Baez Continues To Question Witnesses In Casey Case
Posted: 12:28 pm EDT May 13, 2009
Updated: 1:45 pm EDT May 13, 2009
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- In the case against Casey Anthony, defense attorney Jose Baez is questioning witnesses under oath Wednesday, including a DCF worker who investigated a previous child abuse charge against Casey and an Orange County deputy.
VIDEO REPORT: Baez Questioning DCF Worker, Deputy
http://www.wftv.com/video/19450390/index.htmlThe deputy was one of the first to get to the Suburban Drive location the day Caylee Anthony's remains were found on December 11.
Defense attorney Jose Baez arrived Wednesday morning at the State Attorney's Office alone to question witnesses under oath.
Baez has been questioning a state child abuse investigator who talked to Casey last year before she was indicted for first-degree murder of her daughter, Caylee Anthony.
Eyewitness News has learned that Casey told the investigator she was innocent and also said that babysitter Zenaida Gonzales had Caylee.
She claimed Caylee's late father's family had moved from Kentucky to Italy. Casey also told the child abuse investigator that she worked for Universal Studios.
Jose Baez will also question a Universal Studios security guard, who Casey tried to convince while with investigators, that she worked at the theme park.
Casey did make it through and while wondering through Universal Studios, she laughed and admitted to investigators that she did not work there.
CASEY'S DEATH PENALTY ATTORNEY EXPLAINS WHY HE QUIT
Casey Anthony's defense team once had a death penalty qualified attorney, but last week he dropped the case.
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RAW VIDEO: Attorney Terence Lenamon On Nancy Grace
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Attorney Terence Lenamon now says he stopped representing Casey because he did not agree with the legal strategy of her lead attorney Jose Baez.
"We had a difference in what I believe should have been done with the approach that is mental health related," Lenamon told CNN's Nancy Grace during an interview Tuesday night (watch it).
Lenamon explained he would have had Casey plead not guilty by reason of insanity.
CASEY'S DEFENSE QUESTIONS THREE PEOPLE UNDER OATH
Casey Anthony's lawyer, Jose Baez, questioned three witnesses Monday afternoon in the case against Casey, but there are some serious questions over whether he should be questioning anybody.
WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer, who has tried death cases, says Baez should not be doing the depositions without a death-qualified co-counsel, because he might miss something that could help Casey avoid the death penalty if she's convicted.
Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, arrived at the Orange County courthouse around 1:30pm.
RAW VIDEO: Baez Arrives At Courthouse
http://www.wftv.com/video/19429809/index.html"You detonate all the land mines at deposition so you don't step on one during trial and blow your legs off," Sheaffer said.
Defense attorney Jose Baez appears to be backing away from courthouse interviews after suggesting the trial should be held in South Florida because there was less publicity there. He won't say who his new death penalty-qualified co-counsel is and Monday he arrived at the courthouse alone.
"Are you worried that something death penalty related could come up during these depositions?" asked WFTV reporter Kathi Belich.
"I made my objection to the court and it says it all there," replied Baez.
Baez questioned Orange County Deputy Adriana Acevedo who was the first to arrive at the scene on Suburban Drive after county meter reader Roy Kronk called 911 on August 11 saying he found something suspicious there.
Acevedo went, but said she did not know exactly where to look because Kronk didn't meet her there. She left and the sheriff's office made arrangements to go back with Kronk to the wooded area.
Baez also deposed Kronk's two co-workers about what happened on August 11.
Sheaffer questions whether Baez really does have a death-qualified attorney lined up to join the defense team, because he says it's highly unusual for the defense to try to create drama by delaying the identification of co-counsel. Usually someone joins the team and gets to work.
Jose Baez will be questioning even more witnesses later this week.
Sheaffer says without help, Baez might miss opportunities that could help in Casey's defense.
"Not only to you learn what questions to ask, you learn what areas and questions to stay away from," Sheaffer said.
Baez claims his new death penalty qualified co-counsel will appear at Casey's next hearing on May 28. However, as of Tuesday afternoon, no one has filed notice with the court.
On Wednesday he'll talk under-oath to another deputy, a DCF worker who investigated a previous child abuse case against Casey and an employee at Universal Orlando where Casey claimed to work, but didn't.
Caylee's remains were found in the wooded area on December 11, four months after the first call. Casey Anthony is accused of killing her daughter, Caylee and is facing first-degree murder charges.
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