One victim’s family in Rutland still seeking justice after nearly four years
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In 2019, Harper Rose Briar was 6 months old.She was enrolled at Stacey Vaillancourt’s state-certified, in-home day care center in Rutland.Harper was only there for three days.On her third day of day care, 911 crews were called to the center; Harper was unresponsive. Crews rushed her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.Court documents show the medical examiner determined Harper died from a high concentration of sedatives in her body, similar to those in allergy medications.Vaillancourt was charged with manslaughter and cruelty to a child.Since then, little has moved in the case and Vaillancourt was sent home after the arraignment on a set of conditions.The family has waited over three years to see their case brought before a jury.Feeling lost, Harper’s mom, Marissa Briar, turned to TikTok, gaining over 450K followers.”I’m done being quiet. I — I am her voice. She didn’t have a voice, I need to step up and be that voice,” Briar said.One of the reasons the trial has been pushed back is the COVID-19 case backlog in the courts. “Before the courthouse restrictions that came into place as COVID precautions, we were seeing between 6 and 10 potential trial dates a month,” said Rutland State’s Attorney Ian Sullivan. “We’re now seeing about 3.”Sullivan said the Briar family’s case is set for a pre-trial conference in September, bringing the case one step closer to potentially going before a jury.But, it is just one of the thousands of cases waiting to be resolved in the county.”People having their day in court is incredibly important. It is a way of society responding to harm that is done in the community,” Sullivan said. “That is a meaningful process, whether we get to trial after a couple of months or a couple of years.”For Harper’s family, they want to see justice and get a jury trial set as soon as possible.”She deserves that,” said Briar. “She had her life taken from her and I feel like it’s just been pushed out so long and it’s like you know none of this is fair, but this is the least we can do; get her justice.”Briar also said there has been little to no support from victims advocates assigned to her case. Th family’s case is just one example of people impacted by the stalled criminal justice system.NBC5 will continue to monitor these stalled cases across the state.
In 2019, Harper Rose Briar was 6 months old.
She was enrolled at Stacey Vaillancourt’s state-certified, in-home day care center in Rutland.
Harper was only there for three days.
On her third day of day care, 911 crews were called to the center; Harper was unresponsive. Crews rushed her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Court documents show the medical examiner determined Harper died from a high concentration of sedatives in her body, similar to those in allergy medications.
Vaillancourt was charged with manslaughter and cruelty to a child.
Since then, little has moved in the case and Vaillancourt was sent home after the arraignment on a set of conditions.
The family has waited over three years to see their case brought before a jury.
Feeling lost, Harper’s mom, Marissa Briar, turned to TikTok, gaining over 450K followers.
“I’m done being quiet. I — I am her voice. She didn’t have a voice, I need to step up and be that voice,” Briar said.
One of the reasons the trial has been pushed back is the COVID-19 case backlog in the courts.
“Before the courthouse restrictions that came into place as COVID precautions, we were seeing between 6 and 10 potential trial dates a month,” said Rutland State’s Attorney Ian Sullivan. “We’re now seeing about 3.”
Sullivan said the Briar family’s case is set for a pre-trial conference in September, bringing the case one step closer to potentially going before a jury.
But, it is just one of the thousands of cases waiting to be resolved in the county.
“People having their day in court is incredibly important. It is a way of society responding to harm that is done in the community,” Sullivan said. “That is a meaningful process, whether we get to trial after a couple of months or a couple of years.”
For Harper’s family, they want to see justice and get a jury trial set as soon as possible.
“She deserves that,” said Briar. “She had her life taken from her and I feel like it’s just been pushed out so long and it’s like you know none of this is fair, but this is the least we can do; get her justice.”
Briar also said there has been little to no support from victims advocates assigned to her case.
Th family’s case is just one example of people impacted by the stalled criminal justice system.
NBC5 will continue to monitor these stalled cases across the state.
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