When Vermont’s Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs finally called on Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos to resign on 11 March 2026, it was not because the facts had just emerged. Vekos had pleaded no contest to a DUI charge in December 2025. An independent investigation had already found “significant failures” in her professional and ethical obligations, as Vermont Public reported in February 2026. Victims and their families had complained that she violated victims’ rights, failed to notify them of defendant releases, and treated them poorly in court. The oversight body moved only after the story was public and the pressure was on. The real losers are the residents who relied on a prosecutor and a system that acted only when the headlines forced their hand.
Oversight Stepped In Only After the Story Broke
WCAX reported that the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs called for Vekos to resign following her no-contest plea. The DUI stemmed from an incident in January 2024 when police said she drove to a suspicious death scene while intoxicated. She received a six-month deferred sentence. Beyond the DUI, the lawyer for the Vermont Professional Responsibility Board sought “immediate suspension” of her law license, as VTDigger reported on 11 March 2026, alleging that she abused her public office, attempted to improperly influence police officers, and interfered with the administration of justice in connection with her arrest. A hearing on suspension was set for 19 March. Vekos had already resisted calls to resign from the governor and lawmakers. Her attorney argued that even if a DUI conviction violated conduct rules, the sanction would likely be a public reprimand rather than suspension.
The independent investigation cited by Vermont Public detailed allegations that Vekos treated crime victims poorly, swore at a judge, and failed to show up for court hearings. Those findings were reported in late February 2026. The oversight body’s resignation call came weeks later, after the narrative was in the open. Until then, Addison County had a state’s attorney under a deferred sentence, with a disciplinary panel seeking her suspension and victims’ advocates documenting harm. The system had the authority to act earlier; it did not use it until the story was unavoidable.
Vermont’s structure gives the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs and the Professional Responsibility Board clear roles in holding prosecutors accountable. The ACLU of Vermont has documented broader problems: prosecutors operating without public data dashboards, rare or non-existent Brady disclosures in some offices, and concentrated power in 14 elected state’s attorneys with little transparency. The Vekos case is a high-profile instance of accountability arriving late. The governor and legislators had already called for her resignation; the department’s move added institutional weight but did not change the underlying delay. For residents and victims who had raised concerns before March 2026, the timing of the resignation call reinforced the view that oversight responds to political and media pressure rather than to the underlying conduct alone. VTDigger and Vermont Public had reported victim complaints and the independent investigation’s findings in late February; the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs did not call for resignation until 11 March, the same day the disciplinary counsel filed for suspension. That sequence suggests the oversight body was reacting to the same wave of public and political pressure that had already prompted the governor and party leaders to demand Vekos step down. The lesson for other jurisdictions is that prosecutor accountability often depends on when the story breaks and who responds first, not only on the severity of the conduct.
What This Actually Means
Accountability that depends on headlines is not real accountability; it is damage control. Residents of Addison County were entitled to a prosecutor who showed up, treated victims with respect, and did not drive to a death scene while intoxicated. The oversight bodies had the reports and the authority to act sooner. That they acted only after the story went public suggests that the system is built to respond to scandal rather than to prevent it. The losers are the people who had to rely on that system before the cameras turned on.
Who Is Eva Vekos?
Eva Vekos is the elected State’s Attorney for Addison County, Vermont. She was arrested in January 2024 on a DUI charge after police said she drove to a suspicious death scene while intoxicated. She pleaded no contest in December 2025 and received a six-month deferred sentence. An independent investigation in 2026 found significant failures in her professional and ethical obligations, including allegations of mistreating crime victims, swearing at a judge, and missing court hearings. The Vermont Professional Responsibility Board sought suspension of her law license; the Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs called for her resignation in March 2026. She had previously resisted calls from the governor and lawmakers to step down.