Zenaida Gonzalez's lawyers seek end to Casey Anthony's 'stonewalling' The legal team asks for answers in the 38-year-old mother's lawsuit against Casey Anthony, mother of Caylee Anthony.

Sarah Lundy | Sentinel Staff Writer
March 5, 2009

Casey Anthony answered just one of the 29 questions posed in the defamation lawsuit against her -- she stated her name.

Now, the lawyers for Zenaida Gonzalez, a 38-year-old mother of six, plan to ask a judge to force Anthony to answer the rest of the questions.

"We are fed up with Casey Anthony stonewalling," said Gonzalez's attorney Keith Mitnik.

Gonzalez claims she lost her job and suffered humiliation and public embarrassment after Anthony told investigators that a baby sitter by the same name took her 2-year-old child Caylee Marie, who was found dead six months later in December.

Anthony, 22, is charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Some of the questions Gonzalez wants answered include:

* How did Anthony describe (baby sitter Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez) to law enforcement?
* Does she admit that the Zenaida Gonzalez suing Anthony is not the Zenaida Gonzalez she told police about?

Anthony answered the questions with: "Upon advice and counsel of my attorney, I am invoking my right to remain silent pursuant to the 5th Amendment of the United States Constitution."

The last question -- "Were you involved in the death of Caylee?" -- was answered differently.

"The defendant would object to the question and would move to strike it. This question is being sought solely to embarrass, harass and brought in an attempt to implicate the defendant in an on-going criminal prosecution for first-degree murder. The question is without merit and wholly improper."

Orange Circuit Judge Jose R. Rodriguez came up with the idea of written questions in January after Anthony's attorneys tried to block a videotaped question-and-answer session with her in jail.

The judge was trying to balance Gonzalez's attempt to clear her name against Anthony's rights in the criminal process.

When Caylee's disappearance was first reported in July, Anthony told investigators that a month earlier she left Caylee with a baby sitter at Sawgrass Apartments, and when she returned later that day both were gone.

Authorities interviewed Gonzalez, who later filed the lawsuit. She told them she didn't know Anthony or her daughter.

Detectives have said the baby sitter story was one of many lies by Anthony that they discovered as they investigated the disappearance.

Also Wednesday, a hearing in the criminal case was set to deal with various motions filed in the past several months.

On March 12, the lawyers will present their arguments before Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland.

Some of the issues to be discussed:

* The defense's request for the state and law enforcement to produce all DNA notes and reports and standards used to collect evidence.
* The attorney for Casey Anthony's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, wants the judge to stop prosecutors from releasing the letter George Anthony wrote the night he threatened suicide.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/caylee-anthony/orl-casey-anthony-zenaida-hearing-03-05-09,0,4803455.story

Casey Anthony asked to answer written questions from Zenaida Gonzalez
Kissimmee woman wants judge to force Casey Anthony to respond
Sarah Lundy |Sentinel Staff Writer2:55 PM EST, March 6, 2009
Lawyers for Zenaida Gonzalez aren't satisfied with Casey Anthony's refusal to answer questions in her defamation case.

Today, they filed a request for Orange Circuit Court Judge Jose R. Rodriguez to force the 22-year-old to answer.
Anthony invoked her 5th Amendment Right to remain silent in nearly all of the 29 questions.(snip)

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-casey-anthony-case-zenaida-030609,0,1209623.story