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The legal battles over accountability in policing

A man wears a black law enforcement vest that says "police ICE" and a black neck gaiter covering his face as he faces away from the camera, toward another officer talking to a protester. To his left stands a local police officer with a black jacket that says "police."
Zoe McDonald
/
Vermont Public
Multiple law enforcement agencies were on the scene in South Burlington amid federal immigration enforcement activity on Mar. 11, 2026.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision has roots in Vermont and nationwide implications. The Zorn v. Linton case involved a 2015 protest in Montpelier, and Vermont State Police.

We discuss the case with one of its subjects, Shela Linton of Brattleboro, and two constitutional lawyers: Jay Diaz, Civil Rights and workers compensation litigator at Darby Kolter & Roberts. He was formerly the lead advocate for qualified immunity reform with the ACLU of Vermont in Waterbury, and Jared Carter of Vermont Law and Graduate School.

Then: a few days after the Mar. 11 confrontation between ICE agents and protesters in South Burlington, the Vermont House advanced a bill to allow citizens sue federal agents for alleged civil rights violations. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Martin LaLonde (D-South Burlington), also chairs the Vermont House's Ethics Committee and the Judiciary Committee.

Broadcast live on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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Mikaela Lefrak is the host and senior producer of Vermont Edition. Her stories have aired nationally on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Marketplace, The World and Here and Now. A seasoned local reporter, Mikaela has won two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and a Public Media Journalists Association award for her work.
Jon has spent his entire adult life working in broadcast journalism. He began his career in Baltimore at WYPR, and has since been a producer for WHYY, Vox, The Majority Report with Sam Seder, and The Talkhouse. Jon is a lifelong recording artist whose projects include Repelican, The Art Department, and Dungeonesse. He lives with his wife in Panton, Vermont.