Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Public Safety has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a woman who was the victim of a kidnapping and sexual assault involving suspect Everett Simpson earlier this year.
The settlement was reached following mediation in August 2019 and finalized with a stipulation of dismissal that was filed December 5 and approved by a judge Thursday, December 12.
Under terms of the agreement, the victim will receive $300,000, and her son will receive $100,000. The parties to the lawsuit will bear their own costs and fees. The state admitted no wrongdoing in reaching the compromise settlement with the plaintiff.
The lawsuit was filed March 4, 2019, in the Civil Division of Vermont Superior Court in Burlington. The case arose from an incident that occurred in January 2019 when Simpson is alleged to have left a substance-abuse treatment facility in Bradford against court orders, stole a vehicle, drove to New Hampshire, abducted the victim outside the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, forced her and her young son into her vehicle and drove to Vermont.
Simpson is then accused of forcing the woman to rent a hotel room, where he sexually assaulted her with her son present.
Criminal charges against Simpson related to the incident are pending in both federal and state courts.
The plaintiff was represented by the New Hampshire law firm Shaheen & Gordon. The state of Vermont was represented by the Attorney General’s Office.
Source: BURLINGTON, Vermont (Dec. 13, 2019) – Vermont Department of Public Safety