ADDISON COUNTY/MONTPELIER — Ten out of the 11 members of the Addison County legislative delegation on Monday called for the immediate resignation of Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos.

Vekos, who is in her first term as the county’s top prosecutor, has been in hot water since Jan. 25, when she was arrested by state police and cited for driving under the influence after she drove herself to the scene of an untimely death in Bridport. After that she sent an email to local law enforcement agencies saying she unsafe around police officers.

Then local victims and victims’ advocates complained about the way the Addison County State’s Attorney’s Office was handling cases. Finally, last week, the Vermont Supreme Court suspended Vekos’s license to practice law. The lack of a law license doesn’t preclude her from being a state’s attorney, but she is not allowed to try cases in court so that will be trickier.

The group of Addison County lawmakers sent out a press release Monday afternoon calling for Vekos’s resignation. Signers of the release included all nine state representatives and one state senator — Sen. Christopher Bray was the only name absent from the list.

Here’s the legislators’ release in full:

“The majority of members of the Addison County legislative delegation call for the immediate resignation of Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos.

“Her unprofessional behavior at a crime scene and offensive comments about local law enforcement officers have significantly harmed the trust and respect between the residents of Addison County and their State’s Attorney. In addition, the Vermont Supreme Court’s temporary suspension of State’s Attorney Vekos’ law license makes it impossible for her to carry out the complete duties of her office, leaving Addison County without a fully functional county prosecutor’s office during a time when the criminal justice system in Vermont is already stressed.

“As elected representatives of Addison County, we have heard loud and clear that our constituents are deeply troubled by their State’s Attorney’s behavior. We received a petition signed by over 400 of Addison County residents asking that State’s Attorney Vekos be removed from office, along with countless emails and phone calls expressing concern about her behavior. Like us, these constituents want a State’s Attorney who can be fully engaged in the essential work of her office.

While we have compassion for the medical issues that State’s Attorney Vekos may be facing and believe that an individual is entitled to due process for alleged criminal behavior, her failure to cooperate with an investigation and her publicly documented unprofessional behavior have broken the public’s trust in her ability to carry out the duties of her office. It is essential for public safety and justice that the public maintains trust in Vermont’s criminal justice system.

Addison County deserves better. It is incumbent upon State’s Attorney Vekos to prioritize the safety of Addison County and the vital functions of the prosecutor’s office by resigning immediately.

Signed,

Senator Ruth Hardy

Representatives Joe Andriano, Matt Birong, Peter Conlon, Mari Cordes, Caleb Elder, Diane Lanpher, Jubilee McGill, Robin Scheu, and Amy Sheldon”

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All of these lawmakers are Democrats. They represent

• Joe Andriano: Orwell, Shoreham, Whiting, Sudbury and Hubbardton

• Matt Birong and Diane Lanpher: Vergennes, Addison, Panton, Waltham, Ferrisburgh

• Peter Conlon: Cornwall, Salisbury, Ripton, Goshen, Leicester, Hancock

• Mari Cordes and Caleb Elder: Bristol, Lincoln, Starksboro, Monkton

• Jubilee McGill: Bridport, New Haven, part of Middlebury

• Robin Scheu and Amy Sheldon: Middlebury

• Ruth Hardy: Addison County, Huntington, Buel’s Gore, Rochester