2009.04.09 - George Anthony Deposition (video link included)

[Ezryder9]

Another poster stated Casey took the 5th on certain questions Morgan sent to her before the depositions. One of the questions she took the 5th on was referring to this ZG not being the kidnapper. Someone else may be able to point you to the document but it was my understanding as well that she wouldn't put it in writing that this ZG was not the kidnapper.

LOL. IIRC, KC (wow, what a string of acronyms) pled the 5th to everything except the question "state your name."

 

[Ezryder9]

As far as I have read it hasn't yet been published who filed the complaint against BC, nor the date of the filing.

Geez, this is what happens when I skip to the end of a thread! I'm missed everything about a complaint against BC. Please fill a girl in, would ya?

 

[ThoughtElf]

*resp snipped.
i got the impression from the deposition that while ZFG had never been identified, casey had also refused to disqualify her. it's the first i've heard of this and it was a jumpy recording so i can't be sure but if anyone could let me know, i'd appreciate that.

Here it is Eddeva: http://www.forthepeople.com/Casey.pdf

 

[ThoughtElf]

Geez, this is what happens when I skip to the end of a thread! I'm missed everything about a complaint against BC. Please fill a girl in, would ya?

Not much detail yet. I'll bump the thread for you, Sistah. :blowkiss:

 

[circe257]

I started reading through this thread late - I needed time for what I saw in the depositions to sink in. GA's behavior just floored me. I attempted to multi-quote and then just gave up. There were too many things said that I agree with. First and foremost I believe I was wrong about GA all along. I truly thought the face he showed to the public and the one he showed to LE were different. I realize Mitnik, et al are not LE, but I tend to dump courts/justice/LE all together. Plus he was under oath, which is the same regardless if it's civil/criminal. I can't get over the fact that he told so many blatant lies. I guess it's a good thing the civil depositions were allowed to proceed prior to completion of the criminal trial as now we see what GA will be like on the stand and not have a shock. I kept trying to give him the benefit of the doubt during the depo - he doesn't want to be there - thinks it will hurt his daughter's trial, etc., However, even that does not begin to excuse his rude, childish, surly, dishonest and hostile behavior.

 

[Rumpole]

I started reading through this thread late - I needed time for what I saw in the depositions to sink in. GA's behavior just floored me. I attempted to multi-quote and then just gave up. There were too many things said that I agree with. First and foremost I believe I was wrong about GA all along. I truly thought the face he showed to the public and the one he showed to LE were different. I realize Mitnik, et al are not LE, but I tend to dump courts/justice/LE all together. Plus he was under oath, which is the same regardless if it's civil/criminal. I can't get over the fact that he told so many blatant lies. I guess it's a good thing the civil depositions were allowed to proceed prior to completion of the criminal trial as now we see what GA will be like on the stand and not have a shock. I kept trying to give him the benefit of the doubt during the depo - he doesn't want to be there - thinks it will hurt his daughter's trial, etc., However, even that does not begin to excuse his rude, childish, surly, dishonest and hostile behavior.

Good summary.

George was just plain ignorant. Even if his aim was to give as little away as possible, (presumably to protect KC rather seak justice for Caylee), he could have been civil and answered yes/no/I don't know. He could have been as evasive as he chose and still not be a prat. I have no doubt he is angry, but he needs to think about where that anger comes from, and where/how it is appropriate to direct it.
I really could not believe the childish outburst over pronunciation, then was flabbergasted that he topped that with the paranoia about the lawyer giving him the finger! That is school boy stuff or worse. I honestly think that is a bona fide symptom of psychological problem?

 

[SoSueMe]

...I listened to the TH attornies on JVM last night and they all agreed... this was wrong and should never have been allowed. Mr. Morgan is in danger of losing his license.. he is a very poor attorney, IMO.
GOOD FOR GEORGE FOR LOSING HIS TEMPER!! GOOD FOR CINDY FOR LOSING HER TEMPER!! It's time somebody stood up for them and stopped this whole danged circus!!

[snipped]

Where are you getting that Mr. M is in danger of losing his license? Frankly, I think he is an excellent attorney. I do think the civil suit should have been put on hold until after the criminal trial, but it's going forward, so all parties should accept that fact, move forward and get it over with as soon as possible.

IMO it is never good for a client to lose their temper. It baffles me why people hire attorneys and then don't follow their advice.

Now the A's have given contradictory testimony under oath and have set themselves up for a perjury charge. They have shown the world that they both have a quick temper, very little respect for anyone and are willing to perjure themselves for their daughter. Fine, but this also shows that their daughter probably possesses those same traits. Not good, not good at all imo.

 

[SoSueMe]

I couldn't snip your post because it's just too darned good!!

Someone posted about the Z sound a while back. IIRC, it's should be pronounced as an S.

I hope you're right about Cindy being sued. After what she did today, she deserves it!

That may explain why the name on the card at the apartment complex started with a "C" instead of a "Z" and perhaps Zenaida corrected her.

Also, that area on the card is for "Contact Information" so perhaps the lady at the complex simply writes down C - (add contact info here) on all the cards she fills out. Gonzalez can end with a "z" or an "s" so maybe she wasn't sure which one it was. Isn't there an interview with this lady somewhere? Maybe she explains it.

 

[SoSueMe]

This deposition is about ZFG, not Caylee.
And beyond that, GA, CA, and LA are family victims.
This deposition should be a crime, and they shouldn't have had to answer questions about an open criminal investigation. This isn't justice for Caylee. This is harassing, and victimizing Caylee's family. imo

And to be honest I find it very unsettling that I feel alone in this opinion.
Can anyone imagine being in their shoes for even a minute, and how you would act and react to the questions given, and the threats of contempt charges if they don't answer them?

What did these people do to deserve such harsh criticism? They love their daughter, they love their granddaughter. They believed or wanted to believe Caylee was alive, and they believe or want to believe that their daughter couldn't have murdered their own precious granddaughter.
I would do the same. I guess that makes me as bad as them. I'm ok with that quite frankly.
moo

I certainly don't think you are alone in your opinion and feelings for the Anthonys. You may be in the minority, but certainly not alone.

I have felt a lot of compassion for these people but lashing out as they have done cannot be helpful in their pain. In fact, it has probably made their own suffering much worse.

What are the 5 stages of grief? Denial; Anger; Bargaining; Depression; and Acceptance. IMO they are probably entering the bargaining stage with a little bit of the denial and a lot of the anger still mixed in. I think it would be difficult to be in their shoes in that they are not only grieving for the death of Caylee, but that grief is compounded because of KC's involvement.

To deny themselves the truth about their daughter is only hurting them that much more and it makes the public lose patience with them. I think they need to go within themselves and search for the truth and deal with it the best way they can. Each day I'm sure they are in survival mode. I feel like once they get to acceptance they will feel a heavy burden has been lifted.

JMO only.

 

[songline]

I used to like George, and I felt so sorry for him. He really annoyed me today, I thought he was incredibly rude to Zenaida's lawyer. Especially when he was ridiculing the lawyer for not "pronunciating" the nanny's name correctly. How embarrassing for him.

I agree that GA nor CA were less then civilized during this depo.
But I am not so sure I would have been either.
the guy asking the questions was also less then civilized,
and
IMHO he needed to stay with questions about the ZG case.
I think he deserved every bit of attitude that he got.
Unfortunately it is not in the Anthony's best interest to
act the way they did. But that Lawyer was no piece of cake.
He irritated me much worse then the A's.
And we must take in account that by now the A's are broken people.
I do not accept some of the things the A's have done.
I have tried to be in their corner, they are hard to stand up for but
in this Depo it is hard to accept the way the attorney handled it too.

 

[Ada]

I agree that GA nor CA were less then civilized during this depo.
But I am not so sure I would have been either.
the guy asking the questions was also less then civilized,
and
IMHO he needed to stay with questions about the ZG case.
I think he deserved every bit of attitude that he got.
Unfortunately it is not in the Anthony's best interest to
act the way they did. But that Lawyer was no piece of cake.
He irritated me much worse then the A's.
And we must take in account that by now the A's are broken people.
I do not accept some of the things the A's have done.
I have tried to be in their corner, they are hard to stand up for but
in this Depo it is hard to accept the way the attorney handled it too.

Not a lawyer, but, since ZG was accused of kidnapping and subsequently murdering Caylee, then I would think that any question related to Caylee's kidnapping and murder would be relevant.

 

[whiteangora]

I wish that John Morgan had done all of the questioning. He was much clearer when he did ask them and he really has a soothing voice. Didn't he work for George and Cindy as a spokesperson and then quit? If so, you know that he is on Cindy's poop list big time.

As far as I know, Mr. Morgan was never a spokesperson for the Anthonys. Perhaps you are thinking of Mark Nejame?

 

[debbie0604]

I don't mean to be rude in saying this about the A's, but I used to feel alot of compassion and sympathy for them. I truly felt sorry for them. They have endured alot of grief and pain, that God knows we wouldn't wish on our worst enemy. I watched the protesters at their home and thought it was so heartbreaking that people could be so mean. I still feel that they didn't deserve to go through all of the pain and grief that their daughter has brought to them.

However, after watching these depositions this week I realize why their daughter is the way she is. I have always tried so hard to refrain from passing judgement on others, because once a child is grown they should be held accountable for their actions. It is so obvious to me now why KC turned out the way she is. She is the product of her genetics and upbringing. She has been born into a family of lies, secrets and dysfunction. We have witnessed her parents lie many times with LE and in the depositions. CA angrily lied during the deposition about being videotaped by LE and the FBI, and doesn't realize how ridiculous her lies are because anyone whose family is affiliated with LE (as GA was a police officer) knows that their statements with LE will be recorded and/or videotaped.

GA and CA are angry because their statements to LE have been broadcast to the media. They have an attorney who has informed them of the Sunshine Law, and as I remember during GA's interview with the FBI, the agent distinctly told him that in order to find Caylee, he will do whatever is necessary to find his granddaughter, even if it involves doing something to "hurt you" (meaning GA). They were told what LE was going to do, however, CA wouldn't listen, she was too busy "talking over" them.

To me, their depositions showed me the "true colors" of their true character. In them, I see KC. And to me, that's scary. There is no compassion in their heart, if there was they would be trying to help ZG clear her name because they would realize that KC is not doing that. ZG is living in a Motel 6, with no job. JM is asking for donations on his website out of kindness in his heart because she lost her job because of KC. Meanwhile, GA and CA are still living in their home, not working, not disclosing how their mortgage is being paid, and sleeping and eating at the RC (courtesy of a network)...and they're angry (and lying) over answering questions to help to clear Zaneida's name.

It's sad really...no one in that family is supportive of Caylee. GA wears the pin, but it's just for show.

 

[SoCalSleuth]

I agree that GA nor CA were less then civilized during this depo.
But I am not so sure I would have been either.
the guy asking the questions was also less then civilized,
and
IMHO he needed to stay with questions about the ZG case.
I think he deserved every bit of attitude that he got.
Unfortunately it is not in the Anthony's best interest to
act the way they did. But that Lawyer was no piece of cake.
He irritated me much worse then the A's.
And we must take in account that by now the A's are broken people.
I do not accept some of the things the A's have done.
I have tried to be in their corner, they are hard to stand up for but
in this Depo it is hard to accept the way the attorney handled it too.

I think those who are none too pleased with the lawsuit going forward and with the attorneys taking the As' depositions, really are taking exception with the legal system. First, there are two lawsuits here: ZG vs KC, and KC v ZG. They are separate lawsuits that are proceeding together. Even if ZG dropped her lawsuit, KC's separate lawsuit against ZG would still exist. You can't sue someone and then simultaneously ask the court to stay a civil lawsuit you filed pending the outcome of your criminal trial. Actually you can, but it would fall upon deaf ears, as it apparently has here. I don't see KC dropping her own lawsuit. Secondly, the attorneys are entitled to ask witnesses questions pertaining to their defense of that lawsuit which they did here. Third, the most important part of the discovery in any action is getting the witness' testimony while it is fresh. Everyone's memory fades with time. There is no question that the criminal trial is at least a year away to begin with and will be a lengthy trial. It would not be fair to all the litigants, ZG or KC, to wait that long to obtain witness testimony. Fourth, as far as the As being witnesses, yes, initially through no fault of their own, they became witnesses. However, they also took a very active role in speaking to the media--which they did not have to do. In that role, they blamed the nanny--they blamed ZG, and very specifically, they did not exonerate this ZG in the media. The attorneys are entitled to ask about it.
If you notice, their attorney was not objecting to the questions asked. He had no grounds to do so. Finally, relevancy is not a proper objection to a deposition question. Those are the rules of civil discovery. If you don't like it, then you have to ask the legislature to change it--not slam the attorneys for doing their jobs.

 

[ThoughtElf]

<respectfully snipped and bolded>
If you notice, their attorney was not objecting to the questions asked. He had no grounds to do so. Finally, relevancy is not a proper objection to a deposition question. Those are the rules of civil discovery. If you don't like it, then you have to ask the legislature to change it--not slam the attorneys for doing their jobs.

Excellent reminder. I do not know if BC did prep his clients well enough or not; he may have and they may not have heeded his direction. But, I do not think he performed poorly in light of what he could and could not object to.

 

[sunflowerchick]

Am I the only one who feels sorry for George? I understand why JM was asking certain questions, but he could have been a bit nicer. He came off as a complet *advertiser censored** in my book.

I posted about this a while ago in this topic. I completely agree! I thought the attorneys were badgering him, asking him the same stuff over and over again. I mean this is a guy who recently tried to commit suicide for crying out loud.

 

[logic13]

You can't sue someone and then simultaneously ask the court to stay a civil lawsuit you filed pending the outcome of your criminal trial. Actually you can, but it would fall upon deaf ears, as it apparently has here.

If you notice, their attorney was not objecting to the questions asked. He had no grounds to do so. Finally, relevancy is not a proper objection to a deposition question. Those are the rules of civil discovery. If you don't like it, then you have to ask the legislature to change it--not slam the attorneys for doing their jobs.

respectfully snipped

THANK YOU SoCalSleuth!!! Where have you been! LOL! Fantastic post. I have been looking for clarification as to this very point. :blushing:

You make quite a point.... going to have to sit with this point for a while. :waitasec::waitasec::waitasec:

( However... this was Casey initiating the counter suit.. not CA & GA.. so I still cut them some slack... )

 

[sunflowerchick]

I think those who are none too pleased with the lawsuit going forward and with the attorneys taking the As' depositions, really are taking exception with the legal system. First, there are two lawsuits here: ZG vs KC, and KC v ZG. They are separate lawsuits that are proceeding together. Even if ZG dropped her lawsuit, KC's separate lawsuit against ZG would still exist. You can't sue someone and then simultaneously ask the court to stay a civil lawsuit you filed pending the outcome of your criminal trial. Actually you can, but it would fall upon deaf ears, as it apparently has here. I don't see KC dropping her own lawsuit. Secondly, the attorneys are entitled to ask witnesses questions pertaining to their defense of that lawsuit which they did here. Third, the most important part of the discovery in any action is getting the witness' testimony while it is fresh. Everyone's memory fades with time. There is no question that the criminal trial is at least a year away to begin with and will be a lengthy trial. It would not be fair to all the litigants, ZG or KC, to wait that long to obtain witness testimony. Fourth, as far as the As being witnesses, yes, initially through no fault of their own, they became witnesses. However, they also took a very active role in speaking to the media--which they did not have to do. In that role, they blamed the nanny--they blamed ZG, and very specifically, they did not exonerate this ZG in the media. The attorneys are entitled to ask about it.
If you notice, their attorney was not objecting to the questions asked. He had no grounds to do so. Finally, relevancy is not a proper objection to a deposition question. Those are the rules of civil discovery. If you don't like it, then you have to ask the legislature to change it--not slam the attorneys for doing their jobs.

With all due respect, I am not ignorant of the judicial system, and I realize that there are two separate cases (actually more than that, if you count all the criminal ones). I DO take issue with some of the judicial process, HOWEVER, in this situation I mostly take issue with the attorney. I have friends who are attorneys and wouldn't even touch a case like this.

I am not "slamming the attorneys" for doing their jobs, but rather for doing their jobs in an unethical and disrespectful manner in my opinion. Remember the attorney has the right to turn down the client or the case and they should have (my opinion). This case for ZG should never have been pursued. This is ambulance chasing at its finest, again in my opinion.

 

[flyonsweetangel]

I posted about this a while ago in this topic. I completely agree! I thought the attorneys were badgering him, asking him the same stuff over and over again. I mean this is a guy who recently tried to commit suicide for crying out loud.

Sorry then he should of had a physician deem him not fit to withstand a depo, which did not happen.

He was a cop for several years and MOST are so tuff skinned and let me tell you , you have to be in order to do your work objectively cause you see more than most human beings will in their lifetime.

 

[flyonsweetangel]

With all due respect, I am not ignorant of the judicial system, and I realize that there are two separate cases (actually more than that, if you count all the criminal ones). I DO take issue with some of the judicial process, HOWEVER, in this situation I mostly take issue with the attorney. I have friends who are attorneys and wouldn't even touch a case like this.

I am not "slamming the attorneys" for doing their jobs, but rather for doing their jobs in an unethical and disrespectful manner in my opinion. Remember the attorney has the right to turn down the client or the case and they should have (my opinion). This case for ZG should never have been pursued. This is ambulance chasing at its finest, again in my opinion.

I disagree ... if I lost my job because I was accused of this I would call that injustice, if I was greeted by LE coming out of Target with my children I would call that injustice, if I no longer had a place of my own because of this and had to live in Motel 6's I would call that injustice, if the mother of the accused went on TV and didnt clarify that I was not the ZG then I would call that injustice, since I did not know anyone that is involved, therefore how would I defend myself, I would call that injustice.... YES she has RIGHTS and I take my hat off to her for if she didnt stand up, we are all opened to be accused of murder and be in her position!