Tampa & State (Sat. 10-13-07)

 “The case was no slam dunk.  Some savvy defense lawyers argued that despite the video, the boy died from unforeseen complications of genetic sickles cell trait.  They had evidence and experts.  The case was complicated and worth serious discussion.”
            
 
News Herald (Fri. 10-13-07)

“Ashley Stone Benedik told jurors that Anderson’s family was not the only one suffering in this case.  ‘It was abundantly clear from the evidence that Martin Lee Anderson died from exertional sickle cell trait collapse...The state refused to accept that (opinion) and has chosen to put these people through this living hell to try to put a square peg in a round hole.’ She said Siebert was proven right all along, but the state refused to accept that and pushed this case to trial.”  

Ashley Stone Benedik represented Ms. Kristin Schmidt who was the nurse in the nationally and internationally publicized Martin Lee Anderson-Bay County Bootcamp case.  This case was featured on CourtTV in October 2007.
 
Ms. Schmidt along with seven drill instructors from the Bay County Boot Camp were all charged with Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child.  Ms. Benedik was the only female attorney on the defense team and also defended the only female defendant and many have said that she had the toughest job defending the nurse.
 
Throughout the three-week trial, Ms. Benedik and Ms. Schmidt faced the most harsh criticism by the media for Ms. Schmidt’s role in the incident at the Boot Camp.  Ms. Benedik had to look at the evidence differently than her colleagues due to the fact that Ms. Schmidt was the licensed nurse on the field.  Ms. Benedik as well as the seven other attorneys on the defense team were able to successfully convince the jury to acquit the nurse and the seven drill instructors of all charges.
 
OTHER RELATED LINKS TO TRIAL:
transcipts
www.msnv.com
www.wmbb.com