Day 2 of Rugby Daycare Operator's Child Abuse Trial

Today was Day 2 of the trial for a Rugby woman charged with child abuse.

Lori Ann Voeller faces 8 counts of Child Abuse or Neglect.

Authorities say she abused children in the daycare she ran from her Rugby home.

Voeller faces up to 10 years behind bars for each charge.

Renee Chmiel: Jury selection was completed yesterday.and today they began hearing from witnesses. The second day of the Voeller trial started this morning with opening statements. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Byers talked about how working parents in Rugby thought their young children would be safe at Loving Hearts Daycare, but evidence supports the abuse allegations.

Jonathan Byers: You'll hear a consistent theme about not discipline but throwing kids onto the floor, into a couch

Renee Chmiel: Voeller's attorney, Alex Reichert says it's a case of tunnel vision. He says police interviewed the child witnesses improperly and that they may have exaggerated.

Alex Reichert: Lori Voeller has been a daycare provider for over 20 years. In those 20 years she has never faced allegations like this.

Renee Chmiel: The jury also heard from some of the state's witnesses. Kara Robinson told them about when she picked her cousin's 2-year-old son from the daycare. She said he looked fine when she brought him there but his face was bruised when she picked him up.

Kara Robinson: Started to show like fingers and a hand, it almost looked like this.

Renee Chmiel: Robinson says Voeller told her the boy had fallen into a toy box. He was later taken to the emergency room. The boy's mother tearfully told the jury what she saw when she got home from work that day.

Mandy Marquart: He had a scratch under his eye. He had some bruising in his ear and his nose, and his lip was fat. Return to index of stories...

Renee Chmiel: The jury also heard a recorded phone conversation between Marquart and Voeller.

In the conversation Voeller says the boy must have fallen into the toy box, but she says she didn't see it happen.

I'll be back in court tomorrow to let you know the latest.

Renee Chmiel WDAZ news

Tags: reporter stories, renee chmiel, news,