The Vermont Supreme Court has signed off on an agreement that bans a former Caledonia County probate judge from ever serving again as a judicial officer in the state.
The order from the state’s highest court means that a disciplinary hearing will no longer be needed in the misconduct matter that had been pending against attorney William Cobb, who had also been an elected Caledonia County probate judge.
Cobb served as an elected part-time probate court judge in Caledonia County from February 2019 to June 2022.
A stipulation between Cobb and the Vermont Judicial Conduct Board was reached and signed by that board’s chair, Barbara Blackman, on Dec. 15.
That stipulation stated, “William Cobb agrees that he may never again serve as a judicial officer in the State of Vermont and further agrees that the JCB may enter an order to that effect.”
The Vermont Supreme Court issued an order signing off on that agreement on Jan. 4.
The latest action involving Cobb follows allegations that he tried to mislead the disciplinary counsel for the Professional Responsibility Board looking into ethical violations stemming from Cobb’s work as a lawyer in private practice in St. Johnsbury.
In May 2022, his law license was ordered to be suspended for 15 months after an investigation and findings by the Professional Responsibility Board that Cobb mishandled information regarding juvenile records and other violations.
In that decision, the Professional Responsibility Board “concluded with particularity” that Cobb “intentionally” tried to mislead the disciplinary counsel instead of cooperating with the investigation by providing “misleading and inaccurate information” regarding billing practices.
In June 2022, the Vermont Supreme Court concluded that the Professional Responsibility Board decision provided sufficient grounds to temporarily suspend Cobb from his role as a probate judge while the Judicial Conduct Board took up the allegations regarding his failure to cooperate with the Professional Responsibility Board investigation.
That eventually led to the Judicial Conduct Board and Cobb reaching the stipulation stating that he would agree to never serve in a judicial capacity again in Vermont.
Cobb is listed in the court filings in the Judicial Conduct Board matter as having represented himself. A message left at the phone number listed for him in that filing was not returned Thursday afternoon.
