Jose Baez Repeatedly Told To Stop Touching Casey During Jail Visits

Friday, October 31, 2008 – updated: 6:45 am EDT October 31, 2008
http://www.wftv.com/news/17854568/detail.html

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- In the past two weeks Casey Anthony's attorney Jose Baez has visited her at the jail, seven out of 14 days.
Eyewitness News has discovered that on at least two occasions jail staff had to step in and Baez was warned repeatedly about hugging Casey during their visits.

A jail report states: "The inmate's attorney was observed hugging inmate and was advised that physical contact was prohibited."

Then a week later another report stated: "Baez again observed hugging his client."

The room Baez and Anthony meet is very small and typically there is a desk and two chairs. Sources told Eyewitness News on one occasion Anthony was sitting and Baez was very close to her face.

A corrections officer had to go into the room to separate them. Eyewitness News confronted Jose Baez about the situation.

"I have no comment," he said.

Eyewitness news' legal analyst Bill Schaeffer said it's unusual that an attorney would ever touch a client.

"The more experience you are in handling these type of clients or situation, the less likely you are to place yourself in a situation that could be regarded as a compromising situation," said Schaeffer.

When Casey was out on bond, there were several times that she would spend six hours a day at Baez's office including Saturdays. There's nothing criminal about having a relationship with a client, but Schaeffer said there are ethical issues.

"The appellate court could find that relationship overstepped the bounds of attorney client relationship and affected that performance and order a new trial," he said.

There was no evidence that Baez and Casey were actually having a relationship.

The reason touching isn't allowed at the jail is because contraband items could be passed. Baez told jail officials that he didn't know the rules, and wouldn't do it again.