Lee Anthony Attorney Seeks To Block Questions

Lee Anthony Attorney Seeks To Block Questions

Casey Anthony's Brother Avoids Answers In Civil Case

POSTED: Monday, March 16, 2009
UPDATED: 12:49 pm EDT March 16, 2009

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The attorney for Lee Anthony filed new documents on Monday, saying his client's opinion about specific questions in Casey Anthony's civil lawsuit were not relevant to a fact-finding deposition.

Thomas Luka said Lee Anthony should not have to answer two questions in the civil case regarding his client's sister, Casey Anthony, who is being sued for defamation by a woman named Zenaida Gonzalez.

Casey Anthony remains jailed on first-degree murder charges in the death of her daughter, Caylee, whose remains were discovered in December. Casey Anthony said she left her daughter with a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez, but the two were gone when she returned to pick up her daughter. The woman sharing the same name as the baby sitter claims she lost her job because of being linked to the case and is suing for $15,000.

Luka said his client should not have to answer questions pertaining to Lee Anthony's opinions on who Caylee's father is or whether he's had thoughts that his sister was responsible for Caylee's death.

Luka said that Gonzalez's attorney have shown no need for that information, except to embarrass or annoy the Anthony family. Luka argued that the father's identity is irrelevant to the civil lawsuit.

Lee Anthony answered more than 100 questions under oath last month while being deposed in the civil lawsuit.

Gonzalez's attorneys are seeking a judge's order to force Lee Anthony to answer the questions, saying it is necessary to help show that their client did not kidnap Caylee. It's unclear when the judge will decide whether Lee Anthony will be compelled to answer.

A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday as Gonzalez's attorneys attempt to re-schedule a deposition with Casey Anthony's parents, George and Cindy Anthony.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/18940553/detail.html#-

WDBO Local News

Lee Anthony's attorney files motion to block deposition answers

By Nikki Pierce @ March 16, 2009 3:52 PM


The court battle continues over Casey Anthony's brother Lee and his refusal to answer 2 contentious questions in the defamation case brought by Zenaida Gonzales.

Do you know who Caylee's father is?

Do you think Casey Anthony is capable of killing Caylee?

Those 2 questions were among the hundred-plus posed to Lee Anthony by Gonzalez's attorney John Morgan during Lee's deposition two weeks ago. In each case, Lee's lawyer Thomas Luka shut his client down before he could complete his answer, saying those questions have nothing to do with the civil case.

"You can't ask any questions to embarrass, annoy, or unreasonably act in bad faith that may affect somebody in a negative way...especially if it's irrelevant," points out Luka, which he says is the case with these questions.

Gonzalez's attorneys filed a motion last week demanding those answers, and now Luka has fired back with his own motion. He says those questions cannot add anything that will help or hurt Gonzalez's civil suit, which claims that Casey Anthony ruined her life by blaming a babysitter with the same name for Caylee's disappearance.

Both sides will hash it out before a judge on May 21st.

http://wdbo.com/localnews/2009/03/lee-anthonys-attorney-files-mo.html