Numerous grounds for appeal

Here is a good post mortem on the Leilani Neumann guilty verdict in the Wausau Daily Herald:

A district appeals court is likely to hear the case next. Defense attorney Gene Linehan said he will argue that Neumann's conviction should be overturned because Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Howard refused to allow a faith-healing expert to testify at trial.

Linehan told a judge on May 13 that Thurman Scrivner, a Texas pastor, would testify that faith healing is a legitimate way that people of faith cure illness.

Behold Scrivner's webpage: Supernatural Divine Healing Ministry.

I think this character would have been pretty tough to qualify as an expert witness. Although he probably would have been fun to cross examine, considering how legitimate and effective "faith healing" was in this case, where the subject was not cured but died.

Except the prosecutors managed to successfully demonstrate Thurman Scrivner's complete and utter irrelevance in advance.

Leilani Neumann's husband Dale, who is scheduled to go on trial for the same offense in July, may be having second thoughts about continuing to maintain his innocence in light of yesterday's result, a possibility the judge alluded to in court yesterday, and which suggestion apparently did not please Dale Neumann's attorney.

See also: Rambo accused of unlawful phone use.