A part-time Caledonia County judge who also works as an attorney has been disciplined for abusing his judicial position to gain an advantage for a client facing criminal charges.
Judge William Cobb, a judge in the county court’s probate division, tried to do so with another client facing a criminal case too, according to records from the state Judicial Conduct Board.
The board reprimanded Cobb in a Dec. 24 order, which said that Cobb had acknowledged his actions and agreed to the sanction.
Cobb did not respond to a voicemail left Tuesday seeking comment.
Cobb has served part-time as a probate judge in Caledonia County since February 2019, while continuing to practice law out of his office in St. Johnsbury.
In January 2020, records show, the conduct board received a complaint from a Vermont lawyer accusing Cobb of using his status as a judge to “gain advantage” for one of his clients.
The documents from the conduct board do not specify the way in which Cobb gained an advantage. A Vermont Judiciary official said complaint documents are not public.
“Cobb believed that he could not represent a client in any division of the Caledonia Unit,” according to the board order. Yet he did, the board said, and used his judicial position to advance one case and try to benefit another.
As part of the investigatory board order, Cobb agreed to a 12-month mentorship with another part-time probate judge. If during that time Cobb agrees to represent a client in Caledonia County, he must confer with that mentor.
The nine-member Judicial Conduct Board has the power to limit, condition or suspend a judge’s duties.
Cobb also remains under investigation by the state Professional Responsibility Board for actions he is accused of taking as an attorney, as reported Nov. 9 by the Caledonian Record.
In October documents, board disciplinary counsel Sarah Katz alleged that Cobb had inadequately represented two clients in 2019 and 2020 through a string of missteps or failures. Katz also accused Cobb of mishandling and illegally disclosing confidential juvenile court information.
In November records, Cobb denied each of the five accusations. That case is in the scheduling phase.
