Andrea Sneiderman on Monday dropped a counterclaim filed in June against her brother-in-law in regards to statements he made implicating the Dunwoody widow in her husband’s shooting, according to court documents.
The counterclaim, which alleged libel, defamation, slander and intentional infliction of emotional distress, was dismissed without prejudice — an important distinction. Under Georgia law, Sneiderman has six months to refile the counterclaim, and by then her criminal trial should be completed.
The mother of two, who has maintained her innocence, pleaded not guilty on Friday to a reworked 16-count indictment charging her with one count of felony murder, one count of aggravated assault, seven counts of perjury, four counts of giving false statements, and one count each of concealing material facts and hindering the apprehension of a criminal.
Sneiderman’s former boss, Hemy Neuman, was sentenced to life in prison last March for fatally shooting Rusty Sneiderman outside a daycare facility.
Three months after the Neuman trial, Andrea went on a legal offensive against brother-in-law Steve Sneiderman after he made several public statements questioning her innocence.
“Andrea [is] covered in Rusty’s blood, and there are not enough rabbis in the world to wash away those stains,” he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last March.
The counterclaim was in response to a wrongful death suit that alleges Andrea “knew that her co-conspirator intended to kill Rusty Sneiderman.” The suit also charges that she “actively and knowingly participated in the murder and the planning of the murder.”
Andrea’s civil attorneys countered that it was “profoundly unfair” and a violation of Georgia law for Rusty’s brother to publicly accuse their client of being a co-conspirator to murder “while simultaneously calling for investigations, and filing a lawsuit, to determine whether or not the accusations that he has publicly made against her are true.”
Doug Chalmers, representing Andrea in the civil matters, declined comment Monday, as did Esther Panitch, counsel for Steve Sneiderman.
The criminal trial is scheduled to begin July 29, almost a year to the day of Andrea Sneiderman’s arrest. She is currently under house arrest, living with her parents in Johns Creek.
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