Former State's Attorney Thibault Tapped for State Judgeship

Former Washington County state’s attorney Rory Thibault, who ran for attorney general last year as a Democrat, has been appointed a state judge.

Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, announced the appointment on Friday, citing Thibault’s “proven track record of public service.”

Thibault, of Cabot, was state’s attorney from 2018 until January. Scott initially appointed him to that post as well, and Thibault was later elected to a four-year term.

Rather than seek reelection last year, Thibault waged a campaign to succeed former attorney general T.J. Donovan, who left office before the end of his term for a corporate job with the children’s video game company Roblox. Charity Clark, who went on to win the general election, defeated Thibault in the Democratic primary.

Thibault previously worked in the attorney general’s office and served as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army, where he earned the rank of major. He has a law degree from Vermont Law School.

“I am appreciative of the opportunity to continue my service to the State of Vermont and am incredibly thankful for Governor Scott’s trust and confidence in my ability to serve as a Superior Court Judge,” Thibault said in a statement.

The governor selects state judges from lists of qualified applicants put forward by an independent judicial nominating board. The lists are confidential by law.

Scott named two other state judges in April: longtime criminal defense attorney Robert Katims and former Orange County state’s attorney H. Dickson Corbett.