Attorney Wants Trial Postponed

by petesaparte Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:12 pm

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The case against Casey Anthony went back to court Wednesday morning, but without Casey Anthony. She did not attend the pre-trial hearing about the check fraud charges against her.

Casey's accused of taking checks from her friend and going on a shopping spree at an Orange County Target.

During the hearing Wednesday morning, the defense told the judge it wants to dedicate its time and resources to Casey's first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse case and also said it's considering asking for a delay in that trial and also possibly for the trial to be moved, but hasn't made those decisions yet.

The defense wants to put off Casey's trial for grand theft and check fraud charges until after the murder trial and seemed to suggest that if Casey's convicted on the more serious charges involving her daughter's death, that the much less serious check charges might not matter anymore.

Prosecutors want to try the check charges first, possibly because the evidence is strong, with videotapes of her using stolen checks; then she might be going into the murder case with convictions on her record.

After the hearing, Casey's defense attorneys said prosecutors are stalling in giving him all the evidence they have against her, particularly the thousands of tips that were called in about Caylee's whereabouts. He said he's gotten less than half of them so far.

"She says she gave the child to a babysitter that no one can find. Doesn't the key lie with her? Why do you need to rely on stranger's tips when she is the one who could really lead you in some direction?" WFTV reporter Kathi Belich asked attorney Jose Baez. Cool

"Kathi, I'm not going to discuss theories of defense or anything we plan on bringing out in court. The truth is, under the rules of discovery we're entitled to it," Baez said.

Baez has received more evidence from prosecutors recently, including more cell phone records and investigator interviews. They will be released publicly as soon as Wednesday.

http://www.wftv.com/news/17898941/detail.html