Baez Criticizes Sheriff's Search

Baez Criticizes Sheriff's Search

Thursday, December 18, 2008 6:51:56 AM

ORLANDO -- Sheriff's deputies are still finding evidence at the site where a child's skeletal remains were found last week.

Investigators will continue to search for clues today and say they are not letting anyone, including Casey Anthony's attorney Jose Baez, tell them when to stop looking.

In a statement released Tuesday, Baez's spokesman, Todd Black criticized the sheriff's office for what they called a lack of cooperation. But the sheriff's office said they are just trying to be thorough.

"Keep in mind that Mr. Baez would probably be the first one to say that when we left, we left evidence behind and it was shoddy work. The judge said that himself yesterday, so, no, we're going to be here as long as it takes.

We're on our schedule, not on Mr. Baez's schedule," Padilla said.

Sheriff's investigators expected to wrap their search Wednesday, but now say it could be days before they finish. They said the discovery of more "significant' evidence Wednesday prompted them to expand their search area.

During a news conference Wednesday, Padilla said the sheriff's office is assuming the remains belong to little Caylee. The remains were found about a quarter mile away from the Anthony family home.

Authorities don't know when the DNA test results will come back, but they are confident that a positive identification will be made.

Baez's office told News 13 they haven't heard anything about positive identification on the remains of a small child found near Casey's home.

They also said they won't make a decision about what's next until news comes of that identification.

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2008/12/18/baez_criticizes_sheriff39s_search.html

Press Release From Todd Black

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 6:18:02 PM

Press release from Todd Black, Jose Baez’s spokesman, on Dec. 17, 2008.

*** PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE ***

The Casey Anthony Defense Team has made numerous attempts to preserve the evidence in and around the location where the human remains of what appear to be a small child were found.

Law enforcement has been repeatedly asked to allow reasonable access by medical and scientific experts for the defense, including requests for photographs, and assistance with maintaining a secure examination scene prior to any media or general public access.

Every effort by The Baez Law Firm to establish a level of basic cooperation and professional courtesy have all been rejected by the government. This lack of cooperation has complicated how to proceed.

Now that the scene more resembles that of an excavation site as opposed to an examinable crime scene – attorney Jose Baez has been advised that without properly detailed photographs and all related material and documentation, the various experts on the Casey Anthony Defense Team will simply not be able to thoroughly examine the site.Unfortunately this matter has already become a “Media Circus” and something The Baez Law Firm will not contribute to, by just making a show of going to the excavation
site without good reason.

The Casey Anthony Defense Team is being prevented from examining the site unless and until all photographs, schematic sketches and related material and documentation are released to the defense through the discovery process.

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Sidebar/2008/12/17/press_release_from_todd_black.html