Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 20 Sec. 2352

  • Department: means the Department of Public Safety. See
  • Domestic: when applied to a corporation, company, association, or copartnership shall mean organized under the laws of this State; "foreign" when so applied, shall mean organized under the laws of another state, government, or country. See
  • Employee: means a person employed by the Department. See
  • Justice: when applied to a person, other than a Justice of the Supreme Court, shall mean a justice of the peace for the county for which he or she is elected or appointed. See
  • Law enforcement officer: means a member of the Department of Public Safety who exercises law enforcement powers; a member of the State Police; a Capitol Police officer; a municipal police officer; a constable who exercises law enforcement powers; a motor vehicle inspector; an employee of the Department of Liquor and Lottery who exercises law enforcement powers; an investigator employed by the Secretary of State; a Board of Medical Practice investigator employed by the Department of Health; an investigator employed by the Attorney General or a State's Attorney; a fish and game warden; a sheriff; a deputy sheriff who exercises law enforcement powers; a railroad police officer commissioned pursuant to 5 Vt. See
  • Psychiatric disability: means an impairment of thought, mood, perception, orientation, or memory that limits one or more major life activities but does not include intellectual disability. See
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

§ 2352. Council membership

(a)(1) The Vermont Criminal Justice Council shall consist of:

(A) the Commissioners of Public Safety, of Corrections, of Motor Vehicles, of Fish and Wildlife, and of Mental Health;

(B) the Attorney General;

(C) the Executive Director of the Department of State‘s Attorneys and Sheriffs;

(D) the Executive Director of Racial Equity;

(E) a member of the Vermont Troopers’ Association or its successor entity, elected by its membership;

(F) a member of the Vermont Police Association, elected by its membership;

(G) a member of the Chiefs of Police Association of Vermont, appointed by the President of the Association;

(H) a member of the Vermont Sheriffs’ Association, appointed by the President of the Association;

(I) a law enforcement officer, appointed by the President of the Vermont State Employees Association;

(J) an employee of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, appointed by the Executive Director of the League;

(K) an individual appointed by the Executive Director of the Center for Crime Victim Services;

(L) an individual appointed by the Executive Director of the Human Rights Commission;

(M) an individual appointed by the Executive Director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence; and

(N) seven public members, appointed by the Governor, who shall not be law enforcement officers or have a spouse, parent, child, or sibling who is a law enforcement officer, current legislators, or otherwise be employed in the criminal justice system.

(i) At least one of these members shall be a mental health crisis worker.

(ii) At least one of these members shall be an individual with a lived experience of a mental health condition or psychiatric disability.

(iii) At least two of these members shall be chosen from among persons nominated by the Vermont chapters of the NAACP, and each of these members shall represent a different Vermont NAACP chapter. In order to assist the Governor in making these appointments, each Vermont chapter of the NAACP shall nominate at least three individuals for these gubernatorial appointments.

(2) A member’s term shall be three years.

(3) The Governor shall appoint the Chair of the Council from among the members set forth in subdivisions (1)(D) and (K)-(N) of this subsection.

(b) Membership on the Council does not constitute the holding of an office for any purpose, and members of the Council shall not be required to take and file oaths of office before serving on the Council.

(c) The members of the Council shall be entitled to receive per diem compensation and reimbursement of expenses as permitted under 32 V.S.A. § 1010 from monies appropriated to the Council.

(d) A member of the Council shall not be disqualified from holding any public office or employment, and shall not forfeit any office or employment, by reason of his or her appointment to the Council, notwithstanding any statute, ordinance, or charter to the contrary. (Added 1967, No. 189, § 2, eff. April 17, 1967; amended 1971, No. 120, § 46(a); 1973, No. 225 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 1979, No. 57, § 2; 1983, No. 72; 2003, No. 119 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2013, No. 141 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2017, No. 56, § 1; 2019, No. 166 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. Dec. 1, 2020.)