Mark NeJame calls Anthony team’s accusations ‘laughable’

Casey Anthony: Mark NeJame calls Anthony team’s accusations ‘laughable’

posted by halboedeker on August, 10 2010 6:12 PM

The Casey Anthony defense team has ripped Orlando attorney Mark NeJame, accusing him of obstruction and promoting his own interests.

How does NeJame respond to the blistering motion the team filed late Monday?

The obstruction accusation is “laughable,” NeJame told WOFL-Ch. 35’s Holly Bristow tonight.

NeJame used to represent George and Cindy Anthony, the parents of Casey Anthony. Now NeJame represents Texas EquuSearch, which looked for Caylee Anthony.

Casey Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee. The defense team and NeJame are locked in a battle over records on the EquuSearch volunteers. (Anthony is shown last month with attorneys Cheney Mason and Jose Baez in this photo by Red Huber of the Sentinel.)

NeJame said it’s “horrible how Casey Anthony’s defense team has tried to harass the volunteers who tried to find Caylee Anthony,” WKMG-Ch. 6’s Mike DeForest reported.

DeForest reported that NeJame “adamantly denied allegations made by Baez that he tried to steal Casey Anthony away and take over as her attorney.”

DeForest gained the most withering comments from NeJame. In the defense motion, Baez said NeJame’s actions have been “a complete and total obstruction of the defense’s attempts to seek the truth.”

NeJame told DeForest, “What Mr. Baez is doing is consistent with how he’s been handling the case throughout, and people can draw their own conclusions.”

What do you say to that?

WOFL’s Bristow asked if NeJame notified a TV station when the defense team came to NeJame’s office to look at EquuSearch records.

“Absolutely, positively not,” NeJame told WOFL. “If that call got made by a lawyer, it was made by them.”

The Anthony team has denied NeJame’s accusation and countered that NeJame has consulted a writer about an Anthony book, Bristow added.

NeJame acknowledged to Bristow that conversations had occurred, but added there are no plans for a book.

Bristow said that Anthony attorney Jose Baez had not returned her call for an interview.

Was there ever a plea deal in the Anthony case?

“There was no plea deal to my knowledge whatsoever,” NeJame told WFTV-Ch. 9. “I think one could have gotten a plea deal for someone in that 10- to 15-year range.”

But crime writer David Lohr says NeJame had mentioned that Anthony had been offered a plea deal for 10 years if she would reveal where Caylee’s remains were, WFTV’s Jeff Deal reported.

NeJame acknowledged he did approach Lohr about a book but there was a misunderstanding about the plea deal, Deal added.

WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer dismissed talk of a 10-year plea deal. “I find it highly improbable that a deal was even attempted prior to the discovery of the body,” Sheaffer said.

The State Attorney’s Office would neither confirm nor deny the plea offer, WFTV anchor Bob Opsahl said. The Anthony defense team hadn’t returned calls, Deal reported.

What of an Anthony book? NeJame isn’t ruling it out, and if he did do one, he’d give the money to charity, Deal said.

The Anthony defense team tomorrow will depose Jesse Grund, Casey’s former fiance, and his father, Richard Grund, WFTV reported.

WESH-Ch. 2’s Bob Kealing focused on prison inmate Robin Lunceford’s allegations that another inmate, Maya Derkovic, had made up stories about Anthony. In a phone call to Jose Baez, Lunceford said that Derkovic admitted fabricating Anthony stories.

Orlando attorney Richard Hornsby predicted that it’s unlikely any of these claims will be part of Anthony’s murder trial. ”It’s hearsay upon hearsay, and that’s why the courts don’t generally like hearsay testimony,” Hornsby told Kealing.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/08/casey-anthony-mark-nejame-calls-anthony-teams-accusations-laughable.html

Great interview (almost 6 minutes long) with NeJame:


http://www.baynews9.com/video?clip=h...1120100455.flv