Sneiderman’s attorneys seek dismissal of some charges
Attorneys for Andrea Sneiderman filed a motion Monday to dismiss 13 of the 16 counts contained in a reworked indictment against their client, saying prosecutors failed to specifically address allegations she lied to police and concealed evidence that could have led to the capture of her husband’s killer.
Sneiderman’s boss, Hemy Neuman, was sentenced to life in prison last March for the fatal shooting of Rusty Sneiderman in November 2010. Andrea Sneiderman has denied any involvement in her husband’s death.
The Dunwoody widow’s lawyers characterized the seven perjury counts as “devoid of the specificity required by the due process clauses” of the state and U.S. constitutions.
Prosecutors allege Sneiderman failed to provide investigators with information that pointed to Neuman’s culpability in the shooting.
But Sneiderman’s defense team says DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James has not provided any specifics as to how she hindered the apprehension of a criminal.
“Count 4 … does not adequately apprise (Sneiderman) of the circumstances of any alleged commission of a crime sufficient to allow defendant to prepare a defense … and to protect her against double jeopardy,” their motion states.
The defense makes similar arguments on the four counts of giving false statements and the one count of concealing material facts. Sneiderman is also charged with felony murder, malice murder and aggravated assault.
In an interview last year with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan said that as the case against Neuman took shape, investigators came to believe Sneiderman was lying about her relationship with her former supervisor. The lead detective, Andrew Thompson, said during a hearing before Neuman’s trial that police didn’t zero in on the GE Energy executive because “we were being driven toward other avenues of investigation” by Sneiderman and her immediate family.
Sneiderman denies she was ever romantically involved with Neuman.
Her trial is scheduled to begin July 29.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
