Death Penalty Expert Leaves Casey's Defense Team
Posted: 7:58 pm EDT June 30, 2010
Updated: 6:35 am EDT July 1, 2010
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Anthony’s lead attorney Jose Baez told WFTV that he filed a motion at the Orange County Courthouse late Wednesday afternoon to notify the court that Chicago attorney Andrea Lyon is leaving the case for financial reasons.
Baez said Mason has already taken over Lyon's responsibilities and the majority of motions involving death penalty related arguments have already been filed.
“I'm not surprised that the money having run out, the publicity surrounding Andrea Lyon’s book having been exhausted, that she's exiting the defense team,” WFTV Legal Analyst Bill Sheaffer said.
“Those who have professed to be true believers in this case have fallen by the waste side mainly because of financial reasons,” Sheaffer said.
"I'm not sure it's going to have any impact on the most important phase of the trial, which is, 'Is she going to be found guilty or not guilty?'" said Uhrig. "If she's found guilty of anything less that fist degree capital murder, you're not going to have a second part of the trial."
One of Caseys lawyers quits case
By Adam Longo, News 13 Reporter
Last Updated: Thursday, July 01, 2010 12:44 AM
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Andrea Lyon is the second lawyer to depart from the case in less than six months. In court papers, Lyon said she had "no choice" but to withdraw from the case.
Its strictly a fiscal issue, said Jose Baez, Anthonys lead attorney
Hornsby didn’t buy Baez’s cost explanations for Lyon’s departure. “She wouldn’t have had to have a lot of costs to incur,” he said. “I think the cost excuse is really a cover for something a lot bigger with Andrea Lyon’s belief in the defense team.”
Baez told WESH that simply wasn’t true and that’s Lyon’s departure wouldn’t affect the defense.
The witness list includes a plant expert from Colorado, Dr. Jane Bock, and an insect expert from Nebraska, Dr. Timothy Huntington. A Canadian forensic anthropologist is also included, as well as Florida International University professor Dr. Ken Furton. They are expected to challenge tests on the air in Casey's car.
Anthony's attorneys are arguing that allowing the officials from the Sheriff's Office to be present while counsel and expert witnesses inspect the items of evidence would unfairly subject statements made between counsel and the expert witnesses to discovery, creating an unfair prejudice against the defendant (Anthony) in her preparation for trial.
Having sheriff's officials there "would unfairly subject statements made between counsel and the expert witnesses to discovery, creating an unfair prejudice against the Defendant in her preparation for trial," Baez stated.
The experts are slated to inspect the evidence July 13 and July 14. Those are the only days all experts could meet with the defense attorneys.
The defense said it is flying in a team from across the county to inspect documents and evidence in the murder case which are in the possession of the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Prosecutors with the State Attorney's Office have found it sufficient enough to have representatives from the Sheriff's Office present during these inspections. However, defense lawyers contend that, during the inspections, certain communication might occur with the witnesses which should remain confidential and exclusive to the defense team. They are alleging that questioning or any other conversation between attorneys and expert witnesses would constitute "real time work product," and therefore suggest that this is protected under what is known as the "work product doctrine."
“That list is pretty brief,” WESH-Ch. 2 anchor Martha Sugalski said tonight.
WESH’s Bob Kealing agreed, noting that four of the eight names were expert witnesses. “The list would have been longer but Judge Belvin Perry denied the use of more tax money to pay for them,” Kealing added.
Kealing listed the experts: a Colorado plant expert, a Nebraska insect expert, a Canadian forensic anthropologist and a Florida International University professor.
Andrea Lyon’s Body Language Indicated She May Not Have Believed Casey Anthony, So It Comes As No Surprise She Is No Longer on Casey’s Team. Are There More Reasons for Her Departure?
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