Vermont Case Commentaries

PeakCM v. ATAS: Vermont Supreme Court Narrows the “Special-Relationship” Exception and Re-Affirms a Strict Economic-Loss Rule in Construction-Product Litigation

Date: Aug 26, 2025

PeakCM v. ATAS: Vermont Supreme Court Narrows the “Special-Relationship” Exception and Re-Affirms a Strict Economic-Loss Rule in Construction-Product Litigation Introduction PeakCM, LLC v....

Watrous v. Porter Medical Center (2025 VT 47): Hospital Policy Alone Cannot Establish the Standard of Care & Appellate Deference to Jury Findings on Rule 59 Motions

Date: Aug 19, 2025

Watrous v. Porter Medical Center (2025 VT 47) Hospital Policy Alone Cannot Establish the Standard of Care & Appellate Deference to Jury Findings on Rule 59 Motions 1. Introduction The Vermont Supreme...

“Unsupervised” Re-Defined: Vermont Affirms Broad DCF Discretion in Risk-of-Sexual-Harm Substantiations – Commentary on In re Appeal of S.C.-M., 2025 VT 48

Date: Aug 19, 2025

“Unsupervised” Re-Defined: Vermont Affirms Broad DCF Discretion in Risk-of-Sexual-Harm Substantiations Commentary on In re Appeal of S.C.-M., 2025 VT 48 1. Introduction The Vermont Supreme Court’s...

“De Minimis No Longer” – Vermont Supreme Court Affirms Mandatory Disqualification for Recurring CACFP Deficiencies and Clarifies Agency Waiver of Procedural Rules

Date: Aug 19, 2025

“De Minimis No Longer” – Vermont Supreme Court Affirms Mandatory Disqualification for Recurring CACFP Deficiencies and Clarifies Agency Waiver of Procedural Rules Introduction In In re Butterfly...

Administrative Deference & Severability of Ultra-Vires Conditions: The Vermont Supreme Court’s Decision in “In re Rutland Regional Medical Center Fiscal Year 2025”

Date: Aug 19, 2025

Administrative Deference & Severability of Ultra-Vires Conditions: The Vermont Supreme Court’s Decision in “In re Rutland Regional Medical Center Fiscal Year 2025” Introduction On 14 August 2025, the...

Walker v. Newell: Vermont Supreme Court Reinforces Trial Judges’ Continuing Rule-403 Discretion over Stale Conviction Evidence in Punitive-Damages Trials

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Walker v. Newell: Vermont Supreme Court Reinforces Trial Judges’ Continuing Rule-403 Discretion over Stale Conviction Evidence in Punitive-Damages Trials 1. Introduction Case Name: Christina Walker...

Vermont Supreme Court Endorses Reliance on Non-Rule Agency Policy in Child-Abuse Substantiation Proceedings – Commentary on In re Appeal of T.J. (2025)

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Vermont Supreme Court Endorses Reliance on Non-Rule Agency Policy in Child-Abuse Substantiation Proceedings Commentary on In re Appeal of T.J., 2025 VT ___ (Aug. 8, 2025) 1. Introduction The Vermont...

Event-Triggered Permit Conditions Upheld: Vermont Supreme Court Clarifies “Material Change” and the Condition-Subsequent Doctrine under Act 250 – Commentary on In re Costco Wholesale Administrative Decision, 2025 VT 44

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Event-Triggered Permit Conditions Upheld: Vermont Supreme Court Clarifies “Material Change” and the Condition-Subsequent Doctrine under Act 250 Introduction The Supreme Court of Vermont in In re...

“Stagnation Suffices” – Vermont Supreme Court Clarifies the Single-Step Change-in-Circumstances Standard under 33 V.S.A. § 5113(b)

Date: Aug 13, 2025

“Stagnation Suffices” – Vermont Supreme Court Clarifies the Single-Step Change-in-Circumstances Standard under 33 V.S.A. § 5113(b) 1. Introduction The Vermont Supreme Court’s entry order in In Re...

“Partial Progress Is Not Enough” – Vermont Supreme Court Clarifies the Doctrine of Parental Stagnation and the “Reasonable-Time” Standard in Termination-of-Parental-Rights Cases

Date: Aug 13, 2025

“Partial Progress Is Not Enough” – Vermont Supreme Court Clarifies the Doctrine of Parental Stagnation and the “Reasonable-Time” Standard in Termination-of-Parental-Rights Cases 1. Introduction In In...

Clarifying ICWA Inquiry Duties and Putative Fathers’ Due-Process Rights in Vermont – A Commentary on In re O.L., Juvenile (2025)

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Clarifying ICWA Inquiry Duties and Putative Fathers’ Due-Process Rights in Vermont – A Commentary on In re O.L., Juvenile (Vt. 2025) Introduction The Vermont Supreme Court’s decision in In re O.L.,...

Twombly v. Horne: Reaffirming the Appellant’s Duty to Perfect the Record and the Automatic Writ of Possession under Vermont’s Rent-Escrow Statute

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Twombly v. Horne: Reaffirming the Appellant’s Duty to Perfect the Record and the Automatic Writ of Possession under Vermont’s Rent-Escrow Statute Introduction Oliver Twombly v. Marcia Horne, 2025 VT...

Limiting Perry: Vermont Supreme Court Holds That Due-Process Notice in Property-Tax Grievances Need Not Be Mailed to Counsel

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Limiting Perry: Vermont Supreme Court Holds That Due-Process Notice in Property-Tax Grievances Need Not Be Mailed to Counsel Introduction Salisbury AD 1, LLC v. Town of Salisbury, 2025 VT 43,...

Voluntary Absence at Restitution Hearings Constitutes Waiver: Commentary on State v. Brittany L. Knight (Vt. 2025)

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Voluntary Absence at Restitution Hearings Constitutes Waiver: An In-Depth Commentary on State v. Brittany L. Knight, Supreme Court of Vermont (2025) I. Introduction Background: Brittany L. Knight...

Clarifying the Bailey Balancing Test: Negligent Evidence Destruction without Gross Negligence Is Insufficient for Dismissal in Vermont

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Clarifying the Bailey Balancing Test: Negligent Evidence Destruction without Gross Negligence Is Insufficient for Dismissal in Vermont Introduction State v. Eric M. Champagne, decided by the Vermont...

State v. Burket: Refining Plain-Error Review of Jury Instructions and Narrowing Drug-Testing Conditions in Vermont Probation Law

Date: Aug 13, 2025

State v. Burket: Refining Plain-Error Review of Jury Instructions and Narrowing Drug-Testing Conditions in Vermont Probation Law 1. Introduction In State v. Kelly Burket, 2025 VT ___ (Aug. 8, 2025),...

Parties’ Agreed Life-Insurance Obligations Survive Beyond Death – A Commentary on diMonda v. Lincoln National Corp., 2025 VT 45

Date: Aug 13, 2025

Parties’ Agreed Life-Insurance Obligations Survive Beyond Death – The Vermont Supreme Court Reconciles Postmortem Maintenance Restrictions with Contractual Autonomy Commentary on Victoria diMonda v....

“Adequate Findings Doctrine” in Petroleum-Cleanup Reimbursement Appeals: The Vermont Supreme Court’s Guidance in In re Cote/Maquam Shore Market (2025 VT 42)

Date: Jul 30, 2025

“Adequate Findings Doctrine” in Petroleum-Cleanup Reimbursement Appeals: Guidance from the Vermont Supreme Court in In re Cote/Maquam Shore Market (2025 VT 42) 1. Introduction This commentary...

State v. LaGore: Vermont Supreme Court Tightens Relevance Standard for Admitting a Child-Victim’s Prior Allegations Against Third Parties

Date: Jul 30, 2025

State v. LaGore: Vermont Supreme Court Tightens Relevance Standard for Admitting a Child-Victim’s Prior Allegations Against Third Parties Introduction In State v. Andy LaGore, 2025 VT 41, the Vermont...

The Davila Rule: Clarifying Vermont Sentence Credits for Absconders Held Out-of-State

Date: Jul 23, 2025

The Davila Rule: Clarifying Vermont Sentence Credits for Absconders Held Out-of-State Introduction In Julio Davila v. Nicholas Deml, 2025 VT 39, the Vermont Supreme Court confronted a recurring, but...