Casey Anthony's taking the 5th in civil case, trial delayed - Examiner

Casey Anthony's taking the 5th in civil case, trial delayed

December 7, 2012
By: Dave Schultz

Attorneys for Zenaida Gonzalez, the woman suing Casey Anthony for defamation, asked Orange County Circuit Court Judge Lisa Munyon to delay the trial in Late November. The request was granted with no new trial date being set, although the Judge agreed to hold a pre-trial conference in the spring.

Gonzalez’s lawyers wanted the trial delayed because they don’t want Anthony to rely on the Fifth Amendment to avoid their questions because of her ongoing criminal appeal of her lying to law enforcement convictions.

Anthony has avoided answering most questions in the defamation suit, citing her right against self-incrimination because of the criminal case.

In Gonzalez’s suit she claims that Anthony ruined her reputation in 2008 when she told law enforcement officers a babysitter with the same name kidnapped her 2-year old daughter Caylee.

Authorities determined no such babysitter existed. Several months after she was reported missing, Caylee was found dead and Casey Anthony was charged with murder.

She was acquitted of all the serious charges but was found guilty of lying to law enforcement, a conviction she is appealing.

Anthony’s attorney Andrew Chmelir opposed the delay in the civil trial saying that Anthony wants the case resolved.

Gonzalez’s attorney John Dill said he would be ready to try the case in January, as previously scheduled, if Anthony agreed to testify.

http://www.examiner.com/article/casey-anthony-s-taking-the-5th-civil-case-trial-delayed