It’s one of the most powerful local offices on your ballot — and one of the least explained. Here’s a plain-English breakdown.

What the office actually controls

The State’s Attorney is responsible for prosecuting criminal cases within the county on behalf of the State of Vermont. In practice, that means the office makes decisions that shape the local justice system every day:

• Charging decisions — whether to bring charges, and what charges to file, after police make an arrest or refer a case
• Plea agreements — what kind of plea deal, if any, to offer someone accused of a crime
• Bail and release recommendations — what conditions to ask a judge to set while a case is pending
• Sentencing recommendations — what sentence to ask for if someone is convicted
• Diversion decisions — whether to route a case toward treatment or community-based alternatives instead of prosecution

Why this office matters more than people expect

Most of the criminal justice system’s day-to-day impact on a community — who gets charged, who gets a second chance, how victims are treated, what happens with repeat offenders — runs through decisions made in the State’s Attorney’s office, not the legislature in Montpelier. It’s a local office with real, immediate authority over public safety and accountability in the county.

How the office is structured

The State’s Attorney is an elected position with a four-year term, beginning the first of February after the election. The office typically includes deputy state’s attorneys and support staff who handle the volume of cases moving through the county’s courts. In Grand Isle County, given its small population, the office operates on a leaner scale than in Vermont’s larger counties, which can mean more direct, personal contact between the office and the community it serves.

Who’s running in Grand Isle County for 2026?

Josh Martin, a Vermont attorney with more than 20 years of courtroom experience in criminal, civil, and constitutional litigation, is running as an independent for Grand Isle County State’s Attorney in the November 3, 2026 election. Learn more about his background and approach to the office.

Sourced from the Vermont Constitution, Title 24 of the Vermont Statutes, and the Vermont Department of State’s Attorneys and Sheriffs (prosecutors.vermont.gov).