Lawyers in the Andrea Sneiderman case sparred over grammar Thursday in a hearing on the defense’s motion to dismiss the non-murder charges against the Dunwoody widow.
Attorneys for Sneiderman said 13 of the 16 counts lack specificity, and, in one case, a pronoun, putting the defense at a disadvantage.
“Is it the accused told police she never suspected Hemy Neuman was involved (in her husband’s murder),” Sneiderman co-counsel John Petrey said. “It could be anybody. We are entitled to an indictment that is perfect in form.”
Sneiderman’s husband, Rusty, was shot dead in November 2010 by his wife’s boss, Hemy Neuman, who was sentenced to life in prison last March. Sneiderman has denied any involvement in her husband’s killing.
The defense claims prosecutors have failed to specifically address allegations she lied to police and concealed evidence that could have led to Neuman’s capture.
“She is entitled to an indictment that adequately, legally, sufficiently puts her on notice of what she’s accused of doing,” Petrey said. “And we ain’t there yet.”
But prosecutor Anna Cross argued the defense asks for too much.
“Could (the indictment) have been more definite? That’s not the standard,” Cross said. “Does it put (Sneiderman) on notice? It does.”
In their motion, Sneiderman’s legal team contends the seven perjury counts are “vague, uncertain, indefinite and devoid of the specificity required by the due process clauses” of the state and U.S. constitutions.
Prosecutors allege the mother of two was repeatedly dishonest with investigators.
Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last year that investigators came to believe Sneiderman was lying about her relationship with Neuman. Lead detective Andrew Thompson, testifying at a pre-trial hearing, said police didn’t zero in on the GE Energy executive because “we were being driven towards other avenues of investigation” by Sneiderman and her immediate family.
Sneiderman, currently living with her parents in Johns Creek under house arrest, insists she was not romantically involved with Neuman.
The motions hearing will be resume next Friday. Sneiderman’s trial is scheduled to begin July 29.
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