New Motions filed

Attorneys for Casey Anthony ask judge to put off check fraud trial

Willoughby Mariano Sentinel Staff Writer

6:56 PM EDT, July 16, 2009

Lawyers for accused child killer Casey Anthony filed a slew of motions in Orange County Circuit Court today, including one asking a judge to put off trial in her check fraud case.

Attorneys Jose Baez and Andrea Lyon argued that they're too busy preparing for Anthony's first-degree murder case to handle a fraud trial. Anthony faces the death penalty in the death of her daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony. Trial is delayed until next year at the earliest.

Prosecutors asked Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland in a June 22 motion to set a date for the fraud trial within the next two months.

Anthony, 23, faces more than a dozen fraud counts, including fraudulent use of personal identification information and forgery of a check. Investigators said she used her friend's checkbook to buy clothes and other items.

In a separate motion, Anthony's defense asked that testimony from bounty hunter Leonard Padilla be barred from her murder case. Padilla bonded Anthony out of jail and signed a privacy agreement with Baez preventing him from taping Anthony's statements. The agreement also emphasizes Padilla does not represent Baez's law firm, according to court documents.

Defense attorneys argue attorney-client privilege prevents Padilla from giving testimony.

In another motion, defense attorneys asked Tim Miller, head of search group Texas Equusearch, be certified as a material witness in the murder case. Miller's group helped search for Caylee Marie Anthony. The defense motion argues Miller has crucial information on how efforts were conducted.

Caylee Marie's body was found in December. She was reported missing by her grandparents July 2008.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-casey-anthony-update-071609,0,7182649.story