Bondsman: I Wasn't Working For Anthony's Attorney

Right: Leonard Padilla

August 25, 2009
wesh2.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The California bail bondsman who got Casey Anthony out of jail in August 2008 said he did not work for Anthony's attorney...

Attorney Jose Baez has argued that anything Anthony told Tony Padilla or his employees is protected by attorney-client privilege and therefore should not be used in her trial...

"As far as signing any paperwork to be part of the defense team, I never signed anything like that," Padilla said. "Jose was very adamant. He did not want any of us at all working for him."

Padilla's team, including his flamboyant uncle bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, spent nine days guarding Anthony and their $500,000 investment. Their testimony could help the state argue that Anthony was already emotionally detached from her missing daughter.

"At moments she seemed very concerned about her daughter being gone, but other times she wanted to create an upbeat and festive atmosphere," Padilla said...

Also read:

Wesh2 August 21, 2009: Lawyer: Remains Dumped While Anthony Was Jailed
Wesh2 August 20, 2009: Equusearch Head Turns Over Photos In Anthony Case

Orlando Sentinel:
Casey Anthony case: Defense claims someone else left Caylee's remains in woods
Casey Anthony case: Casey Anthony's father barges into news conference what a dit brain.

Document: Casey Anthony Repaid Allegedly Stolen Money

Whoa! OK, now here we go with some news...

Did Jose Baez try to pay Bank of America for the checks Casey stole from Amy?

Anthony Is Accused Of Fraud, Homicide
July 21, 2009

wesh2.com

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ORLANDO, Fla. -- A document filed among 100 others last week indicates that Casey Anthony has paid back money she allegedly stole from a friend.

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Anthony's legal team has been trying to get the check fraud case delayed in the face of her upcoming capital murder case...

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Security camera images showed Anthony writing checks to buy beer, bras and other clothing before she told her family her daughter Caylee was missing. Later, detectives accused her of draining her friend Amy Huizenga's checking account to pay for the spending spree.

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In a court document filed by Jose Baez last week, Bank of America acknowledged a $664 check received from Baez's office in reference to the Amy Huzeinga case. Baez denies he's the one who cut the check, but he would neither confirm nor deny that the check came from Anthony.

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The bank told Baez "it is to be noted that Bank of America did not take this payment in lieu of criminal prosecution." Prosecutors want to move forward with the check fraud case while waiting for the murder trial. Baez and company have asked for a delay arguing the death penalty case is occupying all of their attention.

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The state attorney's office and a Bank of America spokeswoman in Atlanta would not comment on the check payment. Huizenga's lawyer Kirk Connell could not be reached for comment.

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read article here

Judge orders transcription of meeting in Casey Anthony financing case

Tuesday, 21 Jul 2009

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.

(WOFL FOX 35)

- We may finally learn just how Casey Anthony’s attorney is getting paid.

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On Tuesday Judge Strickland granted a state motion requesting that a court reporter transcribe everything that was said in a side bar conference during a hearing held back on March 25th.

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On that day, Casey Anthony, her attorney Jose Baez, prosecutors and the judge headed into a side room for what's called an in camera meeting. The hearing that day was on a state motion asking them to reveal how Casey Anthony was paying for her lawyers. After the hearing the judge said everything was okay by the rules.

The state attorney's office wants this private meeting transcribed for the trial and Tuesday’s order from the judge says the court reporter must have that typed up and in to him by 5 pm Thursday.

If this comes up at trial, we could finally find out what the financial agreement is between Casey Anthony and her defense team.

Vigil Planned For Anniversary Of Caylee's Death

Event Slated For June 16
June 1, 2009

wesh2.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Some of the many people who helped search for slain toddler Caylee Anthony are planning a vigil to mark the one year anniversary of her death.

A source told WESH 2 the vigil will be held June 16 -- the day investigators believe Caylee died...

Organizers hope to hold the event at Jay Blanchard Park in East Orange County. The event will include a balloon release and communal prayer...

As for the new member of Casey Anthony's defense team, Andrea Lyon...and her sister, Rachel, have produced controversial documentaries covering media, race and their relationship to the death penalty.

In two documentaries produced by her sister, Lyon has taken the position that the media unfairly portrays African Americans, and that stereotype contributes to people of color being dealt death sentences unfairly...

Casey Anthony is not a person of color, but her defense team has cited negative coverage as one reason to move the trial out of Orange County. Lyon said her first priority is to convince the judge the evidence is not there to warrant the state seeking death.

New Attorney: No Casey Anthony Trial By October
Judge Delays Decision On Jail Video

June 1, 2009

wesh2.com

The newest member of Casey Anthony's defense team said there is no way Anthony's trial will start in October.

Andrea Lyon, a professor at DePaul University College of Law, was introduced at a hearing Thursday. Lyon is to handle death-penalty matters.

Lyon, who has requested the time to get up to speed on the case; also said she will prove the case does not qualify for the death penalty. She said motions will be filed in the next few months showing that the state does not have sufficient evidence to prove that Anthony's case is a death penalty case. Life without parole would be ok with me, too.

Thursday morning's hearing on the release of a jail video of Anthony ended without a decision.
Prosecutors argued that they have not had enough time to review and response to the new motion. Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland also wanted to give attorneys for media outlets seven days to argue for the release under the state's public records law. Anthony’s attorney filed the motion late Wednesday laying out arguments for why the jail video of Anthony should be sealed...

Strickland also heard arguments from several people who have objected to the defense's request for their phone records, including Roy Kronk, the former meter reader who found Caylee's remains. The judge is requiring Baez to amend the motion to limit the amount of information he is seeking...

The jail video was made on the day a child’s body was found in December 2008. The child was identified later as Anthony’s daughter, Caylee.

In his motion, attorney Jose Baez argues that the videotaping was orchestrated to “get some reaction to the discovery of Casey Anthony’s remains believing that it was evidential in some way.”

Baez said the video also captured part of his meeting with Casey Anthony in jail that same day. Although there is no sound on the video, Baez claims it is a violation of Casey's right to attorney-client privilege.

Also Thursday, Baez will argue why he should be entitled to subpoena a sweeping amount of information from a number of key players in the case; much of it revolves around telephone records.

Just this week, one of the people subpoenaed, Casey's former fiancée, Jesse Grund, filed an objection in court saying Baez' subpoena is too broad and would constitute an invasion of privacy.

Others, including Casey Anthony's friend Amy Huizenga and the man who discovered Caylee's remains, Roy Kronk, have filed similar objections...

Jose Baez: Profile excerpts from the Orlando Sentinel

Henry Pierson Curtis

Orlando Sentinel

May 3, 2009

His defense of a young mother charged with killing her toddler has transformed José Ángel Baez into one of the best-known lawyers in America. For eight years after he graduated from law school, however, the board that screens prospective attorneys in Florida would not let him practice law.

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The Florida Supreme Court agreed with the decision, issuing an order in 2000 that cataloged unpaid bills, extravagant spending and other "financial irresponsibility" up to that time. Justices reserved their strongest condemnation for his failure to stay current on support payments for his only child.

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His overall behavior, they wrote, showed "a total lack of respect for the rights of others and a total lack of respect for the legal system, which is absolutely inconsistent with the character and fitness qualities required of those seeking to be afforded the highest position of trust and confidence recognized by our system of law."

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He worked instead as a paralegal for the Miami-Dade public defender and then taught Internet research to lawyers and started four business ventures, including two bikini companies. Before Florida Bar officials admitted him in 2005, he had to demonstrate that he had rehabilitated himself...

...Born in Puerto Rico in 1969, Baez told reporters he grew up in the Bronx and South Florida with his mother, a single parent. He dropped out of Homestead High School in ninth grade. He married at 17, became a father, earned a GED diploma and joined the Navy in 1986. According to his résumé, Baez spent three years assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Norfolk, Va., trained as an intelligence analyst with what he described as a "Cosmic Top Secret" security clearance...

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In the next six years, Baez divorced, attended Miami-Dade Community College and graduated from Florida State University. A black belt in tae kwon do...

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After graduating in 1997 from St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami, Baez applied to become a lawyer...

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According to the Supreme Court summary of the case, the Board of Bar Examiners filed formal allegations against J.A.B. in September 1998. In addition to unpaid child support, a personal bankruptcy and default on a student loan, the investigators said he left out parts of his history, including that he wrote a bad check and entered a pretrial program to avoid conviction.

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...Investigators also found fault with J.A.B.'s participation in a foreign-studies program in summer 1995 and his leasing of a Mazda Miata in Miami — unnecessary expenses when he owed money to others, they said. After a formal hearing, the board found the allegations proven and recommended that he not be admitted to the Bar."...

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Many details in the order can be confirmed in public records for José Baez:

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Miami-Dade Circuit Court records show that Baez failed repeatedly to pay his $200-a-month child support after his 1993 divorce...

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In April 1998 — the same month that the Bar examiners held their investigative hearing into J.A.B.'s qualifications as a lawyer — the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office reassigned José Ángel Baez to tasks that did not require a law degree...he resigned in September 1999.

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The following year, in June 2000, the Supreme Court issued its findings Florida Board of Bar Examiners RE: J.A.B.: "Accordingly, we approve the Board's recommendation that J.A.B. not be admitted to the Florida Bar at this time."

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Turned down by the Bar, Baez started a series of businesses. They included Bon Bon Bikinis and Brazilian-Bikinis.Com to sell bathing suits, corporate records show. He also applied for a real-estate license and created two companies selling computer know-how: LawStudentWebsites.Com and LawyerConcepts.

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From 2000 to 2005, according to his spokeswoman, Baez worked for LexisNexis, the information company...Records show that a court in Miami docked $550 a month from his LexisNexis paycheck in 2004 to pay child support to his first wife...

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Baez launched two community-service ventures during his time away from the law. In 2001, according to state records, Baez created a nonprofit group, the Miami Domestic Violence Project. It dissolved two years later.

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In 2004, Baez created another nonprofit in Miami, Miracles for Children Foundation Corp., according to state records. It continued until Sept. 16, 2005.

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The following week, Sept. 22, Baez was admitted to practice law...

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Read complete article here.

Henry Pierson Curtis

Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer
May 4, 2009

Casey Anthony is not the first murder suspect Jose Baez has defended; but representing her has brought him more public attention, scrutiny and controversy than any other case since he became a lawyer four years ago...

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He has bristled at suggestions that his trial experience is limited and at questions about how he is paying for the expensive legal team he has assembled...but still doesn't provide an answer.

He was a low-profile local attorney, however, until he started working for Anthony, the 23-year-old mother accused of killing her toddler daughter, Caylee...

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Along with the celebrity have come insinuations that Baez is over his head in the Anthony case — sometimes from a law professor or someone such as former prosecutor Nancy Grace of Headline News.

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Nancy Grace...now don't get me wrong, I watch every evening, but I really think she needs a frontal lobotomy. She seems to have a real personality disorder. Yells and screams every night and often gets the facts wrong, then dripping in sarcasm, insults her "expert guests" and victims of crime and their families.

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Baez, 40, would not be interviewed for this story...

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Since he became a lawyer, Baez has been involved in several money disputes. They are mostly small compared with the bankruptcy, bad debts and other financial issues that prompted the Florida Board of Bar Examiners to refuse his application to the Bar after he graduated from law school in 1997. He was not admitted to practice law until 2005.

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Darlene Bryant, a court reporter in North Carolina, said she spent six months in 2007 trying to get Baez to honor a $275 bill for work she did for him. "He finally paid after I got the state Bar Association involved," she said.

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Baez also ended up being sued in April 2007 over an $837.62 bill for 1,000 of his plastic business cards, which are decorated with a golden crest. Sir Speedy Printing went to court and won after Baez refused an offer from the Orange County Bar Association to mediate.

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And in January 2007, four months before he bought a $670,000 waterfront home in a country-club community on East Lake Tohopekaliga, Baez was held in contempt of court for failing to pay $4,000 in child support, according to Miami-Dade Clerk of Court records...

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"... Right off the bat, you have to say this is a guy who is very cocky or who is really naive," said Robert M Jarvis. Baez does his own speaking in court, where he has annoyed state prosecutors with his motions...

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A continuing controversy stems from the question of how Anthony, who had no assets when arrested in July, is paying for her defense, including the hiring of nationally recognized expert witnesses. One of them, pathologist Dr. Henry Lee, testified for O.J. Simpson at his murder trial.

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Ah, the OJ trial. Where OJ's blood is at the crime scene, Ron Goldmans blood was on OJ's socks on the floor of his bedroom, and the bloody glove with blood from both victims and OJ. And Henry Lee supported the defense theory of racism, police corruption and 'some other dude did it'.

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Then, there is Dr. Henry Lee's cutesy performance in the first murder trial of Phil Spector.

He and Spector's defense team, in an attempt to discredit the official crime scene investigation, made statements claiming to have found a piece of Lana Clarkson's fingernail, which had supposedly been blasted across the room landing on the staircase and had been missed by CSI. When Judge Fidler demanded that "whatever" they had be turned in as evidence, Mr. Lee said he 'lost' it. The judge had to notify the jury and bluntly told them that Lee's entire testimony was questionable and why.

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In March, prosecutors asked Circuit Judge Stan Strickland to investigate whether Baez was playing two potentially conflicting roles for Anthony: defense lawyer and story agent...He further speculated whether Baez could be managing both her assets and her defense...[having] been allegedly paid "licensing fees" for videos and photos...

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Under the spotlight of the Anthony case, Baez had to retract a claim on his Web site that he won 32 out of 34 jury trials after starting work in 1995 with the Miami-Dade Public Defender's Office...

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Baez has characterized the scrutiny and criticism he faces as an unavoidable consequence of his job. He also describes himself as a standard-bearer for future Hispanic lawyers." And I will not embarrass those that come after me by doing something as foolish and as unethical as what ... I've been accused of," he said outside the courthouse in January.

Read complete article here.

Who will handle Casey Anthony's death-penalty case?

Prosecutors want to know who on Casey Anthony's defense team is qualified to handle her case.

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By Sarah Lundy

Sentinel Staff Writer
May 8, 2009

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Prosecutors want to know who on Casey Anthony's legal team is qualified to handle a death-penalty case, according to paperwork filed Thursday in Orange Circuit Court.

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And Anthony's lead attorney, José Baez, promptly filed an objection, saying the new lawyer would be revealed before the next hearing.

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Florida law requires experienced attorneys — who meet certain qualifications — be the attorney of record in death-penalty cases...Anthony remains in the Orange County Jail...

Baez does not meet the death-penalty criteria, which includes having five years' trial experience and being lead attorney in at least nine state or federal jury trials of serious or complex cases.

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In his objection, Baez said despite the fact he speaks to Assistant State Attorney Linda Drane Burdick nearly every day and even spent Tuesday with her questioning witnesses, no one in the State Attorney's Office has asked about a new attorney on the case.

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Regardless, Baez's spokeswoman, Marti Mackenzie, said the issue will be moot soon. A new death-qualified attorney has joined the team and will be at a hearing scheduled later this month. She would not identify the attorney.

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"At that time, the defense will introduce the highly qualified and outstanding death-qualified attorney as the newest member of the defense team," she said. The defense team briefly brought in Miami attorney Terence Lenamon, who handles capital-punishment cases. Last fall, he wrote a report outlining why prosecutors should not go for the death penalty against Anthony.

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In October, the state announced it was not going to seek it. Once the decision was made, Lenamon was no longer part of the defense team. Two months later, the remains were found, which led to prosecutors changing their minds.

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In April, they filed paperwork, stating they were going to seek the death penalty. Meanwhile Thursday, CNN announced that Anthony's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, will appear on Larry King Live on Wednesday. King will ask the questions. George and Cindy Anthony were on King's show Dec. 10, the night before Caylee's remains were found.

Casey Anthony Updates

Baez To Seek Change Of Venue For Casey Today

Anthony Attorney: Local Media Coverage Is Problem

May 4, 2009
http://www.wesh.com/

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Casey Anthony's attorneys will file for a change of venue on Monday. Her lawyer Jose Baez will file the motion late Monday and answer questions from the media, his spokesman Marti Mackenzie said.

There is no word yet on what location her attorneys might suggest...

Her attorneys have said they were researching the need for a change in venue, because of pretrial publicity. The decision comes only days after another round of evidence was released in the case, which is expected to go to trial later this year...

During NBC's "Today" Show on Monday, Linda Kenney Baden, another of Casey Anthony's attorneys, criticized the local media.

"Every single day since I've been in this case, which is Dec. 11th, there has been a story, a story, a story," Baden said. "Even when there's a non-story, there's a story."

(Watch Kenney Baden on "Today" Show)

Lab Test Results Shed No Light On Caylee's Death
Land Where Caylee Anthony Found Heads To Auction
May 1, 2009
www.wesh.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hundreds of pages of evidence was released on Friday in the case against Casey Anthony.

Video: About The Documents FBI Lab Reports

The release of documents included results from some of the tests that legal experts said were the basis for the prosecution's decision to pursue the death penalty.

Since February, FBI lab results have been returned on a variety of critical pieces of evidence, including a hair mass from Caylee Anthony's skull, a bullet casing, more than one dozen pairs of shoes taken from the Anthony home, a kitchen knife found near the toddler's remains and a sample of soil from the trunk of Casey Anthony's car.

The results have been seen as a disappointment to prosecutors. The documents showed tests on the hair came back negative for a variety of chemicals which might point to how Caylee died. However, the report also stated that just because the tests came back negative does not mean there was no exposure to chemicals.

Tests on soil samples taken from shoes and boots were inconclusive in some cases, and the samples did not match soil from the crime scene in others. The same inconsistencies also existed between soil from the trunk of Casey Anthony's car and the crime scene.

Test results from the FBI's laboratory did find traces of adhesive on a kitchen knife, but the results were not consistent with adhesive on the duct tape found on Caylee's skull. The bullet casing from a 30-caliber rifle appears to have been tested in case there is suspicion later that a gun may have been used in the case.

The net results of the recent tests appear to shed no further light on how Caylee died -- and no further forensic ties between material taken from the Anthony home and items found at the crime scene.

Also, according to the newest documents it wasn't just a meter reader but also a volunteer searcher who tipped off deputies to the location where Caylee's remains eventually were found. This was in August 2008, and one volunteer searcher told authorities he even took some of the evidence straight to Cindy Anthony, who is Casey Anthony's mother.

Keith Williams, 30, of Orlando grew up in the Casey Anthony's neighborhood and last summer returned to help search for Caylee. In the latest documents, Williams tells investigators that on Aug. 18 while searching in the woods on his own he found a bag filled with stuffed animals not far from the area where Caylee's body would eventually be found in December 2008. Williams immediately took the bag to Cindy Anthony, who said she didn't recognize it or the toys inside.

But a tip Williams said he got from a psychic indicating Caylee may be buried in that area nagged at him, so he called the Orange County Sheriff's Office and met the now ex-sheriff's Deputy Richard Cain at the scene.

According to Williams, Cain grabbed the bag of toys, looked at it and said it was "too deteriorated" to be anything significant and then tossed it back in the woods.

This occurred just five days after Deputy Cain is accused of failing to respond properly to a call from meter reader Roy Kronk. Cain eventually lost his job over lying about the incidents.

PDF: Keith Williams Transcript Jan. 16, 2009

PDF: Keith Williams Transcript April 14, 2009

Attorney Looks At Possible Anthony Defense
April 30, 2009
www.wesh.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Prosecutors in the case against Casey Anthony better be prepared for her to take the stand and claim her daughter's death was an accident. No way...she'll never take the stand. Of course, the way she lies, her testimony would be worthless anyway.

That's the reaction of an Orlando defense attorney to a WESH 2 special report on a possible explanation for Anthony's odd behavior after her daughter Caylee disappeared. (Details on that report are below).

To best use this so-called "ugly coping" defense, that attorney says Anthony will have to tell the jury the traumatic event that sparked her odd behavior and lies was Caylee's accidental death.
Caylee Anthony's exact cause of death has not been determined. And defense attorney Richard Hornsby said that fact leaves the door open for Casey Anthony to claim she knew about Caylee's death but did not kill her.

Watch The Story

" First, you put her on the stand and say it was an accident," Hornsby said. "After traumatic events, people act strangely and not everybody acts the same. I don't think Jose Baez will have trouble getting someone to testify to that general principle.

To make this strategy work, Hornsby says Baez will have to show Anthony was reacting to a traumatic event. A tragic accident would be that event. And Anthony could use the ugly coping concept to admit she partied, and told a string of lies. And at the same time explain the way OUT of a capital murder charge.

Hornsby said he does not think Casey can successfully use ugly coping as a reason for her actions if she continues to claim a babysitter no one has ever seen kidnapped Caylee.

Does 'Ugly Coping' Explain Casey's Partying?

When Casey Anthony goes on trial for her life, many legal experts say the toughest part of defending her will be explaining her behavior after her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, disappeared. They are images of Anthony partying days after Caylee went missing. In surveillance, she is seen buying beer and bras with money investigators say she stole.

Casey Anthony, left, in photo at party. The date it was taken is unknown. How does Anthony explain her lack of concern, grief or remorse? "She has a very compelling reason for her actions," her attorney Jose Baez said in an exclusive interview with WESH 2 reporter Bob Kealing.
Baez declined to be more specific. "As much as I'd like to say it, that's as much as I can say right now," Baez said...

Baez, however, did refer to a case that could provide insight into his defense.
In 2002, Cynthia Sommer lost her husband, Todd, a healthy Marine stationed in San Diego.
Sommer's attorney Allen Bloom said Todd Sommer was “originally evaluated to have died by natural causes, a sudden cardiac arrest from an arrhythmia of the heart.”

Two months after her husband died, friends told investigators Sommer bought breast implants with the insurance money, started partying and sleeping around. Cynthia Sommer was charged with murder. Her attorney argued that Sommer's apparent lack of remorse was a condition known as "ugly coping." The phrase was coined by a Columbia University behaviorist to describe people who appear to grieve abnormally.

According to Cynthia Sommer's attorney, prosecutors were willing to overlook problems with their evidence, because they mistook her so-called ugly coping as evidence she had no remorse and was guilty of murder. Sommer's attorney finally proved her husband's death was not motivated by her greed. After two years Cynthia Sommer walked out of prison.

To best use the so-called "ugly coping" defense, criminal defense lawyer Richard Hornsby said Anthony will have to tell the jury that the traumatic event that sparked her odd behavior and lies was Caylee's accidental death.

(Video: Hornsby Talks 'Ugly Coping')

"First, you put her on the stand and say it was an accident," Hornsby said. "Besides the chloroform, the state is unable to contradict her explanation of the accidental death." Caylee's exact cause of death has not been determined, and Hornsby said that fact leaves the door open for Anthony to claim she knew about Caylee's death but did not kill her. Then she accidently blamed Zenaida G? If she truly thought Jesse had stolen Caylee, why didn't she say so right off the bat, instead of a Latino woman?

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"After traumatic events, people act strangely and not everybody acts the same," Hornsby said. "I don't think Jose Baez will have trouble getting someone to testify to that general principle."
To make the strategy work, Hornsby said, Baez will have to show that Anthony was reacting to a traumatic event. A tragic accident would be that event, and Anthony could use the ugly coping concept to admit she partied and told a string of lies and at the same time explain her way out of a capital murder charge. How does this explain all of the theft and lies before Caylee disappeared? What tragic thing happened to her then? The fact that Jesse called her out on paternity? No, imo, that fact is the reason she's trying to frame Jesse for murder.

Hornsby said he does not think Anthony can successfully use ugly coping as a reason for her actions if she continues to claim Zenaida Gonzalez, a baby sitter no one has ever seen, kidnapped Caylee. It's a good thing Zenaida sued her. Get that story out of the way for once and for all.

(See Slideshow Of Casey Anthony Party Photos)

Anthonys Tell TV Show They Stand By Casey

April 22, 2009

wftv.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The grandparents of slain Florida toddler Caylee Anthony told a national audience Wednesday they support their daughter, calling her a great mother who could not have harmed the child.

George and Cindy Anthony told CBS' "Early Show" they miss their granddaughter, who was 2 when she disappeared, and their daughter, Casey Anthony...

George and Cindy Anthony stayed calm during the live network interview, but dodged key questions about Casey. "We're gonna have to wait and see what plays out," said George.

The Anthonys were told it doesn't look good for Casey. With all the evidence, including the duct tape over Caylee's mouth and topped with a heart sticker.

They were asked whether they would want punishment for Caylee's killer, even if it's Casey. "Again, we want the truth, but again, we have to wait for everything to come out at trial," replied Cindy.

Prosecutors said last week they will seek the death penalty if Casey is convicted. Her trial has been tentatively set for October.

What was very telling is what the Anthonys did not say and haven't said since Caylee's remains were found around the corner from their house. "I don't understand what happened, I don't know what happened and again, I think we'll learn a lot more as time goes on," Cindy said. "We love our daughter. We stand behind her. We know what kind of mother she was," Cindy Anthony said.

The grandparents said it was unlikely that Casey Anthony will accept any sort of plea deal. They said Casey would not admit to something she did not do.

Even though George Anthony told investigators that Casey had stolen money from her daughter Caylee's piggy bank, he defended Casey during the interview.

"I don't think it's possible for my daughter to hurt anyone. And she wouldn't definitely hurt her own child. My gosh, I've seen the love every single day that she had for her," George Anthony said.

The child's remains were found in woods in Orlando in December, six months after she disappeared. Casey Anthony claimed that Caylee was kidnapped and has pleaded not guilty.

Cindy Anthony said that her daughter didn't tell authorities when the child disappeared in June because she was afraid. "I think the truth will come out at trial," said Cindy Anthony. George Anthony also talked Wednesday about his emotional difficulties since Caylee's body was found.

In January, Anthony was admitted to a Florida hospital after he was reported missing and found in a hotel. Authorities said he had sent despondent text messages to family members.
"There's only so much a person can take," he said.

As her parents try to clean up their image with another national interview, Cindy made a startling new claim. Eyewitness News has learned that she's expected to reveal later, that George wasn't the only one in the family who became suicidal. Cindy Anthony also wanted to end her life, but she says Casey talked her out of it after her first arrest.

Prosecutors could release more evidence in the case this week...

OPRAH CANCELS INTERVIEW WITH ANTHONYS

Eyewitness News has learned that Oprah Winfrey's planned interview with George and Cindy Anthony has been cancelled. The couple was scheduled to be on the show this May.

"Based on the Anthonys' decision to appear on other programs, we have decided not to move forward with their interview on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' at this time," the show said in a statement released to Eyewitness News on Tuesday afternoon.

HEARING RESCHEDULED

A hearing in the case against Casey Anthony was cancelled according to an email from the Ninth Circuit Judicial Court sent to Eyewitness News on Wednesday morning. The hearing, scheduled for May 7, has been rescheduled for 10:00am on Thursday, May 28.

Judge Stan Strickland is expected to preside over the hearing, which will deal with the "Emergency Motion for Protective Order" (?) that was filed on March 11, 2009 by Jose Baez.

Evidently it hasn't been too much of an "emergency", if it was filed March 11 now rescheduled for May 28. Ten weeks later?

LEGAL ANALYST REVIEWS BAEZ MOTION FOR CELL RECORDS

There are no secrets in the case against Casey Anthony. If Casey Anthony's lawyer, Jose Baez, wanted to keep secret his attempt to get phone records from key people in the case, WFTV's legal expert says he went about it the wrong way.

SHEAFFER INTERVIEW: Analysis Of Baez Motion

KRONK ATTORNEY: Interview About Objection To Motion

VIDEO REPORT: Analyst Reviews Baez Decision

There will be at least one hearing because at least two of the 12 witnesses Baez wants to track through unlimited cell phone records are fighting it and most of the others probably will. Meter reader Roy Kronk and Casey's friend Amy Huizenga say Baez wants way too much.

Baez wants unlimited cell phone records for 12 prosecution witnesses. Two of them, Kronk and Huizenga, are fighting it as an invasion of privacy. "Let's use a scalpel to get at the problem and not a meat cleaver to get at the problem," said Kronk's attorney, David Evans (full interview).

Defense attorney Jose Baez tried to keep his strategy secret, but after Circuit Judge Stan Strickland refused to meet secretly to discuss sending secret subpoenas to witnesses, WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said Baez filed an unnecessary court motion that will bring unwanted attention. ah, now I see...

"Asking the court's permission to do something you have permission to do to begin with," Sheaffer explained (watch interview).

Sheaffer said Baez could've identified the witnesses' cell phone providers during depositions and then subpoenaed the companies' records directly. Instead, he's asked the judge's permission.
"That will force Baez to tell the court what relevance these phone records may have to the defense," Sheaffer explained.

That includes if he's asked for more witnesses' records than he really wants as a way to try to cover his tracks. Baez is also asking for the unlimited, detailed cell phone records for Casey's parents and her brother. Her parents' lawyer says they'll hand them over, but they have no idea why Casey would want them.

Ineffective defense appeal, coming right up.

Cindy Anthony: Caylee's Body Was Planted

Cindy Anthony Says She Beleives Caylee's Body Was Planted To Incriminate Casey
April 10, 2009

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The parents of Casey Anthony were deposed for several hours in a civil case against their daughter. George Anthony and his wife Cindy Anthony, who arrived with a video camera and a tripod at the deposition, were questioned under oath Thursday afternoon.

Cindy Anthony yelled at attorney John Morgan while leaving the deposition regarding comments Morgan made about her not looking for her missing granddaughter... George Anthony refused questions about opening Casey Anthony's trunk and whether Cindy Anthony asked anyone to check the woods off Suburban Drive where Caylee's remains were eventually found.

Cindy Anthony said she believes someone put Caylee's body in the woods after hearing Casey Anthony say she felt Caylee was nearby. She noted that when a private investigator searched the woods months before Caylee's remains were found, he did not find anything.

A recording of George Anthony's deposition shows Anthony growing frustrated with the questions and arguing with Morgan over pronunciation of the name Zanny. "Am I upset sir? You're darn right I'm upset being here. I think this is just uncalled for," George Anthony said.

...Morgan admitted he is conducting a homicide investigation, saying the homicide case is relevant to his defamation suit against Casey Anthony. "Who committed this murder has everything to do with Zenaida Gonzalez because whoever committed this murder means Zenaida didn't," Morgan said...

"It's frivolous, and he needs to just get back to chasing the ambulances," said Cindy Anthony, referring to Morgan. "Instead of talking about chasing ambulances, I would be talking about chasing after Caylee. I would be back in the woods," Morgan said in response.

Earlier this week, the state attorney's office mistakenly released audio recordings of a corrections officer detailing what happened. She said Casey Anthony hyperventilated upon hearing the news and requested sedatives.

Casey Anthony's hearing is scheduled for May 7, when her attorney Jose Baez fights to block the release of video that shows Casey when Caylee's remains were found.

Jose Baez says he’s learning

Friday, 03 Apr 2009
By HOLLY BRISTOW

FOX 35 News

- Casey Anthony's lead defense attorney Jose Baez says he's learning a lot and gathering facts that will help his case after four straight days of depositions.

First up, Alex Roberts, a name you likely haven't heard yet. Somehow he dodged the cameras. So FOX 35 looked back in court documents and discovered he's former meter reader, Roy Kronk's boss.

When Kronk found a skull inside a trash bag in woods near the Anthony home on December 11, he called Roberts before he called cops. So what does Casey Anthony's defense team want to know from Roberts? "I hope to accomplish to be able to get down to the truth of everything," said Baez.

Up next, another new name, Awilda McBride. She works at the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Court documents show McBryde took an anonymous call August 12th at 9:17 pm. The caller told her he was a meter reader who was working near the Anthony's home earlier that day. He saw a silver metallic thing not far from a "little white round object" and said it just didn't look right. It was behind a tree. A snake was near by.

McBride passed that tip on to Detective Jerold White. Four days later Detective White signed an official sheet and closed out the tip saying "closed the area has been searched."

When asked about that tip December 19th, the day the remains were identified as Caylee Marie Anthony's, White said on the record that lead detective Yuri Melich told him this area where Caylee was found had been searched.

That's something Casey's Attorney wanted to know more about. "I don't know what officers know and what they've done. That's part of the truth. That's part of this entire story," said Jose Baez.

Monday the state attorney's office will be releasing three DVD's full of discovery. Sources tell us that will include video of police interviews, color pictures from Casey Anthony's photobucket account, as well as more documents.

Casey Anthony case: What is Jose Baez's secret strategy?

The TV Guy a blog

by Hal Boedeker

orlandosentinel.com

Right: The DEAD CHILD, Caylee Anthony

What does defense attorney Jose Baez know that everyone else doesn't?

Baez seeks a private meeting with the judge to argue a motion. He wants to subpoena records -- without disclosing what they are -- that he sees as crucial to defending Casey Anthony, WESH-Channel 2's Bob Kealing explained.

"All along, Jose Baez has said he knows information that will help explain why Casey Anthony didn't report Caylee missing for a month and why Casey didn't kill her daughter," Kealing said.

Baez wouldn't discuss details of his secret strategy when Kealing asked.
Criminal defense attorney Richard Hornbsy, who offers legal analysis for WESH, said Baez's move could be smart. "He sees something that everybody else is missing, and he doesn't want to tip the state off to what it is he is going to raise at trial," Hornsby said.

Or Baez's strategy could backfire if the state figures out what Baez wants, Hornsby said. "In some ways he's raising a big red flag and he's saying, 'Hey, look at me,' " he said.

Baez on Tuesday started the first of 10 depositions by questioning a corrections official, Sgt. Dennis Moonsammy.

The deposition took an hour and 10 minutes, WKMG-Channel 6's Adam Longo said.
Longo explained how Moonsammy has been mentioned in the case: In August, he handed to a captain a letter written by Anthony. In that letter to then-Sheriff Kevin Beary, Anthony sought a meeting with her father.

"Sources tell us that letter is tied to an allegation of police misconduct that Baez made in a motion a while back that relates to a video visitation Casey had with her parents," Longo said.
Moonsammy told Longo he had no idea why Baez wanted to talk to him. "I didn't do anything wrong," Moonsammy told Longo.

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Did Moonsammy see Anthony's reaction when her daughter's remains were found? WFTV-Channel 9's Jeff Deal wanted to know. "No, sir," Moonsammy said.

WESH also reported that Amy Huizenga, Casey Anthony's friend and a key witness for the state, has hired a lawyer and won't give a deposition to Baez this week.

Inmate blames Casey Anthony's lawyer, Jose Baez, for conviction in child's death

By Stephen Hudak

Sentinel Staff Writer
March 28, 2009

TAVARES - A Lake County man, serving a 15-year prison sentence in the death of a toddler, wants his manslaughter and child-abuse convictions overturned, citing judicial and prosecutorial misconduct and the "defectiveness" of his defense lawyer, Jose Baez.

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Baez is better known these days as Casey Anthony's lawyer. But last spring and summer he was busy defending Nilton Diaz.Diaz, 31, says he did not kill or harm 2-year-old Noeris Vazquez, granddaughter of legendary Puerto Rican prizefighter Wilfredo Vazquez.

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Diaz says he lost his freedom because of Baez's trial performance, strategy and failure to disclose evidence to prosecutors, a tactical decision that prevented jurors from viewing a defense video.

The video, created by a biomechanical expert, would have shown the jury how the toddler's skull fracture could have been an accident, according to new court filings.

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In documents filed this week seeking a new trial and other post-conviction relief, Diaz said, " ... Mr. Baez wanted to surprise the prosecution, and the surprise blew up in the defense's face."

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Baez was not surprised by Diaz's motion, a common post-conviction strategy that often cites defense mistakes to win a new trial, said the lawyer's spokeswoman, Marti Mackenzie. "He doesn't let his ego into the way," Mackenzie said of Baez. "If this kind of motion helps an innocent man get a new trial, he hopes it's successful."

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After Diaz's conviction in May, Baez was hired to represent Anthony, 23, who faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie. The toddler was reported missing July 15 — a month after her mother said she disappeared. Her skeletal remains were discovered Dec. 11 in a wooded lot near her grandparents' home in southeast Orange County.

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Diaz, a time-share salesman and part-time conga drummer, was accused of causing the fatal head injury to "Noni" Vazquez, the daughter of his live-in girlfriend, Samaris Bobe Silva, and the boxer's son Noe.

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Lake County sheriff's detectives say the injury occurred Feb. 11, 2006, while Diaz was alone with the child. Silva, who met Diaz while working in housekeeping at a Disney-area resort, had left Diaz alone with the child for 10 minutes. Diaz remains in state custody at the Taylor Correctional Institution in Perry.

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The motion for a new trial was filed on behalf of Diaz by Alfonzo A. Russi, who provided Lake Circuit Judge Mark Nacke with a letter linking the imprisoned man with the Human Rights Eye Watch Agency, a Texas-based organization. The documents repeat many arguments Baez cited last summer when he urged the judge to toss out the verdicts, which he called "inconsistent" and suggested were the result of confusing jury instructions. Jurors decided Diaz did not cause the toddler "great bodily injury" but also found he caused her death.

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The filing contends that Nacke, who presided over the trial, and Assistant State Attorney Bill Gross, who prosecuted the case, entered into a "silent pact ... to inflict the most severe punishment allowable by law" on Diaz for rejecting a pretrial plea-bargain offer. Nacke would not comment. Gross, however, said Diaz's claims were baseless, including those disparaging the judge and Baez. Hmmm, isn't that what Casey said a while ago, that the prosecutors are only after her because she wouldn't "confess"?

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"He should have started his motion with 'Once upon a time,'" Gross said. Gross said Baez provided "more than effective counsel" for Diaz, challenging the state's case with arguments, experts and testimony.

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Diaz testified that he was innocent and suggested that the toddler's mother may have hurt the child because she feared the Vazquez family would take Noni away. With no eyewitnesses, the state's case focused on medical testimony, which ruled out an accidental fall.

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Now Diaz is asking for a new lawyer, a new trial and conditional release from prison.

Judge: No conflict exists between Casey Anthony, lawyer

The public may never know how Casey Anthony is paying for her defense team.

Sarah Lundy and Amy L. Edwards
Sentinel Staff Writers
March 25, 2009

The public may never know how Casey Anthony is paying for her defense team. During a 40-minute hearing this morning, Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland found there was no conflict of interest involving Anthony's lead defense attorney, Jose Baez.
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Prosecutor Jeff Ashton argued that Strickland should look into how Anthony, who is awaiting trial on charges that she killed her 2-year-old daughter Caylee Marie Anthony, is paying for her defense...
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"We are concerned with this case. The objection doesn't state any legal basis," Ashton said. "The way to diffuse this issue right now is . . . to make sure that the record is clear of exactly what the situation is, exactly what the financial arrangements are."
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Ashton said he was concerned that if Casey Anthony is convicted, she could bring up a conflict -- a dispute between her and her attorney -- that could lead to the case being retried.

Anthony attended the hearing on the 23rd floor of the courthouse, as did her parents, George and Cindy Anthony.
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Before her arrest in the fall, Anthony had no assets. So prosecutors want to know how she is paying for her defense. Prosecutors assume Baez and other attorney are not working for free.
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Although Baez's fee structure with Anthony is not public record, Strickland questioned him about his arrangement with his client to make sure there was not a conflict of interest. Among the topics: possible rights for future book and movie deals about Casey Anthony's story.
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Baez told the judge he has no literary agreement with Casey Anthony. Prosecutor Jeff Ashton wanted Baez to define "story," but Baez objected.
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Strickland briefly questioned Anthony about the affidavit she signed, which was recently submitted to the court. He confirmed with her that she signed a retainer agreement with Baez and it doesn't entitle him to any rights to her story.
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Strickland then recessed the hearing to discuss possible conflicts behind closed doors. When the hearing resumed, Strickland said he was "convinced" no conflict exists.
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Baez then asked Strickland to remind the court that what lawyers and the judge discussed behind closed doors, in front of a court reporter, this morning was private information and needed to stay that way.
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Prosecutor Jeff Ashton was offended by Baez's comments and said he didn't need to be reminded, but he agreed.Strickland responded by telling the bickering lawyers, "This is getting old."
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After Strickland's ruling, Baez left the courtroom and spoke with reporters."We are glad this is behind us," Baez said. "I have told everyone all along that defense has not done anything unethical in any way, shape or form. These accusations are just that."
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George and Cindy Anthony left the courtroom without talking to reporters.

Prosecutors release e-mails, videos to Casey Anthony's defense

Amy L. Edwards
Sentinel Staff Writer
March 18, 2009

Prosecutors have released more investigative information -- including e-mails and videos -- to Casey Anthony's defense team.Among the 10 items made available: videos taken by private investigator Jim Hoover; e-mails the Oak Ridge National Laboratory sent the Orange County Sheriff's Office; e-mails Detective Yuri Melich sent to the laboratory; and a photograph of a child's T-shirt.

Evidence collected for prosecutors in criminal trials must be shared with defense lawyers -- a process known as discovery. After the defense receives the information, it then can be released publicly. It's unclear when the items recently shared with the defense will become public...

Anthony's birthday will be another routine day in jail
Amy L. Edwards, Sentinel Staff Writer
March 18, 2009

Casey Anthony won't enjoy a birthday bash when she turns 23 on Thursday. It will be a routine day for Central Florida's high-profile mother, who has been charged in her 2-year-old daughter's death.

Other than her attorney, Anthony doesn't have any scheduled visitors. If family members did want to visit, they'd have to talk to Anthony from a separate building via a video stream. She'll start the day off with a cup of oatmeal, gravy and potatoes; and end the day with a dinner of smoked sausage, rice and mixed veggies.

She'll also get one cookie or piece of cake but that's only because it's already on the jail's planned meal list.

"There is no special treatment for any inmate who has a birthday while in jail," said Allen Moore, spokesman for the Orange County Jail.For weeks, bloggers and others have been making online pleas for people to send a birthday card to Anthony. It's unclear if she's received any.

The jail doesn't track mail volume for specific inmates, Moore said, there are no public records that would show if anyone has tried to mail Anthony a gift. But, Moore added, mail-room staffers say Anthony does receive "a significant amount of mail daily."

Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, said this through his spokeswoman Marti Mackenzie when asked about Anthony's birthday behind bars:"Unfortunately many of my clients have spent their birthdays in jail. I will be visiting the jail tomorrow in the capacity as Casey's lawyer to discuss development in her defense."

Casey Anthony's defense fails to win sanctions against state

Photo from last court appearance

Sarah Lundy
Sentinel Staff Writer
March 12, 2009





NOTE: Judge Stan Strickland, however, did grant a motion to keep George Anthony's suicide note private.

5:17 p.m. After today's hearing, Casey Anthony's defense attorneys said they plan on contacting the FBI and asking for various notes from the agency. The defense also said one thing they plan to follow-up with at trial is the fact that Orange County Sheriff's Office crime-scene investigators destroy their notes once they write their reports.

4:58 p.m. Judge Strickland has heard all the motions scheduled for today. He said that if the investigator who reviewed the ex-boyfriend's computer has notes, he or she needs to turn them over.

4:54 p.m. Judge Strickland denied the defense's request for sanctions. They are now discussing the final motion, which is about screen shots from the computer belonging to one of Casey Anthony's ex-boyfriends. Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick said they are asking investigators to turn over all the contents. The defense team already has the computer hard-drive, so the judge is asking why they actually need the screen shots. Defense attorney Linda Kenney Baden said the defense wants to know if there are notes from the computer examiner.

4:47 p.m. Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick told Judge Stan Strickland that Jose Baez is trying to argue something he hasn't proven. She said Baez is trying to insinuate some type of police misconduct.

4:40 p.m. Defense attorney Jose Baez was going to call another witness but changed his mind. He is now addressing Judge Strickland.

4:30 p.m. The crime scene investigator was at the Sheriff's Office when Dr. Henry Lee -- one of Jose Baez's experts -- arrived to inspect evidence. Lee was going to inspect the car and other evidence.

4:12 p.m. Defense attorney Jose Baez is now questioning a crime scene investigator who processed Anthony's car July 16.

4:00 p.m. The judge has called the attorneys to the bench and is talking to them now.

3:55 p.m. Judge Strickland has found the defense's request for DNA and evidence gathering is moot. Strickland wants the defense to request the information from the FBI and private labs.

3:40 p.m. Judge Stan Strickland granted Conway's motion. Conway asked the judge to block prosecutors from releasing a note George Anthony wrote in January when he threatened suicide.

3:35 p.m. A hearing in the case against Casey Anthony, the 22-year-old accused of killing her daughter, is about to start in Orange County courtroom 19D.

Anthony - who is required to attend all hearings - is sitting next to her attorney Jose Baez and co-counsel Linda Kenney Baden. She was seated before the public was allowed in the courtroom. Her hair is pulled back and she appears to be wearing a white cardigan atop a dark shirt and dark pants.The courtroom is packed with reporters and onlookers. Anthony's parents - George Anthony and Cindy Anthony are sitting in the first row, behind their daughter.

Orange County detectives John Allen and Yuri Melich are also in attendance. Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland will hear arguments on four motions, including one filed by lawyer Brad Conway, who is representing George Anthony and Cindy Anthony. Conway wants to stop prosecutors from releasing a note George Anthony wrote in January when he threatened suicide.

The letter may be part of investigative documents that could be released to the public under Florida's open record laws. Distraught over his granddaughter's death and his daughter's arrest, George Anthony threatened suicide in January. He penned the note Jan. 23, before police found him in a Daytona Beach motel. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he stayed several days.

In paperwork filed in court, Conway argued that the note contains personal information that is not relevant to the criminal investigation. Releasing it would be embarrassing for the family, he wrote.

Another topic on the list of motions involve the defense's request for prosecutors and law enforcement to produce all DNA notes and reports and standards used to collect evidence.

Baez also wants the state to turn over computer screen shots or printout from a computer that belonged to Ricardo Morales, one of Anthony's former boyfriends. At one point, he had a picture of a woman on his MySpace page - a social networking Web site - that stated "win her over with chloroform." Investigators examined Morales' computer and found "nothing incriminating."

Baez wrote in his motion that the defense is entitled to know what the state felt was "not incriminating" so the defense can compare it to their own computer analysis. The last issue scheduled today is Baez's request to have prosecutors sanctioned because a defense expert who examined Anthony's car was not informed about all the evidence removed from the vehicle.

Investigators removed trash from the trunk before criminalist Henry Lee inspected the car for the defense. Authorities failed to tell him it was taken out. Now, the defense must request notes and opinions by the state's two experts, according to the motion.

Prosecutors: Casey Anthony should reveal how she pays for her defense

Willoughby Mariano

Sentinel Staff Writer
6:46 PM EDT, March 9, 2009

I wonder if Casey paid for the cremation or memorial service? HELL NO. Eight is an extraordinarily large number of attorneys for someone who has made their living by theft for the past couple years. But is it our business? Dunno. For sure Baez is working for his boner.

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Prosecutors in the murder case against Casey Anthony are asking a judge to make her disclose how she pays for her defense. The motion, filed in Orange County Circuit Court this afternoon, argues that the only way the 22-year-old could afford her high-powered legal team would be to sell photos or video tapes relating to the story of the disappearance and death of her daughter 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony.

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If her attorney Jose Baez is managing her assets, the motion argues, it may mean he has a conflict of interest." (do ya think?) The Defendant's seeming conversion from pauper to princess did not come from the sale of some tangible asset available to her prior to her initial arrest on charges related to this case," it states.

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How Casey Anthony finances her defense is private, Baez's spokeswoman Marti Mackenzie said. The attorney is acting ethically and in his client's best interest, and Baez retained a legal ethics expert to ensure this, she added.

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"Anything he has done to help Casey Anthony [...] has been with her consent and cooperation," MacKenzie said. The prosecution's motion does not cite a specific conflict of interest. It asks for a hearing during which the defense discloses payment arrangements, documentation of the sale of licensing rights and related records...

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Charles Rose, a professor at Stetson University College of Law near St. Petersburg, said he doubts a judge will grant the state's latest motion. Rose said this type of motion is often used in high-profile cases where the defense seems to have more financial resources than others think they should have. "If I was the judge I wouldn't even have a hearing on it. They just don't have an offer of proof. Without the offer of proof, it's really not relevant."

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If someone paid Anthony for photos, videos, or any other item, and she chose to pay her defense with those funds, that is permissible. However, Rose said, if Anthony signed away her legal rights to her story to Baez, that would be a conflict of interest for the attorney."This sounds like a fishing expedition and not a legal argument," Rose said.

Casey Anthony photos, videos should not be released, her lawyer tells judge

Sarah Lundy Sentinel Staff Writer
February 27, 2009

Casey Anthony's defense lawyer asked a judge Thursday to block release of personal photos he says could embarrass the 22-year-old murder suspect.

Attorney José Baez filed the request to keep the pictures from being released with other evidence to reporters.

Calling the images irrelevant to the case, he proposed that prosecutors release only photos they intend to use at trial and keep the remainder under wraps...

The request comes after the defense team received two computer discs from the state that contained hundreds of pictures from Anthony's account on Photo bucket.com, an online photo-sharing Web site.

Under Florida's public-record laws, the media are entitled to the information unless a judge intervenes.

Baez did not describe the photos, but images that could be viewed on Photobucket .com last fall included dozens of pictures of Anthony partying with friends."The images on the Photobucket Website were created over a year before her daughter Caylee Anthony went missing in June 2008," Baez's spokeswoman, Marti Mackenzie, wrote in an e-mail. "These images are irrelevant to her case. If they were to be disseminated, they will only sensationalize the life of a young woman and may be used to attempt to paint her in a negative light."

Orange Circuit Judge Stan Strickland set a hearing for Monday to discuss the issue.

Baez sent the judge an example of what he said can happen if such pictures are distributed to the public: an online story about a Barbie-type "Casey Anthony" doll offered on eBay.

The doll was dressed in an American flag, similar to a photo showing Casey Anthony wearing a flag at a party. Baez wrote that the example was "proof that the release of photographs which are unrelated to this case, are forming a biased opinion of the defendant, and her persona, as evidenced by the creation of said doll."

Still photos aren't the only Anthony pictures that Baez wants to stay private. In a second motion the lawyer released Thursday, Baez asked the judge to withhold a Dec.11 video of Anthony's reaction to hearing that a then-unknown child's remains had been found in woods.

According to Baez, corrections officers took her to the jail clinic so she could watch media reports. She didn't know security cameras were recording her reaction, he wrote. Releasing the video would taint a potential jury pool before he had the chance to file motions to seal or suppress it.

Jose Baez Faces Florida Bar Inquiry Over Ex-Spokesman

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Additional Information
The Florida Bar
Related Story: Confirmed -- Casey's First Reactions To Remains Were Recorded

TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Bar has another inquiry open into Casey Anthony's defense attorney.

A Bar spokeswoman would only tell the Orlando Sentinel it pertains to Jose Baez's relationship with his now-former media relations company.

Since last fall, Baez's law firm referred news reporters to a spokesman named Todd Black with Press Corps Media.

Black never agreed to in-person interviews with reporters, would not provide his photograph, and did not reveal his true identity.

The company later confirmed three people used the name of Todd Black, and confirmed one of those was actually Gil Cabot, who was convicted of extortion.

The Bar closed a similar investigation last fall, and Baez' new spokeswoman, Marti Mackenzie, said she expects them to close this one as well.

New Casey Anthony evidence includes duct tape found on child's skull, TV station says

February 16, 2009
Orlando Sentinel



Right: Casey Anthony, all dressed up and no where to go...

Evidence Includes Results Of Duct Tape Tests

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Attorney Brad Conway said Tuesday he will try to prepare the Anthony family for whatever news comes out of 1,100 pages of evidence released this week.

Conway said he will review the documents, which are now in the hands of Casey Anthony’s attorneys. "We need to see what the results say,” said Conway, who represents Casey Anthony’s parents, Cindy and George Anthony.

According to a source close to the investigation, test results from the FBI crime lab on the duct tape found on slain toddler Caylee Anthony's skull are in that new batch of evidence.

When asked by WESH 2's Bob Kealing if Casey Anthony’s fingerprints were on the duct tape, a source with direct knowledge of the investigation said, "This is not going to be good news for the defense."

Casey Anthony, 22, is charged with the murder of her daughter, Caylee Anthony. She is being held at the Orange County Jail.

A spokeswoman with the state attorney's office told WESH 2 she does not plan to release this new evidence released to the public until at least midweek.

Orlando defense attorney Richard Hornsby said the duct tape evidence brings the possibility of the death penalty back in to play. Hornsby said it may force Anthony’s defense attorney, Jose Baez, to "put Casey on the stand" or "consider a plea bargain."

Caylee was 2 when she was reported missing in July. Her remains were found in December.
Casey Anthony, Caylee’s mother, is charged with her daughter’s murder. She is being held at the Orange County jail.

Anthony’s trial is scheduled to begin in March.

Anthony News

Attorney says Caylee Anthony has been cremated
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-caylee-anthony-memorial-021109,0,4518634.story
Amy L. Edwards and Bianca Prieto Sentinel Staff Writers
February 11, 2009

One day after Caylee Marie Anthony's memorial service, the lawyer representing the toddler's grandparents confirmed the girl's remains have been cremated and that they are not located at her family's home. Attorney Brad Conway, who represents George and Cindy Anthony, wouldn't say where Caylee's remains are being kept.

Conway also addressed a question many were left wondering after Tuesday's memorial: Who was her uncle Lee Anthony referring to when he repeatedly said "CMA?"Was he referring to Caylee? Was he talking to his sister -- and Caylee's mother -- Casey Anthony? They both share the same initials.

When Lee Anthony eulogized his niece at the pulpit at First Baptist Church, he brought with him a laptop and read from it. He told the mourners to withhold judgment and to fill their hearts with patience and grace. He spoke about "CMA," saying how much he missed her and will never forget the promise he made to her. Who is "CMA?" Lee Anthony was "talking to all of them," Conway said."He wanted his sister to know he loves her."

The memorial served as an emotional day of closure for a family that has been in the media glare since last summer when Caylee was reported missing....On Tuesday, a crowd of about 1,100 people -- many of whom never met Caylee -- got a glimpse of the joy she brought to her family.

Uncle Lee Anthony first spoke for the family. As George Anthony spoke, mourners across the worship center wept. When he finished speaking, they gave him a standing ovation...Cindy Anthony, who has not visited her daughter in jail for months, addressed her from the sanctuary...

Attorney stays Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, met with her for two hours Tuesday but gave few details to reporters waiting for him outside the jail. "It was important for me to be here with her -- to be with her at this time," Baez said. "It's very frankly a private matter, and that's the way it should be." Baez wouldn't answer questions.

...More than 100 relatives and friends of the Anthony's crowded into reserved pews at the front of the church Tuesday to give support to the family. Although Caylee was the focus of the service, her remains were not there. It was unclear where they are or what will be done with them.

Casey Anthony's lawyer no longer affiliated with media firm
http://orlandosentinel.com/news
Amy L. Edwards Sentinel Staff Writer
February 11, 2009

Casey Anthony's defense attorney has been criticized for his choice of a media firm -- and the recent revelation that a man who served prison time for attempting to extort a journalist has acted as the lawyer's spokesman.

But Jose Baez and that company have parted ways, the Orlando Sentinel learned today. In a statement e-mailed to the Sentinel, Baez said, "Press Corps Media is no longer affiliated with The Baez Law Firm."The Kissimmee lawyer did not comment further.

Since September, a spokesman who used the name Todd Black routinely talked to news reporters and issued statements about the Anthony case on behalf of Baez. But Black never agreed to in-person interviews and refused to reveal his true identity.

Last week, Press Corps Media confirmed that at least one "Todd Black" persona is Gil Cabot, who was sentenced to five years in a California prison after he was convicted of attempting to extort television journalist Jann Carl. Court records and news reports state Cabot had run-ins with the law before and after the Carl case.

Anthonys Seek Private Jail Visit With Casey
http://www.wesh.com/news/18692267/detail.html
Family Does Not Want Videotape Of Visit Released To Public
February 11, 2009

ORLANDO, Fla. -- George and Cindy Anthony's lawyer confirmed that the family wants to set up a special private video visit with Casey Anthony...A spokesman for Orange County corrections told WESH 2 it would be up to the sheriff's department to decide whether to videotape the visit.

The grandfather spoke about what he plans to do with his second chance at life. His plans are to help other families with missing kids.

"If there's anything at all that any of us can ever do is to look for these children," George Anthony said. So, will he drive up and help look for Haleigh Cummings?

George Anthony will be a key witness in the state's murder case against his daughter, just as he gave evidence to the grand jury that indicted her...

Memorial Service May Have Sparked Rift In Family: Caylee Anthony's memorial service exposed a developing rift between what George and Cindy Anthony wanted versus Casey Anthony's desires. Right, Casey wanted a $15,000 coffin, plot and stone, to bury the bones that were left of her daughter, the one she killed. And of course, she expects her parents to pay for that. Hell, if Casey was still out, she'd do it herself on Cindy's credit.

Casey Anthony's defense attorney, Jose Baez, said it is nothing more than a disagreement.
"Just because of simple disagreements it does not mean there's a rift between the family or anything like that," Baez said.

Members of George and Cindy Anthony's inner circle said they resented Baez's statement on Casey Anthony's behalf and how long it took the defense team to get Caylee's remains. The couple's lawyer would not address the controversy outside Caylee's memorial.

"I’m not going to answer that question today. I want everything to be positive and that's the way we're going to keep it," said Brady Conway, George and Cindy Anthony's attorney.

Publicly, the Anthonys expressed nothing but love and support for their daughter.
"I love you and I wish I could comfort you right now," Cindy Anthony said.

Attorney Wants Defamation Case Against Casey Tossed
http://www.wftv.com/news/
Wednesday, February 11, 2009

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- The attorney representing Casey Anthony In a civil defamation suit has asked that the case be tossed out of court. Zenaida Gonzalez is suing because Casey claimed someone with that name babysat and then disappeared with Caylee. She said the case has ruined her name. Casey's attorney filed the motion to dismiss the case this week. There's no word on when a judge could rule.

Casey Anthony Trial Could Be Year Away
http://www.wftv.com/news/18693236/detail.html
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 – updated: 5:37 pm EST February 11, 2009

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- The start of Casey Anthony's murder trial could be as long as a year away. There are many things, legally and in the investigation, that still need to be completed.

Eyewitness News believes evidence discovered where Caylee's remains were found and at her house are still being tested. According to defense expert Dr. Henry Lee's writings, Casey's defense team could be going so far as to analyze the root growth of plants to determine how long Caylee's body was there.

Investigators spent more than a week at the scene where Caylee Anthony's remains were found, sifting through the dirt by hand. One of the things they found was a heart-shaped sticker that investigators said matched up to adhesive found on the duct tape over her mouth.

Investigators had bug and plant experts at the scene, too, to help determine how long Caylee was there and where else her body had been. Boxes of evidence were removed from her house less than a mile away using two different search warrants based on what was found at the scene.

Once the testing of the evidence is done, the defense will go into research and attack mode.
"The integrity of it, the testing of it, the conclusions that were drawn by the testing, the credentials of the prosecution experts as opposed to the defense experts," explained WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer.

Sheaffer told Eyewitness News the defense will probably hold hearings to convince the judge to throw out a lot of the most damning evidence.

There are about 145 witnesses listed so far, including Casey's family members. Only five of them, including Casey's ex-boyfriend who she spent the night with the day Caylee disappeared, have been only partially deposed by the defense.

"For every hour that you spend in trial you spend potentially ten hours in preparation," Sheaffer said.

Someone recently left a SpongeBob SquarePants balloon at the remains scene, possibly after George Anthony's touching story about how she loved to imitate his sidekick Patrick with her raspy voice.

When WFTV's news crew arrived at the remains scene Wednesday afternoon, there were 11 people at the memorial paying their respects to Caylee.