2010.12.14 - Today's Current News - ***NO DISCUSSION HERE PLEASE***

Chief Judge Judge Belvin Perry has set the hearing for 4 p.m. on the defense motions to approve prior travel of out of state experts and additional hours of investigation.

Casey Anthony will not be present at today's hearing. Defense attorney Jose Baez is scheduled to appear by phone.

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In court paperwork filed on Tuesday, Baez said that those hours have been exhausted and there is still new information in the case that must be investigated.

At the state-approved rate of $40 per hour, the 300 hours Baez requested could cost taxpayers $12,000.

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Judge Belvin Perry scheduled the hearing for 4 p.m. to hear two requests from defense attorney Jose Baez.

Anthony is not expected to attend the hearing, in which Baez will likely request to be reimbursed for money spent on flying experts to Orlando in July to review evidence. Baez also wants the state to pay for additional hours of investigation.

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After Perry granted additional investigative hours, the JAC representative pointed out that the defense may not have any hours left to use, seeing as the current invoices the commission has received already total more that what has been granted.

Perry pointed to at least one invoice, saying that he believes some of the costs that have been invoiced may not be reimbursable under the JAC's guidelines. The JAC said the invoices had not yet been gone through in detail.

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"Mr. Baez, such things as picking up records, defense team meetings and there is a list for transcripts and such things and making request for public records these are things that under guidelines for JAC they more than likely will not be reimbursable costs at tax payers," said Judge Perry.

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Before being declared indigent and having the state pick up many costs associated with the defense, Anthony had private funding totaling about $275,000.

By late October, the defense had billed the state $38,672 and the JAC had paid out $18,405. At that time, Jeremiah Lyons Investigations had billed more than $11,120. Updated numbers were not immediately available Tuesday.

Casey Anthony was not present at Tuesday's hearing. Baez appeared by phone.

Perry held off on another defense motion to approve prior travel expenses of out-of-state experts.

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