Eva Vekos Sentenced for Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol

The Attorney General's Office today announced that Eva Vekos, 56, of Middlebury, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division, after pleading no contest to one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol ("DUI") in violation of 23 V.S.A. § 1201(a)(2).

The charge to which Ms. Vekos pleaded no contest arose from an incident on January 25, 2024, in Bridport, Vermont, during which Ms. Vekos, who serves as the Addison County State's Attorney, drove to a crime scene and met with Vermont State Police (VSP) detectives. Upon interacting with Ms. Vekos, the detectives and other troopers noticed Ms. Vekos emanating an odor of intoxicants and speaking with slurred speech. When troopers informed Ms. Vekos that they had concerns about her driving, Ms. Vekos admitted to consuming alcohol. Troopers asked Ms. Vekos if she would submit to Standardized Field Sobriety Tests meant to assess an individual's level of impairment, and she refused. Troopers then arrested Ms. Vekos and took her to VSP Barracks where she refused to submit a sample of her breath on the evidentiary-based test machine.

The Court, Judge John Pacht presiding, offered the defendant the ability to plead no contest to the charge, over the objection of the Attorney General's Office, and sentenced Ms. Vekos to a six-month deferred probationary sentence. The Attorney General's Office - which objected to the plea of no contest and the deferred sentence - argued that Ms. Vekos had failed to take responsibility for her actions on January 25, 2024, and that imposing a deferred sentence on a predicate offense, an offense that could enhance a subsequent DUI conviction, did not take into consideration the serious harm that occurs when people drive while intoxicated.

While on probation, Ms. Vekos will report to a Chittenden County probation officer. The Court ordered her to abide to standard conditions of probation and a special condition that she must not drink alcoholic beverages to the extent they interfere with the welfare of herself or any other person or her employment.

CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Senior Advisor to the Attorney General, 802-828-3171