Taylor Kennedy was in court on Friday for sentencing.
Kennedy was accused of hitting and killing nine-year-old Baeleigh Maurice with her truck in 2021.
But instead of a conviction, the judge stayed the charge due to years of delays.
The verdict did not come easy to Baeleigh’s family.
“It felt like the day we had lost her all over again,” said Rhane Mahingen, Baeleigh Maurice’s aunt.
The charges were stayed due to court delays — exceeding the 18-month window as set out by the Supreme Court of Canada.
“This was a prosecution that was flawed from the get-go. It took far longer than it should’ve. We’re expecting the prosecution to disagree with that — we expect they’ll file a notice of appeal shortly, and we look forward to meeting them at the court of appeal too,” said Thomas Hynes, defence counsel.
Kennedy was the first person in Saskatchewan to face THC-related impaired driving causing death charges.
Kennedy admitting to police she was using both cannabis and magic mushrooms in the 24-hour period before the fatal crash.
Maurice’s family members and supporters stood up with shock and outrage in the courtroom as the decision was read.
“The court system is filled with nothing but systematic racism. Not only towards the Indigenous community but towards other communities of colour. This little girl deserves justice and that’s not what we got,” said Mahingen.
Kennedy’s defence counsel argues even if the judge had ruled differently, her charter rights were violated by officers at the scene of the crime.
“She would’ve agreed with us that police investigation in this case violated Miss Kennedy’s rights in a number of significant ways, and so would’ve excluded key evidence against her — so she would’ve been found not guilty at the end of the day, anyways,” said Hynes.
Baeleigh’s family and supporters say they will be putting up a four-year memorial for her next September.