On Your Own; Your Legal Right @ Eighteen On Your Own formatted final version | Page 37

Division. There are separate probate judges who are elected at the county
level.
There is one Environmental Court in the State of Vermont with statewide
jurisdiction over certain environmental matters. Often, decisions of
municipal boards like a Development Review Board will be appealed to the
Environmental Court. It has two dedicated judges, and its decisions can
be appealed to the Vermont Supreme Court.
The final court of appeal in the State of Vermont is the Vermont Supreme
Court. Decisions of the Vermont Supreme Court may be appealed to the
United States Supreme Court under some circumstances if they involve
federal issues (but as with decisions from the federal courts, the United
States Supreme Court can choose to hear the case or not.)
Going to court can be an intimidating experience. The language and the
process may seem strange if you are not familiar with it. In criminal cases,
you will typically have the right to a court-appointed attorney if you
cannot afford to hire one. In other cases, you would be well advised to
hire an attorney help you navigate the process.
In almost all proceedings, you are entitled to represent yourself, which is
sometimes called appearing pro se (Latin for “for yourself.”) If you are
going to court it is a good idea to understand exactly what is being decided
and what options are available to you and to the court. You can contact
the court ahead of time and learn from the clerk of the court when and
where to be and what sorts of things you should bring. The court staff will
give helpful information about the process if they can, but they cannot
give legal advice or help you prepare your case. Often, there are
pamphlets available at court that describe the different processes. If you
are appearing in court for a hearing or a trial where you want to present
evidence or testimony, you should have copies of your evidence ready to
present to the judge and all of your witnesses ready to appear. Remember
that the level of technology varies by courtroom, so it is best practice to
have all of your evidence printed out.
Some organizations offer free or low-cost legal advice to low-income
Vermonters in certain types of cases. A good place to start is Legal Services
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