Former Judge Roy Vance of St. Johnsbury, VT; ethical troll

FYI: Roy had his significant snout firmly implanted in the public trough for thirty-two years (1987-2019). Apparently, no self-respecting law firm in the greater Caledonia Count was about to offer Roy a good paying job.

The Vermont Judicial Conduct Board found Roy guilty of engaging in the following misconduct, all of which took place while he was employed as an Assistant Judge for Caledonia County, Vermont.

• Roy issued arrest warrants for judgment debtors without due process, financial disclosure hearings, or contempt hearings
• Roy set “purge amounts” on the arrest warrants without a finding of an individual’s ability to pay
• Failed be faithful to the law (scofflaw)
• Failed to maintain professional competence in the law (dimwit)
• Allowed himself to be swayed by partisan interests, public clamor, or fear of criticism
• Roy issued arrest warrants in small claims cases without conducting a contempt hearing or equivalent due process if a judgment debtor did not appear at a financial disclosure hearing
• Deprived judgment debtors of due process and subjected them to arrest at the home or workplace without notice that such contempt was being sought or considered by Roy and without hearing or process to determine if the debtor was in contempt
• Continued financial disclosure hearings on a rolling, on-going basis even after sufficient evidence to demonstrate a judgment debtor’s present inability to pay
• Failed to dispose of all judicial matters promptly, efficiently, and fairly

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the enablers for Judicial Misfits sitting on the Vermont Supreme Court punished Roy by gifting him with a complimentary reprimand.

As we speak (ca. May 2021), Roy practices his brand of law in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.