ST. ALBANS -- Grand Isle County State's Attorney Doug DiSabito was arrested on a charge of suspected driving while under the influence of alcohol on Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement authorities have told Vermont News First.
St. Albans City Police eventually confirmed the arrest with a news release issued shortly before noon on Wednesday. DiSabito, 57, of Alburgh has been ordered into Vermont Superior Court in St. Albans on May 4, police said.
DiSabito is now the second elected state's attorney among the 14 serving in Vermont to face a charge of DUI in just over two years.
St. Albans Police were called to the Vermont Superior Court on Lake Street about 4:30 p.m. for a report that DiSabito may have been under the influence, according to officials, who said they were aware of the case, but were not at liberty to speak about it.
DiSabito was processed by St. Albans Police and released with a court citation, the sources told Vermont News First.
DiSabito, who sometimes has to appear in St. Albans for Grand Isle County cases, had no hearings on the schedule in Franklin County on Tuesday.
St. Albans Police said Wednesday they would not elaborate on the case. The brief news release didn't even say DiSabito was a county prosecutor.
DiSabito did not respond to text and phone messages seeking comment from Vermont News First.
St. Albans Police told Vermont News First on Tuesday evening they were unable to elaborate about the case or even identify the court date listed for DiSabito on the police citation, which is public record in Vermont.
Sgt. Jonathan Garant, the shift commander was tied up and could not take a phone call, a spokeswoman said. He did not return the phone message left for him.
Police Chief Moe Lamothe did not respond to phone and text messages Tuesday evening or Wednesday.
Franklin County State's Attorney Bram Kranichfeld declined comment Tuesday evening about the incident. He said it would be premature to comment on a potential case when no paperwork has been submitted by the police to his office.
It was unclear if Kranichfeld's office would handle the case, or whether it would be punted to the Vermont Attorney General's Office, which has a large criminal division staff and limited cases.
The AG's Office frequently steps in when there is a conflict for elected county prosecutors. DiSabito, the lone prosecutor in Grand Isle County, works closely with the Franklin County office on cases and deputies have filled in for him.
"The Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs does not comment on pending criminal investigations," Timothy Lueders-Dumont, the executive director in Montpelier said.
"We remain committed to supporting Vermont's 28 County Offices of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs," he said.
DiSabito, who is one of the more senior state prosecutors, has said he will seek re-election this year and plans to go for the nominations from both the Democrats and Republicans. DiSabito, who has served since 2014, has won the nominations from both major political parties in recent elections.
The Vermont Supreme Court suspended the law license of Addison County State's Attorney Eva Vekos last week while her disciplinary proceedings for a DUI conviction remain in limbo.
The Vermont Supreme Court, in a 4-1 decision released Friday, agreed with Disciplinary Counsel Jon Alexander in granting his request to immediately suspend Vekos' law license.
The case stems from Vekos responding to a homicide scene in Bridport and Vermont State Police suspecting she had been drinking.
She declined a breath test, but eventually pleaded no contest to the DUI charge. Judge John Pacht imposed a deferred sentence.
Vekos, a Democrat, has not said whether she plans to run for re-election. The Primary Election is in August and the General Election is in November.
Middlebury resident Peter Bevere, who has been a deputy state's attorney in Rutland County for three years, has announced he plans to run as a Democrat this summer. He was unsuccessful running twice as an independent, including the last time against Vekos.