Man admits using heroin with child in car

A Franklin man has admitted using heroin earlier this year with his partner in a parked car while their 5-year-old son watched from the backseat.

Adam D. Legrand, 42, appeared Thursday in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington where he pleaded guilty to cruelty to a child younger than 10 years old. 

Police have said Legrand and his partner Hannah Smith, 38, used heroin and began to lose consciousness in the parking lot of Burlington's Pearl Street Beverage when their son began yelling to passersby for help. Several witnesses told police they saw Smith and Legrand slumped over in the front seat of the car, according to court papers.

Judge Dennis Pearson sentenced Legrand to spend 18 months under the supervision of the Rapid Intervention Community Court while he undergoes drug treatment and counseling elsewhere. If he commits no new crimes within the 18 months, Legrand will be eligible to have the charge removed from his record. His partner Smith received the same sentence last week after also pleading guilty to cruelty to a child younger than 10 years old. 

The couple's son was staying with a relative while the court cases proceeded.

Legrand's lawyer Harley Brown said he is pleased with the seriousness with which Legrand has approached the case and his recovery from opiate addiction. He said Legrand has also been satisfying all requirements set by the Department for Children and Families, under whose supervision the child remains. 

"We'd like to thank the court and state for the extraordinary way of resolving this case," Brown said. "I wish we had more cases like this."

Woman admits using heroin with child in car

Contact Elizabeth Murray at 651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizMurraySMC.

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