Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos, who was charged last month with driving under the influence, plans to return from a medical leave once she is “fully grounded and up to the task,” her attorney said on Wednesday.
Vekos, 54, pleaded not guilty on Monday in Addison County Superior criminal court in Middlebury to the DUI charge. She was released on her own recognizance.
The charge stems from her arrest on the night of Jan. 25, when police allege she showed up at the scene of a death investigation smelling of alcohol and slurring her speech. She refused to take a breath test and was then processed on the misdemeanor charge.
Following the court hearing Monday, her attorney, David Sleigh, would not comment when asked if his client was on medical leave. John Campbell, executive director of the Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs, subsequently confirmed that Vekos was out on leave but declined to reveal the nature of that leave, citing privacy reasons.
Sleigh, on Wednesday, issued a press release indicating that Vekos was on medical leave. In an interview, he said the leave, which is paid, began on Friday.
“This break will allow her to soon resume her position once fully grounded and up to the task,” Sleigh’s statement read.
Asked why the statement was issued Wednesday, the defense attorney responded, “We think it’s a public interest that she is stepping away for a while.”
He added, “We all agree that there is a fair amount of turmoil. The idea is to get everybody to a place where the fervor dies down and people can try to remedy and restore relationships.”
Vekos, in an email exchange with law enforcement leaders in Addison County in the days following her arrest, wrote that she no longer felt safe around law enforcement and would not meet with them in person, only on video. She also mockingly challenged the grammatical skills of police.
Sleigh, speaking Wednesday, said Vekos would work to “rebuild any trust that she lost.”
To do that, the defense attorney said, “I think it will take some hard work,” including for Vekos to meet with law enforcement officials “and address what’s gone on in a way that is deliberate and considerate.”
In earlier and unrelated hearings at the Middlebury court on Monday, defense attorneys indicated their clients’ cases had been reassigned from Vekos.
Vekos was elected to her first four-year term in November 2022.
