Justice Eaton of Woodstock, Windsor County, was born in Windsor, Vermont, on August 25, 1955. He attended schools in Woodstock before graduating from the University of Vermont (BSEd, 1977) and Vermont Law School (JD, cum laude, 1980). He was a deputy state's attorney (1980–1982) and chief deputy state's attorney for Chittenden County (1982–1983), then entered the private practice of law in Rutland (1983–1991). He was a partner in the Woodstock firm of Eaton & Hayes from 1991 to 2004. He is a member of the American Law Institute. On April 16, 2004, he was appointed to the Superior Court by Governor James Douglas. On October 27, 2014, he was sworn in as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court by Governor Peter Shumlin.

• University of Vermont (BSEd, 1977)
• Vermont Law School (JD, 1980)