Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 4 Sec. 30

  • following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • 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
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.

§ 30. Superior Court

(a)(1) A Superior Court having statewide jurisdiction is created. The Superior Court shall have the following divisions:

(A) A Civil Division, which shall be a court of record and have jurisdiction over the matters described in section 31 of this title. The Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure shall apply in the Civil Division.

(B) A Criminal Division, which shall be a court of record and have jurisdiction over the matters described in section 32 of this title. The Vermont Rules of Criminal Procedure shall apply to criminal matters in the Criminal Division, and the Vermont Rules of Civil Procedure shall apply to civil matters in the Criminal Division.

(C) A Family Division, which shall be a court of record and have jurisdiction over the matters described in section 33 of this title. The Vermont Rules of Family Procedure shall apply in the Family Division.

(D) An Environmental Division, which shall be a court of record and have jurisdiction over the matters described in section 34 of this title. The Vermont Rules for Environmental Proceedings shall apply in the Environmental Division.

(E) A Probate Division, which shall have jurisdiction over the matters described in section 35 of this title. The Vermont Rules of Probate Procedure shall apply in the Probate Division.

(2) The Supreme Court shall promulgate rules, subject to review by the Legislative Committee on Judicial Rules under 12 Vt. Stat. Ann. chapter 1, that establish criteria for the transfer of cases between divisions.

(b) The Supreme Court shall by rule divide the Superior Court into 14 geographical units that shall follow county lines, except that, subject to the venue requirements of subsection 1001(e) of this title, the Environmental Division shall be a court of statewide jurisdiction and shall not be otherwise divided into geographical units. The Superior Court shall be held in each unit of the State.

(c) Terms of the Superior Court shall be stated by administrative orders of the Supreme Court. The Court Administrator shall provide appropriate security services for each court in the State. (Added 2009, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 7, 7a.)