Gov. Peter Shumlin is defending his decision to fill a vacancy on the Vermont Supreme Court, a vacancy that will occur after he leaves office. Longtime Vermont Supreme Court Justice John Dooley announced last week that he will step down from the court in March.
Reporter Neal Goswami, bureau chief at the Vermont Press Bureau, joined Vermont Edition to discuss the process by which justices are appointed to the state's highest court, the timeline of filling this impending vacancy, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Scott's criticism of Shumlin's decision.
Listen to the full interview above.