---

title: "Alison Arms | KnowJudges"

canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/alison-arms-vt-trial"

page_type: "judge_profile"

updated: "2026-10-07"

---



# Alison Arms



Vermont Superior Court · Superior Judge



## Profile



- Court: Vermont Superior Court

- State: Vermont

- Role: Superior Judge

- Service status: active

- Last verified: 2026-07-27



## Summary



Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge.



## Biography

### Professional career

- Vermont Superior Court judge; appointed by Governor Peter Shumlin on July 20, 2011
- Assistant federal defender in Burlington, 2008–2011; also worked in private criminal defense in 2008
- Trial and research attorney in the Chittenden County Public Defender's Office, 1999–2007; public defender in Manhattan, 1994–1999
- Adjunct professor at the University of Vermont and instructor at Denver Business College

### Education

- University of Denver, Sturm College of Law — J.D. (1994)
- in political science and history — University of Vermont — B.A. (1991)

### Additional information

- In May 2023, Judge Arms issued a ruling declaring the Vermont Department of Mental Health in contempt of court for refusing to conduct a court‐ordered competency evaluation, imposing a $3,000 fine on the commissioner
- Presiding judge of the Addison Family Division in Middlebury; previous assignments include Chittenden Probate and the Franklin and Grand Isle civil, criminal and family divisions
- Criticized the department’s “nonsensical assertions” and “continued obstruction” of the criminal justice process, emphasizing the need for due process in criminal trials

## Before you appear



- Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed.

- Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance.

- Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding.



## Courtroom Rules



### digital evidence submission



Scope: statewide



Vermont Judiciary directs users to upload non-flat-PDF digital exhibits, including audio, video, and active hyperlinks, through its Digital Evidence Portal; flat PDFs should not be filed in that portal.



Evidence excerpt: The Digital Evidence Portal is to be used solely for uploading exhibits in file formats other than flat PDF format. Examples ... include audio recordings, video recordings, or active hyperlinks to web-based content. Flat PDF files should not be filed in the Digital Evidence Portal.



[Vermont Judiciary Digital Evidence Portal](https://evidence.vermontjudiciary.org/TraQ7/account/caseuser)

Source checked: 2026-07-27





## Sources



- [Official profile](https://www.vtcourts.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-2027%20rotation%20as%20approved%204.7.26.pdf)

- [Official roster](https://www.vtcourts.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-2027%20rotation%20as%20approved%204.7.26.pdf)

- [Vermont Judiciary official judicial roster](https://www.vtcourts.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2026-2027%20rotation%20as%20approved%204.7.26.pdf)

- [Vermont Judiciary Digital Evidence Portal](https://evidence.vermontjudiciary.org/TraQ7/account/caseuser)



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