ATLANTA — The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled to keep the conviction for a mother found guilty of killing her 2-year-old foster child in 2015.
Jennifer Rosenbaum was found guilty of felony murder, child cruelty, and other charges in 2019 and was sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years. On Oct. 15, 2024, the court denied her appeal, which claimed her trial lawyer didn’t adequately defend her.
Laila Daniel died from severe injuries while in Rosenbaum's care. Despite Rosenbaum’s claim that Laila choked on a piece of chicken, medical experts testified that her injuries—like a torn liver and pancreas—were caused by blunt-force trauma, not choking. Laila also had more than 20 bruises on her body, and her 4-year-old sister, Millie, showed signs of ongoing physical abuse.
Rosenbaum called 911 on Nov. 17, 2015, saying Laila had stopped breathing after choking. Emergency responders found Laila unresponsive, covered in bruises, with a broken arm, and showing no signs of choking. She was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. Medical professionals and investigators determined that Laila’s injuries were from abuse, not an accident.
At her trial, Rosenbaum’s defense argued that Laila’s injuries happened accidentally during her attempts to perform CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. Rosenbaum's lawyer did not argue a justification defense—where her actions would have been seen as trying to save Laila’s life—choosing instead to say the injuries were an accident. The Georgia Supreme Court decided this strategy wasn’t a mistake and upheld the conviction, stating that the defense had acted reasonably.
Rosenbaum also claimed her lawyer had a conflict of interest because she represented both Rosenbaum and her husband, Joseph Rosenbaum, during the trial. Joseph was also convicted of child cruelty and sentenced to 60 years in prison. However, the court ruled that both Jennifer and Joseph agreed to share the same lawyer and understood the risks of doing so.
Jennifer Rosenbaum’s case drew widespread attention due to her former job with the Henry County District Attorney’s Office and her candidacy for a seat on the Henry County Commission at the time of Laila’s death. She will continue serving her life sentence while Joseph remains in prison for his role in the abuse of Laila and Millie.
