Jose Baez says defense’s inspection of evidence goes smoothly; Cindy Anthony to testify calmly, lawyer says

Casey Anthony: Jose Baez says defense’s inspection of evidence goes smoothly; Cindy Anthony to testify calmly, lawyer says

posted by halboedeker on July, 14 2010 6:25 PM

How did the Casey Anthony defense team’s examination of evidence go?

“Jose Baez said their inspection has gone ’smooth and professionally,’ ” WESH-Ch. 2’s Bob Kealing reported tonight.

Baez said things had been very professional, said Jacqueline Fell of Central Florida News 13.

But there was a tense moment with WFTV-Ch. 9’s Kathi Belich, whose questioning yesterday caused defense attorney Cheney Mason to lash out at her.

“We ruffled feathers again today,” Belich said tonight. This time, Belich quizzed Baez about whether he would ask taxpayers to pay the travel expenses of two experts from the Netherlands.

“You and your taxpayer nonsense,” Baez shot back. But Belich added that Baez later said he wouldn’t ask taxpayers to foot that bill.

The defense has fought the release of the list of items that its experts examined yesterday and today at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. But defense attorney Cheney Mason told Kealing that issue may be moot by a hearing tomorrow.

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

The defense team arrived at 9 a.m. today and left — “to our surprise” — at 12:30, WOFL-Ch. 35’s Holly Bristow reported. The defense experts concentrated on items deputies collected from Anthony’s car, Bristow reported.

What’s next? ”We’re allowed to test items, and in all likelihood, that’s what’s going to happen in this case,” Baez told reporters.

WFTV-Ch. 9’s Belich put it this way: ”Baez claims that his team of experts found some discoveries of interest here over the last couple of days and, because of that, he expects to ask Chief Judge Belvin Perry if he can do his own testing on the evidence. Now that’s not an unusual defense request, except in this case taxpayers would pay for it.”

Baez told Belich that he didn’t know how many tests he would request and that he would consult with his experts.

If the defense found something to help Anthony’s case, it would have to alert the state so the prosecution could analyze the results before trial, Belich said. “We’ll also find out if the defense is pulling just another Todd Macaluso move,” Belich said, referring to the former defense attorney who said there was evidence someone other than Anthony placed the toddler’s body in the woods. “That evidence never materialized,” Belich said.

On WESH, defense attorney Jeff Deen analyzed the inspection process and said it was important that the defense team not give away anything during the two-day examination.

WKMG-Ch. 6’s Mike DeForest previewed the hearing Thursday, when Cindy Anthony will testify about 911 calls she made two years ago that set the case in motion.

Brad Conway, Cindy’s attorney, told DeForest that she will “answer the questions truthfully and calmly. Cindy Anthony will acknowledge in court tomorrow that she was very frantic when she called 911 … even though that admission could ultimately hurt her daughter.”

WESH’s Kealing reported that George Anthony, Casey’s father, is expected to be at the courthouse Thursday. Cindy and son Lee Anthony have been subpoenaed to testify.


http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/07/casey-anthony-jose-baez-says-defenses-inspection-of-evidence-goes-smoothly-cindy-anthony-to-testify-calmly-lawyer-says.html