Lawyer: Dead Toddler's Mom Harassed, Can't Work

Some of Leanna Harris' statements in the wake of her 22-month-old's hot-car death and her husband's felony murder charge have raised eyebrows. Her lawyer didn't specifically discuss those lines (among them: After learning of the charge, she reportedly asked Justin Ross Harris, "Did you say too much?") today, but he did admonish the media for its portrayal of her. "In much the same way, the press unjustly harassed and hounded Olympic bombing hero Richard Jewell [who was later exonerated] when he didn’t behave as some thought he should," said Lawrence Zimmerman in a written statement; they're his first public comments, notes the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"Leanna’s every word, action, and emotion—or failure to cry in front of a crowd—is scrutinized for some supposed hidden meaning,” he continued. He says the 30-year-old dietitian has not been able to return to work; she's also no longer in Georgia, having gone to Alabama to stay with family and friends. Since Cooper's death "she has been unable to have that time of mourning that every bereaved parent needs," added Zimmerman, along with a request that the invasive questioning stop. She is "living every parent's nightmare," the statement read, per CNN. (More Justin Ross Harris stories.)