April 22, 2009
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.
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2 comments:
I am stunned that any attorney would think he needed the judge's permission to serve a subpoena. All Baez had to do was prepare it, get the clerk to stamp it, then have it served. That's so simple that even a legal secretary would know the procedure.
At that point - and not before - Baez could move the court to enter an order filing the subpoenas under seal. However, it is unlikely a court would grant that motion, since he seems to have no valid cause for why it should be sealed. Simply wanting to hide what he is doing is not cause to seal those documents. Either way, that particular type of request is not proper for an ex parte hearing.
Other than that, the judge wouldn't even get involved in a subpoena, unless there were a challenge to the contents or unless there was failure to comply.
I find his lack of knowledge regarding even very basic legal procedure to be extremely disturbing. Casey simply cannot get a fair trial if her attorney is that incompetent. However, the fact remains that Casey has the right to hire any attorney she wants, including an incompetent attorney, as long as she is aware that he is incompetent.
The judge therefore needs to hold an in camera hearing, in which it is explained to Casey that if she continues using an attorney as inexperienced as Baez, she does so at her own peril; and reminding her that the court will appoint an experienced attorney to represent her if she so desires.
At that point the ball is in her court. She would still likely stick with Baez, since he's one of the few attorneys dumb enough to believe her ridiculous story. Nevertheless, with that waiver on the record, proving she knew Baez was incompetent, she cannot later prevail on an appellate claim of ineffective assistance of counsel.
Elfninosmom:
you know a lot about law. very impressive. the only thing i would disagree with is the next to last statement, a lawyer doesn't have to believe his client, just work to give his client every benefit of the law.
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