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
SCOV Law
SCOV Law is a blog published by SCOV Law that focuses on legal developments and case law from the Supreme Court of Vermont. It covers a range of topics including administrative law, property law, environmental law, public utility regulation, constitutional law, family law, and litigation practice. The blog provides summaries and analysis of Vermont Supreme Court decisions, often discussing procedural issues such as mootness, jurisdiction, and agency deference. It also addresses specific legal controversies like emergency housing eligibility, renewable energy project regulation, abusive litigation sanctions, bail considerations in criminal law, cannabis licensing, and environmental concerns such as invasive species control. The blog combines legal analysis with commentary on Vermont law and policy.
Latest from SCOV Law - Page 5
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
…
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…
Three Entry Orders over Three Days
By Andy DelaneyNo “opinions” this week but there were three published entry orders, one each on the 12th, 13th, and 14th. The big difference between a published entry order and an opinion, to the best of my knowledge,…