Casey Anthony's defense team hires new media rep

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-casey1209feb12,0,4986615.story

Casey Anthony's defense team hires new media rep


Sarah Lundy and Amy L. Edwards | Sentinel Staff Writers
February 12, 2009

Casey Anthony's defense team has hired a new media representative and dumped a spokesman who used an alias.

Marti Mackenzie is already known to lawyers and reporters. She has more than 20 years of experience in legal cases with high-profile defendants, including former astronaut Lisa Nowak.

In her new job, Mackenzie will speak for lawyer Jos� Baez in his defense of Anthony, who is charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

"It's time to refocus on legal issues," Mackenzie said Wednesday. "My role is to free up the defense lawyers so they can do that."

Since fall, Baez's law firm referred media to "Todd Black" at Press Corps Media. Reporters were denied on-camera and face-to-face interviews with Black, who often ranted about news coverage in faxes sent to media outlets.

The company later confirmed that three Press Corps Media employees used the "Todd Black" name.

Last week, the company confirmed that one of the people who called himself "Todd Black" was Gil Cabot, who was sentenced to five years in a California prison in 1990 after he was convicted of attempting to extort television journalist Jann Carl.

Baez confirmed Wednesday that Mackenzie would be his spokeswoman.

Attempts to reach Cabot or Press Corps Media were unsuccessful.

Orlando attorney Mark O'Mara, who has worked with Mackenzie on a number of cases, said she "is very good at giving a proper perspective on the defense presentation."

He expressed hope that she can help "calm down the media frenzy" surrounding the Anthony case.

Veteran lawyer Cheney Mason -- who has been critical of the defense team for Casey Anthony -- has hired Mackenzie in the past and was relieved to see her join Baez's team.

"She will help them avoid making more and more public mistakes," he said.

Mackenzie is the author of Courting the Media: Public Relations for the Accused and the Accuser.

When law enforcement and prosecutors release information about a case, the defense should have some type of response so the public gets a balanced view, she said.

"If you have a message, you get it out," she said.

Mackenzie said Baez is paying her fees but wouldn't discuss their confidential contract.

In other developments in the Anthony case:

*The lawyer representing Caylee Marie Anthony's grandparents confirmed Wednesday that the toddler's remains have been cremated. Attorney Brad Conway, who represents grandparents George and Cindy Anthony, said the remains are not at the couple's Orange County home but would not say where they are being kept.

*Conway also addressed a question left over from Caylee's memorial service Tuesday: Who was her uncle Lee Anthony referring to when he mentioned "CMA" several times in his public statement? Among other things, he said he was proud of and missed CMA. Caylee, Casey and Cindy all share the same initials.

Lee Anthony was "talking to all of them," Conway said.

"He wanted his sister to know he loves her."


Sarah Lundy can be reached at 407-420-6218 or slundy@orlandosentinel.com. Amy L. Edwards can be reached at aledwards@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5735.