Andrea Sneiderman- Sentencing Day!

I decided that out of my respect for Rusty's family, I was going to stay away from the courthouse and watch things unfold from home.  I wanted to make sure the day was focused on justice for Rusty not on my 2 second stunt done out of the presence of the judge, jury, convict, and victims family as it would have been if Andrea's friends had their way.

I can tell you that 100% Andrea was lying on the stand. She was not contrite regarding what she'd been convicted on!  It was NOT true that were it not for the children she wanted to die after Rusty's death because there was already another man in the picture "mowing her lawn" while his wife helped her with the Shiva.   This same man left his pregnant wife and the divorce was final last summer.  He's attended pretty much almost all of her court appearances since! He was even spotted in the courtroom this day.

~~Information on the situation from the 11 Alive Asset Pool for the curious~~

There is a recording of him on a phone call after Andrea was arrested last year while she was jailed saying he loved her!  The day she appeared in court for the charges for murder to be dropped she was wearing a WAY different ring than she was the wedding set from Rusty she wore throughout the trial. Below is a picture example of each!

 Worn the Friday the Murder Charges were dropped:

The Marital Set she wore the rest of the time.

Oh and as for crying on the stand while addressing the judge? never a tear was shed.  She was convicted of lying in his courtroom during Hemy's trial and hasn't stopped since.  The only person she cares about is herself.  As I have said before, the kids are the biggest victims in this whole thing because now they have neither parent, or shouldn't, they will eventually get her back for their important life moments.

On this day, she was sentenced to 5 years for each count she was found guilty of but to run them all concurrent instead of consecutive and they will be taking out the time already served in jail and out on house arrest so more like 4 years but maybe more like 2 with good behavior because it's a first time offense. 

All of the "friends" that spoke on her behalf that were also Rusty's friends, I was shaking my head at them. I wouldn't have considered them my friend if they did that after what has happened. I call that fair weather friends.  

As I have said before, in the end, nobody wins. It doesn't bring Rusty back, it doesn't make his loss any less, or the pain and missing him any less. But, in the end, it ends with Andrea. If that other man were smart, he would think about all that has happened and run while she's behind bars to someplace she can't find him when she gets out. I wouldn't want to be connected to that situation in any way if I were him.  Was it really worth leaving that baby?  Think about why you loved the baby's mom in the first place and start there.  Maybe move someplace and try again?

As for the children in the situation, they need all the family around them now more than ever given everything that has happened and I hope for their sake they get it with an olive branch? Why involve more when you really don't have to. It stops with Andrea.  She's in jail for a bit. Why not try some family picnics or dinners? What seriously could it hurt? Everyone loves the kids and want what's best for them, it's a start.

Andrea Sneiderman Trial Monday

I'm finally back in NC! Some of you know that for all of 2 seconds I stood in front of the pool video feed camera on Monday August 19, 2013 after the judge, jury, convict, and victims family had left the courtroom. As I did so, the camera man said "don't, I don't want you to get held in contempt and it isn't running anyway." It was a split second decision as I was leaving the courtroom.  I meant no disrespect to the Sneiderman family.

Earlier in the day, "Wild", as he is known, was joking around with me and told me that if I could get in front of a camera with that sign I would get a mug. I actually did it, he saw it, he's sending the mug and I'll put a pix up when it arrives. The WAT that everyone has wondered about stands for Wild About Trial, a live streaming website for trials going on across the US.  It is the best place to find any of the cases currently allowing cameras in the courtroom as they happen. With that I will end anything further on that topic other than to say publicly thank you to all those who defended me especially Larry Peck ;)  I never asked for my last blog post to be posted on any facebook pages so no, I don't owe anyone anything because they "gave me a platform and a huge view hit for my blog".  Sorry but the views weren't nearly THAT big. I do know how to get my blog out to the masses thanks! Feel free to leave comments here if you have questions about my time in Atlanta because this and twitter are the only places I will publicly answer.

Onto Monday! When I arrived, we all sat outside the courtroom until the bailiff let us in.  He said it would remain unlocked and we could use our phones/ electronics as long as court was not in session. I have always said that if a verdict is gonna come, it will come after lunch.  That day, in particular, I felt it would be after lunch because they had had all weekend to think about all they had digested on Friday all day.  They could go over the few things that might have still been nagging etc. in the morning but after they had their last lunch they would come back with a verdict.

I thought I was being silly saying earlier than 2 so I said before 3. So there I am surrounded by local journalists so we bantered about previous high profile cases etc.  It hits noon which according to the past has been lunch for the jury.  The schedule has been 8:30 in 12:00-1:00 lunch 4:30 out if no verdict etc. So right at noon the bailiff kicked us out and locked the doors til 1:00.

I decided to go out to my car and tinker with my ipad etc. and came back in just as the bailiff was unlocking the doors again at 1.  A few minutes later I saw a female court personnel peek out and motion for a bailiff.  I said something like should I read something into that... the other bailiff never understood me so I just shrugged.  I saw one of the bailiffs with the box that usually contained the jurors notebooks and somehow or another the word verdict was whispered among us and he motioned to be quiet and type because I said something like I KNEW IT! (louder than I should have.)  As soon as I got out the words we have a verdict with the hashtags and tweeted they announced for those of us not in the press to turn off our cell phones and electronic devices.

It was like within minutes all the parties were there because I knew the Sneiderman family was there just not in the courtroom, we had seen lawyers from both sides around so it really didn't take long to get everyone assembled.  It was Andrea's side that took the longest to assemble.  Rusty's brother or his father had brought these sheets in that were pre-printed with the counts and guilt or not guilty boxes next to them so you could just go down and x as they were read out.  Y'all know the verdict.  9 felony convictions.  Wonder if she knows she can't vote as a convicted felon. I looked back at the Sneiderman's lawyer with a big smile as they took her into custody immediately.

Nobody ever wins in cases like this. The biggest victims of course are the kids.  Andrea says Hemy took Rusty away from them but she had a hand in it obviously so now they won't have both parents for maybe 4 years. Andrea will get to be there for Sophia's Bat Mitzva, wedding, babies, etc.  Andrea will get to be there for Ian's Bar Mitzva, wedding, babies, etc. Rusty won't.

No matter what the outcome was to this case nothing would bring Rusty back. It won't make the hurt in his families hearts any less painful.  It won't make them miss him any less. The best things for those kids though? Both sides of the family working together to be there for the kids and to let both sides be there for the kids. The blame stops at Andrea. Everyone else should be there for those kids and should be allowed to be there for those kids and it not even be some issue that has to be fought.  Family is family.

Andrea Sneiderman Trial

So, I've been down in Atlanta all week for the Andrea Sneiderman trial. She was originally charged with 3 bigger charges towards killing her husband but the Friday before the jury selection was to begin the state dropped those 3 charges. They can still bring those charges back. HLN/CNN decided that because they dropped those charges they would not be covering the case and would cover another case in its place.

I drove down Friday August 10, 2013 and am staying with my family in Canton.  See, I was born in Atlanta and lived there off and on for 14 years.  I grew up in Willow Pointe where everyone knew everyone and the kids ran freely from yard to yard, house to house, dawn til dusk no locked doors. When I moved back I lived in Brookstone I where you knew a lot of your neighbors because we moved in when it was just starting to be built.

I actually went back to my old first neighborhood last Saturday and the neighbors I grew up with still live there. I got to catch up with them and recall old times.  It was like nothing had changed!  I miss that neighborhood because in reality so much has changed in the 30 years since I have lived there in the world. My nieces can't do the same things their mom and I could.  I fear for their safety daily out in Canton.

The biggest change? People have started picking on people that are different from them for no reason. I showed up nice and early on Monday to the courthouse.  I was told to turn my cell phone off by some court attenders and then by the bailiff and I told him all the sounds and alerts were off.  The sidebar first thing was regarding the fact I was refusing to turn my phone off.  I heard at the end he would deal with it if something happened. I think they were concerned I might take photos too (I realized that later). I had to leave at the lunch break because my back was really bothering me. I found out at that time that it was NOT free for handicap parking in the tower as the court website had led to believe.

Tuesday morning I went to where the guy in the tower told me the free handicap parking was and was told it wasn't so I had to head back to get cash then head back to court. I got up to the floor and sat outside the courtroom waiting for the next break because they had told me the first day to turn my cell phone off and I said the sounds were all off I was tweeting live.  When I got on the floor there were a group of people that were all like "oh look who's back!" "why is she here?"

They went so far as to snap photos (yes I saw y'all whether or not you think I did) and say things such as "must be nice to have a job that pays enough to let you drive down here to attend a trial you aren't a part of" etc. you get the drift. I was dared by a friend to snap a pix since they had  since the sounds were off my phone they wouldn't hear it etc.  Let's just say silent hall shutter sound WAS active.  INNOCUOUS photo of the HALLWAY not people was taken and deleted.

This really set them off.  They started saying "oh you want to take our photos?" and started ridiculously posing.  At one point when someone came off the elevator they said look who's here! so I turned and with a big smile on my face I did a big animated wave and went back to ignoring them.  Turns out they were witnesses to boot!  I did something I shouldn't have because I was tired of them talking about me etc. so I posted a tweet... and if they were witnesses they shouldn't have seen it but it was to the tune of " (hashtag) to the catty bitches in the hallway I heard your entire conversation about me and that was very rude.

I know, I know, I stooped to their level.  When the break did come they ran up to the defense attorney's saying look who's here! why is she here?  They even at one point had tried to call security saying I was a suspicious person! (yes I heard that too girls)  As I went in the courtroom I caught them say "go get her" to the defense attorney etc.  I had deleted the photo and covered my camera so the bailiffs would be happy. I had also deleted the catty tweet.

I got to tweet for a few minutes until I tweeted the apology to those ladies in the hallway when I realized they were witnesses.  Then he made me turn my phone off and I did.  had a huge smile on my face for the rest of the day to show them they didn't get to me.... until I was heading back to Canton that night.

I was at a stop light and decided to put my top down but the light turned green, I freaked out and started driving... popped a tired and bent a wheel.  one of the hecklers was behind me.  just what I needed. AAA switched my tired to a donut and off to my folks I went.

Wednesday I went to the Tire shop to get the new tire we had ordered but then wheel was bent so I had to wait another day to get that back so I went home and rested because I really hadn't slept anyway. Thursday morning I got the tired put on and headed down to the courthouse just in time for closing arguments! I had rallied the troops from #DMTDC and a bunch of us came together at the last moment for them! we all barraged the courtroom for seats and floored Andreas side.

When I came up on the floor to begin with I heard " she's not taking my picture" several times over and just rolled my eyes because my phone wasn't on or even out! I ended up sitting in front of Rusty's family.  They are the sweetest people and no one is really caring about them.  During the break b/w arguments I asked how they were doing, if they had had something to eat or drink today etc. and they hadn't.  I told them they had to because Rusty wouldn't want them to be like this.  He would want them well to fight this fight for him. We talked about more I respect them enough to not post about it.

I went from the courthouse to a great get together with the #DMTDC! It was great meeting everyone in person! y'all rock! Thank you David for everything you have done and continue to do! OH! I didn't go down to the court house on Friday because I felt miserable but I live tweeted from my parents all day. I have decided to stay and go on Monday with my father to wait for a verdict. We won't be there to bother anyone, or disrupt anything. Both of our phones will be off when the judge is not on the bench or on the record. We respect the fact that everyone there has been affected by this case in one way or another and we don't want to add to it.

I drove down from the Raleigh area of NC for this. I have been to several big cases because I want to see the ins and outs of the courtroom procedures etc.  I'm considering going back to school for criminal justice.  It's no one's business why I'm there. Anyone can walk off the street and sit in there as it is open to the public. If you must know, I don't have a job and we had to pinch pennies for me to be able to do this. Thankfully I have family here I can stay with.  The wheel incident certainly didn't help things. Don't judge people before you meet them. I judged you because of what you were saying about me.