Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Paul Kane
Paul Kane is a former assistant judge of the superior court in Windham County, Vermont. He was elected on November 4, 2014.[1] Kane resigned from the court in February 2017 due to an ongoing ethics investigation by the Vermont Judicial Conduct Board. Read more about the investigation here.[2]
Elections
2014
See also: Vermont judicial elections, 2014
Kane ran for election to the Vermont Superior Courts, as an assistant judge of Windham County.
Primary: He was successful in the Democratic primary on August 26, 2014, receiving 34.4 percent of the vote. He competed against Lamont Barnett and Patricia W. Duff.
General: He faced Democrat Patricia W. Duff as well as Liberty Union Party candidates Alice Landsman and Lynn Russell in the general election on November 4, 2014, and won with 39.8 percent of the vote. Candidates competed for two open seats.
[1][3][1][4][5]
Noteworthy events
State judicial board investigation
On June 27, 2016, the Vermont Judicial Conduct Board filed a complaint against Kane claiming that he violated four canons of judicial integrity in his handling of an estate. The complaint stemmed from Kane's management of the estate of Catherine Tolaro, who granted Kane and his wife power of attorney in 2010. According to the board, Kane used this power to make claims against Tolaro's estate, negotiate loan forgiveness, and write off loans using the estate's funds.[2] Probate attorney Raymond Massucco told the Windsor Probate Court that Tolaro's estate had a zero balance in 2014 after an approximately $800,000 balance in 2010.[6] A full copy of the complaint is available below.
You can navigate the following document by zooming in or out with the + and - buttons and using the vertical scrollbar.
Kane issued a resignation letter on February 28, 2017, citing the emotional, physical, and financial stresses created by the ethics investigation. The following is an excerpt from his letter:
| “ |
Too much misinformation has been printed with seemingly no remorse. I am not going to argue my probate case nor my alleged ethical misconduct in the newspaper, but I will state that money from the Estate is intact and though I do not believe I breached any Ethical Canon, I will be stepping down from my elected position with great sadness. Though I was naive to some fiduciary responsibilities and did not fully understand and carry out all (Power of Attorney) statutes, I find it hard to believe that the press can print anything they want without repercussion.[6][7] |
” |
| —Paul Kane (2017) | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Vermont Secretary of State, “Offices to be elected in 2014,” accessed August 14, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rutland Herald, "Judge quits amid misconduct case," March 1, 2017
- ↑ The Commons Online, "Three vie for Assistant Judge seats," August 2014
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Winners," accessed October 8, 2014
- ↑ Vermont Secretary of State, "Primary Election Results - Windham County," August 26, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Brattleboro Reformer, "Windham County Assistant Judge Paul Kane submits letter of resignation: 'I do this with great sadness but without shame or guilt'," February 28, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
Federal courts:
Second Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Vermont • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Vermont
State courts:
Vermont Supreme Court • Vermont Superior Courts • Vermont Probate Court • Vermont Judicial Bureau
State resources:
Courts in Vermont • Vermont judicial elections • Judicial selection in Vermont
