Grand Isle Prosecutor Douglas DiSabito Pleads Not Guilty to DUI Charge

Douglas DiSabito, the State’s Attorney for Grand Isle County, pleaded not guilty on May 12, 2026, to a driving under the influence (DUI) charge during a hearing in Burlington.

DiSabito, 57, appeared remotely in Chittenden Superior criminal court for the arraignment. His attorney, Karen Shingler, also attended the proceedings remotely and entered the plea on his behalf. During the hearing, Shingler contested the state’s effort to suspend DiSabito’s driver’s license.

Details of the Arrest

The charges follow an incident in mid-April 2026, when DiSabito arrived at the Franklin County Superior Court in St. Albans. According to court documents, he showed signs of impairment upon arrival, prompting court employees to alert law enforcement.

Police officers spoke with DiSabito and administered a field sobriety test, during which he exhibited multiple signs of impairment. A subsequent Breathalyzer test measured DiSabito’s breath alcohol concentration at 0.084%, which is above the legal limit of 0.08%.

Court documents state that DiSabito initially told police he had not been drinking and had not taken any medication that would explain the signs of impairment. He later informed officers that he had taken prescribed Xanax earlier in the day before driving to the courthouse.

Legal Context

The case involving the Grand Isle County prosecutor occurs two years after a similar incident involving Eva Vekos, the Addison County State’s Attorney. Vekos was arrested for driving under the influence in January 2024 after she arrived at a potential crime scene showing signs of impairment.

Vekos was later convicted of the charge, and her law license was temporarily suspended while disciplinary proceedings related to the conviction were conducted.