Convicted Former Law Student Alleges Conflict of Interest

The Georgia Supreme Court is conducting an oral argument today in a criminal appeal that contends, among other things, that an attorney who represented co-defendants in a criminal trial involving the death of a foster child in their custody labored under an unwaivable conflict of interest.

The oral argument is the third one available at this link.

From the court’s web page summary

Jennifer Rosenbaum is appealing her convictions in Henry County for felony murder and other crimes in connection with the death of a two-year-old girl and the physical abuse of a four-year-old girl, both of whom were biological siblings in Rosenbaum’s care. Rosenbaum contends that her trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to request a jury instruction on the law of justification as a defense and that the trial court erred when it found that trial counsel was not laboring under an unwaivable, actual conflict of interest.

The State is represented in this case by the Office of the Attorney General of Georgia and the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office. (The Henry County District Attorney’s Office voluntarily recused itself.)

The defendant was a third year law student at the time of the alleged offense, as reported in People Magazine

An Emory University law student and former military police officer who wanted to go into politics was arrested last Friday for allegedly murdering a 2-year-old foster child in her care.

Jennifer Rosenbaum, 27, who had declared her candidacy for Georgia’s Henry County Board of Commission, is charged with murder, aggravated assault, child cruelty in the second degree and two counts of child cruelty in the first degree, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by multiple outlets. Her husband, Joseph Rosenbaum, faces two counts of child cruelty. (The charges were confirmed to PEOPLE by Henry County District Attorney James L. Wright.)

Fox 5 Atlanta reported on the sentencing

 the judge gave Jennifer life in prison plus 40 years. Joseph received a 50-year sentence to serve 30, with the remainder to be spent on probation.

(Mike Frisch)