Mystery spokesman in Casey Anthony case baffles legal experts: Will he help or hurt?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-casey0709feb07,0,7214847.story


The Casey Anthony case
Mystery spokesman in Casey Anthony case baffles legal experts: Will he help or hurt?


Amy L. Edwards | Sentinel Staff Writer
February 7, 2009

Legal observers said they are puzzled by the latest revelation in the Casey Anthony case -- that a man who served prison time for attempted extortion in the 1990s has acted as a spokesman for her defense attorney.

Since September, a spokesman who uses the name Todd Black has talked to reporters and issued statements about the Anthony case but never revealed his true identity or a photograph, nor agreed to in-person interviews.

Black's media company this week for the first time 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 attempted extortion.

The company said Cabot was one of three "Todd Blacks."


Anthony's attorney, Jos� Baez, did not respond to multiple requests for a comment.

It's a curious element to the case for legal experts such as Bob Jarvis, a professor at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale who teaches legal ethics and law and popular culture.

"I don't know why you would ever have anyone on your team, whether it's attorneys, paralegals, spokespeople . . . who was tainted.

"Because the last thing you need is to introduce more distractions and make your client's case more of a circus than it already is," Jarvis said.

Attempted extortion

Earlier this week, California polygraph expert and former FBI agent Jack Trimarco told the Orlando Sentinel that he listened to Todd Black's voice in a media report, and it sounded like that of Cabot, a man he once investigated in Los Angeles.

The next day, Black's company, Press Corps Media, sent a news release stating that "Todd Black" is a composite name that has been used by three people working Anthony's case.

Then the company sent another news release that stated, "Mr. Cabot was a 'Todd Black' media contact, but only as a consultant with a selected group in the media pool . . ."

Cabot was convicted in 1990 of attempting to extort $30,000 from television journalist Jann Carl, now a weekend anchor on Entertainment Tonight.

According to news reports, prosecutors said Cabot called Carl and told her that nude photos of her would be sold to a magazine unless she made the payoff.

Baez's lawyer has stated that Press Corps Media was retained by a family in Connecticut, and that Baez did not retain and does not pay the company.

It's unclear where Cabot, who has ties to entertainment companies, lives.

Multiple attempts to reach him and his associates have been unsuccessful.

Too much baggage?

Veteran Orlando defense attorney Cheney Mason said he wonders why Baez would allow someone to act as his spokesman who concealed his identity, and has a criminal history.

He thinks Cabot's involvement discredits the defense and hurts Anthony.

"Mr. Baez and team, in my humble opinion, should have run this guy out of town a long time ago.

"He needs to take this baggage out."

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