislature has requested an opinion and where it seems likely that a formal written document might help resolve a major dispute or uncertainty in the law. Due to budget limitations, the Office no longer publishes these opinions in book form, as was done many years ago. However, the state law library still retains the volumes of bound opinions from the early 1970s and before. We plan to start posting new AG’s Opinions on this web site in the near future. In the interim, persons inquiring about opinions can call the following number for information: (802) 828 5500.
How do I file a complaint against an attorney?
The Professional Responsibility Board’s Office of Bar Counsel is responsible for reviewing and screening all complaints of unethical conduct by attorneys licensed to practice in Vermont. Contact:
Professional Responsibility Program
C/O Costello Courthouse
32 Cherry Street, Suite 213
Burlington, VT 05402
If you have a complaint against an attorney in the Attorney General’s Office, which may not rise to the level of unethical conduct, you may also want to contact the appropriate division chief in our office or the Deputy Attorney General.
How do I file a complaint against a court or a judge?
The Judicial Conduct Board is responsible for reviewing and investigating all complaints of misconduct or disability by Vermont’s judicial officers. Contact the chair:
Christopher Davis, Esq.
Langrock, Sperry & Wool
275 College Street
P.O. Box 721
Burlington, VT 05402-0721
Where do I go to file a complaint against a law enforcement officer?
The place to start is usually with the head of the police department or sheriff’s office where the officer works. Some departments, including the Vermont State Police, have internal affairs units, whose responsibility it is to investigate complaints against officers. In some cases, it is also appropriate to notify the mayor or town manager of the municipality involved. Where the complaint relates to alleged criminal activity by a police officer, you may contact the State Police, your local State’s Attorney’s Office, or the Attorney General’s Criminal Division.