The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2024 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title 12: Court Procedure
Chapter 005: Contempt
§ 121. Supreme Court
When a party violates a lawful order made against him or her by the Supreme Court or by a Justice thereof in a cause or matter brought to or pending before such Court or Justice after service of such order upon such party, contempt proceedings may be instituted against him or her before a Justice of the Supreme Court.
§ 122. Superior judge or Superior Court
When a party violates an order made against him or her in a cause brought to or pending before a Superior judge or a Superior Court after service of the order upon that party, contempt proceedings may be instituted against him or her before the court or any Superior judge. When, in a cause no longer on the docket of the court, the proceedings are brought before a Superior judge, that judge forthwith shall order the cause to be brought forward on the docket of the court and may issue concurrently with the order a summons or capias against the party. The issuing of the summons or capias and any further proceedings thereon shall be minuted on the docket. (Amended 1971, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), § 30, eff. March 29, 1972; 1973, No. 193 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. April 9, 1974; 2009, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 66.)
§ 123. Imprisonment for contempt
(a) Imprisonment as punishment for contempt, or to enforce orders, sentences, or decrees in contempt proceedings, or upon execution issued in civil process shall be in a correctional facility maintained by or for the State.
(b) Any person imprisoned for contempt, in addition to any other legal rights and remedies available to him or her, shall be entitled to a review of the contempt proceedings annually. The Commissioner of Corrections shall provide timely notice for the review of the proceedings of any person so imprisoned to the sentencing court. The sentencing court shall conduct a hearing and issue its order within 60 days of receipt of notice from the Commissioner of Corrections. (Amended 1969, No. 141, § 3; 1969, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1973, No. 66.)
