Rule 4 - The Judicial Conduct Board(1) The Supreme Court shall appoint a Board to be known as the Judicial Conduct Board which shall consist of nine members composed as follows: (a) Three shall be judges, active or retired, other than an active justice of the Supreme Court;(b) Three shall be attorneys admitted to the practice of law in this state; and (c) Three shall be lay persons, not admitted to the practice of law in this state or any other state, nor an active, retired or resigned judge. (2) In making its appointments, the Court shall consider attorneys recommended by the Vermont Bar Association, and judges recommended by the Vermont Trial Judges Association. The Supreme Court shall solicit names of interested attorneys and judges from the Vermont Bar Association, the Vermont Trial Judges' Association, and the Board, and shall appoint a successor to fill any unexpired term. The Board shall also be invited to submit names for lay member appointments. (3) The terms of the members of the Board shall be for staggered terms; three members, consisting of one judge, one attorney, and one lay member shall be appointed for one year; three members, consisting of one judge, one attorney, and one lay member shall be appointed for two years; and three members, consisting of one judge, one attorney, and one lay member shall be appointed for three years; thereafter all regular terms shall be three years, except that each member, including the members of the current Board, shall remain a member of the Board beyond the term for purposes of taking part in any decision on a matter that was pending at the end of that term. The list of Board members shall be publicly available on the Judiciary website. (4) No member may be appointed for more than two consecutive terms, but a member may be reappointed after a lapse of one full term. (5) The Court shall annually appoint a Chair and Vice-Chair, who shall both be lawyers. The Court, in its discretion, may reappoint the Chair to the Board for a third consecutive three year term. The Chair shall call and conduct all meetings of the Board and perform such other functions as the Court shall direct. The Vice-Chair shall perform these duties during the absence or incapacity of the Chair. The Board shall have the power to employ clerical persons to assist the Board, subject to the approval of the Court Administrator as to terms of employment including compensation. The Court Administrator shall provide the Board with such supplies and equipment as are necessary for it to discharge its responsibilities. Vt. Disc. Control of Judges R. 4
Adopted Feb. 17, 1978, eff. 3/1/1978; amended Aug. 31, 1981, eff. 11/3/1981; 10/31/1985; 9/17/2001, eff. 1/1/2002; 10/11/2006, eff. 12/11/2006; 12/21/2010, eff. 2/21/2011.