Addison County prosecutor faces judge in DUI case

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos sat in the defendant’s chair in court Monday, pleading not guilty to drunk driving charges.

Authorities say on the night of January 25, Vekos drove to a potential crime scene in Bridport where she met with VSP detectives. Troopers on the scene reported that Vekos smelled of intoxicants and had slurred speech. Vekos was later arrested after refusing to take a sobriety test. She also refused to submit a breath sample at the police barracks.

Vekos and her attorney, David Sleigh, requested the court toss the charges, saying police didn’t have evidence to warrant probable cause and never saw her driving erratically. “No Supreme Court cases found probable cause — not reasonable suspicion, but probable cause — to continue at this stage to level continued prosecution,” Sleigh said.

But Superior Court Judge Thomas Zonay said the case should proceed. “There’s a request to have a friend give her a ride home when refusing to provide field sobriety tests, there’s a refusal to perform sobriety tests, and there’s a refusal for the evidentiary test,” he said.

All sides also agreed to move the case to Chittenden County to avoid conflicts of interest in the court where Vekos works.

Both Sleigh and the assistant attorney general prosecuting the case declined to comment.

What’s not clear is whether Vekos will continue in her full role as state’s attorney, prosecuting everyday DUI cases like her own to two active homicide investigations. Vekos also angered law enforcement after her arrest with an email to police colleagues saying she did not feel safe around cops and insulting their intelligence.

“The immediate context isn’t just the charge but it’s the response to it, failing to follow through on normal procedures for booking,” said Matt Dickinson, a political science professor at Middlebury College. “In this case, she has exacerbated the impact it may have on her ability to carry out her job because of her conduct toward law enforcement. They need to work effectively as a team and if you raise doubts about that relationship, that undercuts your ability to do your job, and that’s what puts her in a precarious position here.”

WCAX on Monday asked state lawmakers if they plan to launch an impeachment inquiry in the matter similar to that of two Franklin County officials but we didn’t get an immediate response.