Attorney Zachery Weight is a seasoned trial attorney at Burke Law who focuses his practice on criminal defense in Northern Vermont. Attorney Weight has won numerous jury trials and successfully represented hundreds of Vermonters charged with criminal offenses in Franklin, Addison, Rutland, Orleans, Essex, Caledonia, Windsor, Washington, Chittenden and Lamoille counties.
Getting to know Zachery Weight outside of the office:
- Zach’s favorite legal movie: A Few Good Men
- Last book Zach read: You Have the Right to Remain Innocent by James Duane (based on his lecture “Don’t Talk to the Police”)
- Zach knew he wanted to be a lawyer when he was in college and I watched a real criminal jury trial in person. He thought “I want to be a part of this.”
- Zach’s most memorable legal moment occurred early on in his career. “I was in the middle of a criminal jury trial where my client was facing 10 serious felonies and I caught the complaining witness in multiple lies while cross-examining her. I had copies of emails that the witness had emailed my client (emails the State prosecutor didn’t know about) and thru my cross-examination I got the witness to admit that she lied about everything and was just angry at my client. The jury found my client not guilty on all felony charges.”
- What Zach likes most about criminal defense: The Rules of Evidence – if you know them and how to use them, they can be your best weapon in defense of your client.
- Burke Law gives each of us attorneys room to be creative in defense of our clients. And that my co-workers have turned into some of my best friends.
- Attorney Weight’s proudest legal moment: “I represented a client on a felony Assault & Robbery for 18 months. I worked with my client, pulled together an investigation team and really dug into the allegations that were made about my client. We were able to uncover evidence that ultimately got the case dismissed with prejudice right before picking a jury. I am pretty proud of that.”
- Favorite legal quote “The only real lawyers are trial lawyers, and trial lawyers try cases to juries.” -Clarence Darrow
- If he could change one Vermont Statute it would be to abolish the criminal penalties for Driving with a Suspended License – this crime disproportionately affects low-income people with no other choice but to drive even with a suspended license, so they can get to work, drop their kids off at school or go to doctor’s appointments.
For Attorney Zach Weight’s full bio click here.
