By Andy DelaneyThree opinions issued on July 11, 2025. First up, plaintiff’s ex-husband allegedly used a fraudulently notarized document—thanks to a TD Bank employee—to swipe marital property in Serbia. So, she sued for negligence, negligent supervision, and respondeat superior. The
SCOV Law
SCOV Law is a blog focused on legal developments and court decisions in Vermont, particularly those from the Vermont Supreme Court. It provides summaries and analyses of recent opinions, covering a range of legal topics including administrative law, property law, constitutional issues, environmental regulations, and procedural matters. The blog often discusses the practical implications of court rulings on state law and public policy, with attention to cases involving state agencies, regulatory commissions, and local governance. It serves as a resource for understanding Vermont-specific legal issues and judicial reasoning, often incorporating commentary on litigation strategy and statutory interpretation.
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Two by Two
By Andy DelaneyThis post covers two weeks’ worth of opinions, which—thankfully for my Saturday plans—only adds up to four this time. Last week, SCOV first grappled with a privacy nightmare. Bill Simmon—an employee at the time of Vermont Community Access Media…
Particularity and Permitting
By Andy DelaneyTwo decisions this week, both arguably (although tangentially) related to farming and business. We’ll start with what I’m calling the case of the marijuana merger misrepresentations. Plaintiff is the founder of Vermont cannabis company High Fidelity.…
Probate, Procedure, and Property
By Andy Delaney
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May 16, 2025: Permits and Parents
By Andy DelaneyIt’s kind of a rainy, yucky day today. I’m not a big conspiracy theorist, but it sure seems like someone is doing their best to make sure I don’t get my lawn mowed until June. Anywho . .…
Delay, Definition, Double Jeopardy, and Dooley
Definitions matterBy Andy Delaney‘Twas a relatively busy week at SCOV. Three opinions issued on Friday, May 2. And one entry order on April 24. We’ll start with the entry order. This one’s fairly straightforward. Respondent had a professional responsibility complaint…
Jurisdiction, Division, and Partition
By Andy DelaneyTwo opinions on April 18, 2025: one about jurisdiction and one about partition and ouster. We’ll start with jurisdiction. In 2019, respondent pled guilty to assault and robbery. In 2023, she filed a motion in the criminal division…
Pretext and Procedure
I call this the “McDonald’s burger-shifting analysis” By Andy DelaneyI might know enough about employment law to sound like I know what I’m talking about. But I’m no expert. Robert Caldwell was Champlain College’s chief fundraiser from January 2017 until September…
Prenup Problems
By Andy DelaneyA lone opinion this Friday. On a personal level, I’ve never “gotten” prenuptial agreements. From my perspective—not that of SCOV Law or anyone associated with SCOV Law—marriage should be based on trust and love. If you don’t implicitly…
Partially Preserved Points
By Andy DelaneySnow on a Saturday morning at the end of March is just
wrong.
This week’s story is one of those stranger-than-fiction
cases. Briefly, defendant married a woman named Lori and adopted her two
daughters. In 2000, defendant…