ATLANTA (AP) The Georgia Supreme Court has reversed the conviction of a man who was involved in a love triangle that led to a killing outside an Atlanta-area preschool.
The court announced the 6-1 decision involving Hemy Neuman in an opinion released Monday morning.
A jury in March 2012 found Neuman guilty but mentally ill of malice murder in the November 2010 killing of Russell ``Rusty'' Sneiderman. Neuman worked with Sneiderman's wife, Andrea, and was her supervisor.
The conviction must be reversed because the trial judge erred in allowing notes and records of two mental health experts who examined Neuman before trial, Monday's opinion states.
``Because the trial court erred in admitting evidence, which was protected by the attorney-client privilege, we now reverse,'' Justice Carol Hunstein wrote.
The state now has the option of re-trying Neuman, who is serving a sentence of life with no chance of parole, the opinion states.
At Neuman's trial, both the prosecution and the defense contended Neuman and Andrea Sneiderman were romantically involved. Andrea Sneiderman has repeatedly denied any affair.
Prosecutors suggested during Neuman's trial that Andrea Sneiderman was a co-conspirator, but they said Neuman was ultimately driven to kill Rusty Sneiderman because Neuman wanted Sneiderman's wife and his money. Neuman's defense attorneys said their client was mentally ill and that Andrea Sneiderman took advantage of that weakness to manipulate him into killing her husband.
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May 4th, 2024
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