The DeKalb Bar Association is proud to announce that Jessica Lee Reece will serve as the editor of the newsletter for 2013-2014. Jessica practices exclusively in the area of family law with the law firm of Hedgepeth, Heredia, Crumrine & Morrison, LLC (HHCM Family Law). Prior to practicing at HHCM Family Law, Jessica practiced as an associate at the law firm of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.

Casey Anthony’s lawyer, Jose Baez, (with authors).

By Bob Rubin, Doug Peters and Jason Sheffield

Editor’s Note: Given the recent barrage of media attention dedicated to cases in the Atlanta metro area, the authors—Bob Rubin, Doug Peters and Jason Sheffield—were asked to share what they have learned about dealing with the media. This is their story and their advice.

In 1963, Bob Dylan sang, “You better start swimmin’, or you’ll sink like a stone . . .”. Fifty years later, these lyrics ring especially true for lawyers dealing with the media in highly publicized cases.

In State of Georgia v. Hemy Neuman, we handled one of the most highly publicized cases in DeKalb County history. Neuman was charged with the murder of his employee’s husband at a Dunwoody day care. Both the State and the defense alleged that it was a romantic relationship between Neuman and his employee that led to the shooting. The media latched onto the idea of a love triangle leading to murder and the case drew national, even international, attention. Though we had handled newsworthy cases in the past, we had never experienced the media frenzy we faced while representing Neuman.