A indigence hearing in the case of a Wausau area couple who face separate reckless homicide charges in the Easter Sunday death of their 11-year-old daughter has been continued, in order to get input from the public defender's office.
Lelani Neumann had been paying for her own defense out of a public trust set up in her name, but that money ran out months ago, and a financial statement says that the two homes which she and her husband Dale Neumann own are in or nearing foreclosure.
Attorneys for the Neumanns argued against a state motion to have them replaced by attorneys from the public defenders office if the Nuemanns are found indigent. Gene Linehan and Jay Kronenwetter argue that doing so would unduly burden the Neumanns in their own defense. Assistant district attorney Sid Brubacher said that the Neumanns should get no different treatment than any other defendants in the system.
Marathon County Circuit Judge Vincent Howard postponed the hearing until next week so that the public defender's office could prepare a finding to determine if the Neumanns qualify for state assistance.