[G]overnor Peter Shumlin announced that he will appoint attorney John Valente to the superior court in a press release Thursday.
Valente is a shareholder and director at the Rutland law firm of Ryan, Smith, and Carbine, Ltd., where he handles cases pertaining to workers compensation, employment and business disputes, according to the news release. He also has experience handling property, contract, and civil claims.
“I am proud to appoint to the Vermont bench someone of John’s compassion, fairness, and a long-standing family commitment to our legal system. John’s warmth, accessibility, and innate sense of fairness will serve Vermonters and the Vermont judiciary well,” said Shumlin in the release.
Valente is the current chair of the Vermont Municipal Bond Bank, and a member of the Vermont Capital Debt Affordability Advisory Committee. Â He also serves on the Rutland Economic Development Corporation board, and is a prior chair of the boards of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and the Rutland Regional Chamber of Commerce, the news release said.
Valente is the second attorney chosen by Shumlin to fill a number of longstanding vacancies on the Vermont trial bench. The day before Valente’s appointment, Shumlin announced that he would appoint another attorney, Tom Carlson, to replace Superior Court Judge Linda Levitt, who is retiring. Valente will take the place of Judge David Suntag.
“I am greatly honored that Governor Shumlin has chosen me to serve on the Superior Court,” said Valente in a statement. “Our system of justice affects people’s lives on a daily basis and with that comes great responsibility: to be neutral, to be committed to the rule of law and to the administration of justice.”
John is the second Valente to serve the state as a judge. His father, former Vermont trial judge Silvio Valente, served on the bench for 24 years.