President-Elect of the Vermont State Bar Appointed Defender General

August 28, 2001 - The Spangenberg Group extends our best wishes to Matthew Valerio upon his appointment to Defender General in Vermont. It is the only instance that we know of in which a President of the State Bar will be responsible for overseeing a state's indigent defense system. In Vermont, the Defender General is responsible for managing both the primary and conflict defender systems. Primary indigent defense services are provided through full-time public defender offices in the state's more populated regions and contract offices in less-populated areas. Conflict of interest cases are handled through a combination of contract defenders and ad-hoc assigned counsel.

Mr. Valerio has spent over ten years as a criminal defense lawyer specializing in serious felony cases as a contract attorney in Rutland, Vermont. Mr. Valerio's credentials also include serving as an Acting District Court Judge and as a faculty member at the College of St. Joseph. Upon making the appointment, Governor Dean was quoted as saying: "I am very impressed with Matt's work with the Bar Association, his focus on attorney training and teamwork, his commitment to indigent defense, and his proven ability to run a law practice. As incoming president of the VBA [Vermont Bar Association], I believe that Matt will lead a discussion about the role of criminal defense within the criminal justice system and will bring great value to the provision of public defense in Vermont."

For more information contact tsg@spangenberggroup.com