The Hon. Harold E. Eaton, Jr. is an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. He was elevated to the seat by former Governor Peter Shumlin in 2014, filling the vacancy created by the appointment of the Hon. Geoffrey Crawford to the United States District Court for the District of Vermont.
Eaton, who goes by the nickname, Duke, began his judicial career as a judge for the Vermont Superior Court, following his appointment to the bench by former Governor James Douglas on April 16, 2004. During that time, he held assignments in Orange and Windsor Counties.
He was a partner at Eaton & Hayes in Woodstock at the time of his appointment (1991 to 2004). Eaton had worked in private practice, including in Rutland, since 1983. Before that, he was a deputy state’s attorney (1980 to 1982) and a chief deputy state’s attorney (1982 to 1983) in Chittenden County.
Eaton received a B.S.Ed. from the University of Vermont in 1977. He then completed a J.D. at Vermont Law School in 1980.
Eaton is an elected member of The American Law Institute and served as a member of the State Police Advisory Commission. He also taught as an instructor at the Vermont Police Academy.
Eaton was born in Windsor, Vermont, and attended Woodstock Union High School.