Judge grants prosecutors transcript of Casey Anthony hearing

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-casey-anthony-court-transcript-20100408,0,1649798.story

By Walter
Pacheco, Orlando Sentinel

9:08 a.m. EDT, April 8, 2010

Prosecutors will get the transcript of an August 2009 hearing where one of Casey
Anthony's former defense attorneys proclaimed her innocence in court,
records show.

Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland on Tuesday granted Assistant State Attorney Linda Drane Burdick the order
for the transcript.

Todd Macaluso, a former member of Anthony's defense team, announced in an Aug. 21 court hearing that "the body or
remains of Caylee Anthony were placed there after Anthony was locked up in the Orange County facility."

Anthony, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter Caylee. The state is
seeking the death penalty.

His comment was part of the defense team's request to obtain records from Texas EquuSearch, the volunteer
group that helped look for Caylee.

EquuSearch officials said the exact location where Caylee's remains were later found in Dec. 2008 had
not been searched because it was flooded. The child's remains were discovered in a patch of woods less than a mile from the home she shared with her grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony.

Anthony's defense team at the time did not explain what evidence they had that led
them to make that statement.

In an earlier report, Burdick did not comment why the state wants the transcript of that court hearing.

Macaluso withdrew from the Anthony case earlier this year because of troubles
with the California Bar.

He entered an alternative-discipline program after being accused of "moral turpitude, dishonesty or
corruption" in handling several trust accounts.

The State Bar alleged he misappropriated about $145,000 and misused nearly $61,000 in
client money. Macaluso denied any willful violation, blaming his staff and saying he was distracted and traumatized at the time by his brother's death.

WDBO Local News

Why did prosecutors request transcript of crucial hearing in Casey Anthony case?

By Drew Petrimoulx @ April 8, 2010
7:53 PM

Prosecutors in the Casey Anthony case have been granted a transcript of hearing from August 21st, 2009 when defense attorneys made a bold claim.

"The remains of Caylee Anthony were placed [at the crime scene] after Casey Anthony was locked up in the Orange County correctional facility," announced former defense attorney Todd Macaluso who later left the team after a conflict with the California bar.

Atthe hearing, Macaluso also claimed the defense had "substantial evidence" that "proved" Casey was innocent.

Prosecutors have demanded the defense turn that evidence over as the rules of reciprocal discovery require.

Now, they've requested a transcript of the hearing. Defense attorney Diana Tennis explains two scenarios could be at play.

"Either the prosecution is wanting to rub the defense's nose in the fact that they had a lawyer overstate things, or it could be that the defense was talking about something real, and the state is trying to use this as a way to get them to cough up the information," she told WDBO.


http://wdbo.com/localnews/2010/04/why-did-prosecutors-request-tr.html