Gov. Peter Shumlin has appointed the third judge in the past week to the state’s superior court bench.
Kirstin Schoonover, an attorney with many years of courtroom experience as a public defender, was named Wednesday to replace Judge Harold “Duke” Eaton Jr., who was appointed to serve on the Vermont Supreme Court.
Before coming to Vermont in 2000, Schoonover worked in Washington state, defending adults in criminal proceedings and juveniles facing delinquency proceedings. Since then, she has worked as a public defender and as an assistant attorney general in Chittenden County, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
Schoonover now works with Vermont Legal Aid, advocating on behalf of victims of domestic violence, the mentally ill and low-income Vermonters facing termination of housing and benefits. She is also a member of the Vermont Council on Domestic Violence, the release said.
“Kirstin’s long record of helping those Vermonters who can least afford legal services speaks volumes about her compassion and sense of fairness,” Shumlin said in the release. “She is a person with an extraordinary commitment to service and a deep understanding of the challenges facing Vermont’s judiciary. These skills, combined with her quick intellect and mastery of the law make me proud to appoint her to the Vermont bench.”
“I am humbled and honored to serve on the bench. It is with great excitement that I accept the Governor’s offer,” said Schoonover in the release.
Schoonover is the last of three Judiciary appointments scheduled for the summer, after Tom Carlson and John Valente.
