Judiciary committee hears testimony on S.87; public defender warns bill could lengthen pre‑extradition detention

The Judiciary Committee heard testimony on S.87 on ongoing revisions to Vermont's extradition procedures, with Josh O'Hara, supervising attorney at the Public Defender's Office in Burlington, testifying for the defender general's office about how the statutes operate in practice.

O'Hara said the current statutory framework allows a judge to hold a person brought before the court on an out‑of‑state fugitive allegation for an initial 30‑day period and that a later statutory section generally requires bail unless the person is charged with a life or capital offense. "Under the current statute, what happens is a judge can admit that person to jail unless they make bail, for a period of 30 days," he said. He added that courts commonly grant an extension by 60 days, producing "a possible period of 90 days of incarceration" in practice.

Why it matt…