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Description: Burlington, Vermont criminal law lawyer represented Defendant charged with first-degree murder.
Aita Gurung was accused of killing Yogeswari Khadka and attempted second degree murder of Tulasa Rimal.
Attorney General Susanne Young issued the following statement:
“Murder is the most serious charge that can be brought in our system of justice. The Attorney General’s Office has always believed that this matter—the tragic death of Yogeswari Khadka and the near-fatal attack on Tulasa Rimal—deserved to be heard in a court of law and required a response from our justice system. We are grateful to our partners in law enforcement, including the Burlington Police Department, who assisted in the pursuit of justice. We thank the jury for their service and their careful consideration and deliberation around the facts and the law in this matter. It is because of the jury’s commitment and participation that we are able to uphold the rule of law.”
Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement in response to the guilty verdicts delivered in State vs. Gurung.
“First of all, I want to once again express my sympathy to the friends and family of the victims of these heinous acts. Although legal justice has been served today, this verdict will never heal the irreparable pain this murderer has inflicted.
“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Attorney General’s Office – both under former Attorney General T.J. Donovan and current Attorney General Susanne Young – for stepping in and diligently prosecuting this case. The criminal division in the Attorney General’s Office worked incredibly hard to deliver justice and deserve our appreciation for their good work.”
“The primary responsibility of any government is public safety. And that means we cannot allow violent criminals to potentially walk free. This case – and the victims – deserved their day in court. Justice was served.”
The Court ordered Mr. Gurung’s continued hospitalization pending a hearing on that status to be scheduled.
The case was heard by Judge John Pacht in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division. Assistant Attorneys General Sophie Stratton and Rosemary Kennedy prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Vermont.
This case was originally dismissed by the Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George in 2019. Governor Scott then requested the Attorney General’s Office under TJ Donovan to reconsider in order to ensure that justice was served, and public safety protected (see Governor Scott’s 2019 letter by clicking here(link is external)).
Title 13 Vermont Statutes Second 2301 provides:
Murder committed by means of poison, or by lying in wait, or by willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing, or committed in perpetrating or attempting to perpetrate arson, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, kidnapping, robbery, or burglary shall be murder in the first degree. All other kinds of murder shall be murder in the second degree. (Amended 1983, No. 23, § 1; 2018, No. 8 (Sp. Sess.), § 12, eff. June 28, 2018.)
Outcome: Guilty
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