In a highly unusual set of circumstances, voters in five of 14 counties this year will choose between active candidates for state’s attorney.
The state’s attorney is a county’s top prosecutor. He or she works with police and victims and decides which people to charge with crimes.
State’s attorneys serve four-year terms and have no boss. They represent the state in criminal cases, civil matters, child abuse cases, juvenile delinquency cases, mental health proceedings and other matters.
Each enforces the law with his or her own particular flavor and has substantial power over which cases are brought to court, how they are handled, and their outcomes.
“State’s attorneys are arguably one of the most important players in the criminal justice system,” said Bram Kranichfeld, the executive director of the association of state’s attorneys and sheriffs.
“They make the initial decisions around what comes in and what shouldn’t,” he said.
A bill passed this year in the Legislature prompted a statewide push to create more alternative justice programs that offer alleged offenders treatment instead of, or in addition to, punishment.
Defender General Matthew Valerio, whose office represents people charged with crimes by state’s attorneys, said it is unusual to have so many contested races this year, especially where many challengers are deputy state’s attorneys in the same or a different county.
Challengers also seem to be taking a more law-and-order, rather than alternative justice stance, Valerio said.
“The new way of thinking is not what the challengers are bringing to the table,” Valerio said.
Here are the contested races:
Bennington County: Independent Kevin Rambold challenges incumbent Democrat Erica Marthage.
Orleans County: Republican Jennifer Barrett beat incumbent Alan Franklin in the primary. She is now facing Democrat James Lillicrap and independent Ben Luna.
Barrett is a deputy prosecutor in Bennington County who defeated Franklin in the primary. Lillicrap is a deputy in the Orleans office and was running against his boss until Barrett defeated Franklin in the primary.
Rutland County: Democrat Rose Kennedy challenges incumbent Republican Marc Brierre, a Republican.
Kennedy had been a deputy to Brierre, but he fired her in June when she announced her candidacy. She now works for the attorney general. She previously worked for Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan.
Washington County: Incumbent Republican Tom Kelly is challenged by Democrat Scott Williams.
Williams sought political endorsements from the mayors of Barre and Montpelier as well as former prosecutors.
Grand Isle County: Attorney Doug Disabito beat 12-year incumbent David Miller 489-351 in the primary. Miller is waging a write-in campaign to fight for his job.
Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan has endorsed Williams, Kennedy and Disabito.
