Vermont Statutes Title 13. Crimes and Criminal Procedure, § 5585. Electronic recording of a custodial interrogation

(1) “Custodial interrogation” means any interrogation:

(2) “Electronic recording” or “electronically recorded” means an audio and visual recording that is an authentic, accurate, unaltered record of a custodial interrogation, or if law enforcement does not have the current capacity to create a visual recording, an audio recording of the interrogation.

(3) “Place of detention” means a building or a police station that is a place of operation for the State police, a municipal police department, county sheriff department, or other law enforcement agency that is owned or operated by a law enforcement agency at which persons are or may be questioned in connection with criminal offenses or detained temporarily in connection with criminal charges pending a potential arrest or citation.

(4) “Statement” means an oral, written, sign language, or nonverbal communication.

(b)(1) A custodial interrogation that occurs in a place of detention concerning the investigation of a felony or misdemeanor violation of this title shall be electronically recorded in its entirety. Unless impracticable, a custodial interrogation occurring outside a place of detention concerning the investigation of a felony or misdemeanor violation of this title shall be electronically recorded in its entirety.

(2) In consideration of best practices, law enforcement shall strive to record simultaneously both the interrogator and the person being interrogated.

(c)(1) The following are exceptions to the recording requirement in subsection (b) of this section:

(2) If law enforcement does not make an electronic recording of a custodial interrogation as required by this section, the prosecution shall prove by a preponderance of the evidence that one of the exceptions identified in subdivision (1) of this subsection applies. If the prosecution does not meet the burden of proof, the evidence is still admissible, but the court shall provide cautionary instructions to the jury regarding the failure to record the interrogation.