Motion Asks State To Pay Anthony's Defense Costs

by momgot2kids Fri Mar 05, 2010 11:37 pm

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/22757022/detail.html
Anthony Charged With Murder In Daughter Caylee's Death

POSTED: Friday, March 5, 2010
UPDATED: 6:16 pm EST March 5, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Defense attorneys for Casey Anthony have filed a motion requesting that the court declare her indigent and have the taxpayers shoulder some of the cost of her defense.

IMAGES: Anthony Family Home | Recent Court Hearing

Jose Baez filed the paperwork at 5 p.m. Friday. He is asking Judge Stan Strickland to declare Anthony indigent for costs, meaning she does not have the money to fund her defense.

Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

Anthony has already paid Baez and death penalty expert Andrea Lyon $111,954, but Baez said that is not enough to give Anthony the defense she needs, and taxpayers should make up the difference.

Baez said Anthony, 23, was willing to pay for her defense until the state put the death penalty back on the table, making her unable to cover the expense.

The motion asks the state to cover the cost of depositions, transcripts, investigators, legal research, expert witness fees, medical or mental examinations, travel expenses and other costs the defense has or will incur.

Legal experts said defending a complex death penalty murder case like Anthony's can easily run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, especially when potential witnesses and experts are dispersed around the country.

Baez estimated the total cost of defending Anthony will amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

If Strickland signs the order, Florida taxpayers will pick up the bill for the defense costs, but not the defense fees.

The state has more than $14 million set aside this year to pay for indigent criminal defense.

The question of how Anthony will be able to pay for her defense has prompted a great deal of speculation about possible movie deals and book rights. It is not known how she paid the more than $100,000 that has already been paid to the defense.

Anthony is being held at the Orange County Jail on no bond.

Caylee was 2-years-old when she was reported missing in July 2008. Her remains were discovered in a wooded area off Suburban Drive, near Anthony's parent's east Orange County home, in December 2008.