(Host) Testimony resumes today in Rutland in the Michelle Gardner Quinn murder case.
Brian Rooney is accused of the abduction, rape and murder of the 21-year old University of Vermont student in 2006.
The trial was postponed last week when Rooney became ill.
Delays are not uncommon in court, but they can make a stressful situation even more trying for the family and friends of the victim.
VPR’s Nina Keck has more.
(Keck) In any criminal trial, families and friends of the victim face an emotional roller coaster. Judy Rex is executive director for the Vermont Center for Crime Victims Services.
(Rex) "It is exactly that – a roller coaster ride. Because you really can’t anticipate the different motions that can be made and decisions that judges make that can affect whether the trial continues or gets postponed or things get rescheduled. So it’s really hard for victims or victim’s families to go through that."
(Keck) Last Friday, when the trial was put on hold, Michelle Gardner Quinn’s parents, who live in Virginia, waited outside the courtroom for close to two hours before learning the day’s proceedings would be canceled. A victim advocate waited with them. Judy Rex says advocates are like legal social workers provided by the state to help people like the Gardner-Quinns through the system.
(Rex) "I think one of the most important things victim advocates do with a victim and the family is to really educate them about the criminal justice system and what to expect. That’s just so important for them to understand all the different things that can happen and why. That really helps them to walk into the courtroom and have realistic expectations of what to expect."
(Keck) Besides explaining the ins and outs of the courts, Rex says a victim advocate can also provide a tremendous amount of emotional support and encouragement at a time when many people feel lost.
(Rex) "And it can make all the difference in the world. I can’t imagine any victim or family going through a trial like that without going through that kind of support."
(Keck) While there were many at the trial in Rutland who were related to or had known Michelle Gardner Quinn, there were few people in court seated behind defendant Brian Rooney. He has three children and Judy Rex admits providing support services to a defendant’s family is a more complicated issue.
(Rex) "And that’s a tough one – that the state of Vermont is grappling with – is what to do with people who are incarcerated, in jail, who have children. How do – do you maintain that relationship? What does that look like? How do you do it in a way that’s safe for everyone? It’s not easy."
(Keck) Gail Fendley, whose son was dating Michelle Gardner Quinn when she was killed, came to the trial from Virginia to provide support to the family. She says while they have all waited for this event for 20 months, getting through it will be difficult because no one is certain how it will all come out.
(Fendley) "The road to today has been so hilly – from changing trial dates to attorneys to leading up to last Tuesday has been such a roller coaster ride – that I don’t think any of us who are closely associated with it want to count on the outcome until we know what it is. We can’t presuppose."
(Keck) The trial continues this week at the Rutland courthouse.
For VPR News, I’m Nina Keck in Rutland.