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.
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