Friday, September 02, 2011

Jose Baez Wants To Stiff Florida For Half Million Dollars

State Of Florida vs. Casey Anthony - Costs Of Investigation Sought

The state of Florida got off to a late start at 10:45 a.m. after scheduling a hearing Friday morning for 10 a.m. seeking a half million dollars in costs associated with the prosecution's investigation of the Casey Marie Anthony murder case.

Anthony was found guilty only of lying to law enforcement officers, but the state is arguing that as a result of her lies, huge law enforcement activities took place from December 2008, until the trial two year later, for which Florida laws make Anthony responsible for paying back.

Three different Florida government agencies were involved in the investigation, the primary expenses paid by the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Orlando, Florida. The FBI declined to participate in cost recovery.

Linda Drane Burdick before bringing witnesses to the stand, argued case law that covers the recovery of costs against convicted offenders. All costs can be recovered she said except salary costs of the court, county clerk, and state attorney. The cost of sheriff's personnel was to be included, except for costs in aiding private search companies in attempts to locate Caylee Anthony.

Chief Judge Belvin Perry must decide if the "cutoff" date for costs is in October when Anthony was indicted for murder or in December when 2-year old Caylee Anthony's body was found in the woods near the Anthony home.

She called Randy Means a representative of the state attorneys office as the first witness who identified invoices for costs of his office, including court reporter costs and expert witnesses. The defense attacked Means about his non-knowledge of the specific charges against Anthony and dates involved in the case.

William Moore testified about phone record searches and electronic surveillance by the Metropolitan (Orlando) Bureau of Investigation, aiding the Orange County Sheriff from July 2008 to October 2008.  The defense attacked overlapping times of case fact discoveries by the Sheriff and his office, insinuating unneeded time was expended by his office.

Jack Massey of the Florida Department Of Law Enforcement testified about agents in all seven Florida regions involved in finding what was believed to be a missing Caylee Anthony. He was attacked for not knowing dates occurring during the investigations. 

Leona Kaylene Talamas of the Sheriff's department answered questions about employee payroll costs during the investigation.

At noon, the Judge recessed the court until 1:30 p.m. The prosecution has one more witness and the defense will then present it's arguments.

Update: In the afternoon session, no witnesses were produced by the defense and only an argument that costs should only be assessed until the end of September 2008 when detectives were convinced the case was no longer a missing persons case, but one of murder. The prosecution believes costs should run until December when the body was found.

Judge Perry, after hearing there was really no case law on the subject, asked what the intent of the Florida legislature was when writing the statute dealing with restitution costs, and suggested the attorneys present briefs on the subject by next Friday, September 9. Perry will most likely rule on the costs by September 23rd.


27 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:36 PM

    CA defense team got there money, she needs to pay up and stop getting special treatment. She was convicted on 4 counts of lying and they would not have spent that money if it wasn't for her.

    Besides there is no way she is indigent because Baez stated that he put $60,000 of the $215,000 in a trust from abc. Plus Mason went on the todays show and stated that CA received many donations from her supporters. Plus she still owes taxes that her defense team should have paid for her when she was in jail instead of putting it in their pocket!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Plus who is paying for her 24 hour bodyguard, college tuition, living expenses etc.

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  2. Anonymous2:40 PM

    Does the state of Florida routinely pursue recovery costs, or is this another example of sour grapes? Talk about throwing everything against the wall to see if it sticks!!! Let the young girl move on with her life. You Floridians all claim that you tire of Casey Anthony, but somehow you cannot just let this thing die.

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  3. The state of Florida does assess restitution/court costs, but this case, being very unusual and unique, called for much greater than normal costs, especially the prosecution says, because Casey Anthony lied at the beginning about the whereabouts and death of her daughter, putting into gear the tremendous investigation costs to find Caylee Anthony.

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  4. Anonymous4:05 PM

    Thanks for the rational, insightful response. My comments are usually met with scoff and derision.

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  5. Anonymous5:51 PM

    Cheney Mason is the poster boy for arrogant defense attorneys who are legends in their own minds. What a bufoon. The people who feel that since Casey Anthony got away with murder she should also get away with not having to follow other punative, lawful actions such as probation and repaying costs should visit their local courthouse any morning at 8:30 am and see the parade of prisoners arrested in their community a day or two before. Get an education as to what is happening in the criminal justice system in this country.

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  6. Anonymous7:23 PM

    Cheney Mason was his usual loud, overbearing self today and I was just waiting for him to "flip the bird" at someone.

    That seems to be his trademark move now a days.

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  7. Anonymous2:32 AM

    Don't all "indigent" criminals on probation have 24 hour security, spiritial and mental health professionals making weekly home visits? Viva la Florida!

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  8. Anonymous3:16 AM

    The bottom line is she lied. The state paid the cost for the investigation, she was convicted of lying. She is responsible for the cost of the investigation. I have faith that Judge Perry will do the right thing, he has been the only one in the courtroom that I have any respect for. The lawyers should all be disbarred

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  9. Anonymous11:35 AM

    Now, let me get this straight. You all expect Casey Anthony to pay the state of Florida $500,000, yet you will boycott any attempt she makes to procure the work required to generate that kind of money(paid interviews, books and movies).
    Is Judge Perry running for reelection? His decision will solely be based upon pandering to the angry, judgmental mob of Central Florida. His idiocy brings to mind George W. Bush waving the flag after the twin towers fell. What little it takes to impress the average American citizen! A monkey could have consoled NYC and the country after 9/11 and a monkey could have presided over the Casey Anthony trial.

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  10. Anonymous12:50 PM

    Of course Casey Anthony is entitled to "special treatment". Would you have her harmed by a crazed, bitter Orlandoan who simply cannot accept the verdict. If anything happens to her, I hope her family and the brilliant defense team bankrupts the pathetic state of Florida.

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  11. Anonymous1:13 AM

    You are a total idiot annonymous( comment before mine)..who cares what happens to Liar KC..did she care when she dumped her baby in a swamp after she killed her..I think not..Go State of Florida and do whats right for once and quit protecting baby killer,,She deserves to rot in H***and take the lying BS so called defense team with you..

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  12. Anonymous1:20 AM

    The LYING THIEVING BABY KILLER NEEDS TO PAY UP>>THIS SLUT HAS GOTTEN AWAY WITH MURDER AND NOW THAT WE STOP ALL HER ATTEMPTS TO DANCE ON CAYLEES GRAVE, MAKING BIG MONEY, THE MORONS RESORT TO SAYING EVERYONE ELSE IS THE LIAR>>>GO AWAY YOU SLIMY DUHFENSE AND STOP PROTECTING YOUR CASH COW>>>EVEN GETS SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR PROBATION.MAKES ME SICK.SHES A BABY KILLER, WHO NEEDS TO BE LOCKED AWAY FOREVER!!!!! KARMA CANT WAIT!!!!!

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  13. Anonymous3:08 AM

    Aww come on everyone - this is Baez's girl you're talking about. He's her "sock puppet" and will hang with her until he gets her the big money deal.

    By the time Casey comes out of hiding, she'll be an obese, haggard old broad, still with no education, no remorse over the loss of Caylee, no money and no Defense team to protect her.

    Karma is patiently waiting for Casey Anthony.

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  14. Anonymous9:32 AM

    The death threats were investigated before her release and were found to be not credible. Still they are not credible, she is in no danger. Baez even said in an interview that America wants to see her, she has fans. So we do believe him when he says she is in danger or when he says she's an icon that people can't wait ti see? They only state she is in danger when they want to hide her location..why? So she can hopefully hold out for that big check. Sour grapes one said earlier...check your facts because the state DOES make convicted people pay the costs back...why should she be different?

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  15. Anonymous10:49 AM

    My point remains...everyone wants Casey to cough up 500k, but will still voice opposition at any effort to raise this amount of cash. She will not earn it waiting tables or working retail, that I can assure you! Hopefully, the previous poster is right, in that she is not in any real danger in Florida. If not, your state will not only risk recovery costs, possibly to the tune of half a million dollars, but also stands to lose much more in a personal injury/wrongful death lawsuit.

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  16. Jayde1:07 PM

    To the anonymous commentor above me. We believe she absolutely Should have to pay back, it is only right! She knew her baby wasn't missing. She was well aware of it and she led So many ppl on a wild goose chase, in vain. People put So much time, effort, and $$ into the hopeful recovery of Caylee. ALL in vain, bcuz of Casey. So yes she should have to pay back, but just bcuz it is agreed upon that for once she needs to be held accountable and pay back that $ does NOT mean we would support any evil means of doing so. And YES it would be evil to make $$ off the MURDER of her child. Anyone with a brain knows this "person" killed her own child! She needs to be held accountable and find a way to come up with the money in a non evil way. And if she ruined her own life and can't get a job somewhere else, WHO'S FUGGIN FAULT IS THAT?!? Do you not believe in consequences for ones actions?? And even if you don't believe she murdered her precious baby, you can't dispute the fact that she let many many people search for her daughter while she knew dam well that Caylee was no longer of this world. She doesn't deserve for anything to be made easy for her, ever, for the rest of her life. She needs to figure it out without trying t sell the public more of her disgusting lies which is what got her in this messin the first place. Actions=consequences. Good or BAD, & she needs to deal w/ that. I hope you might see some sense in what I'm saying. But it is becoming more obvious everyday that common sense does not dwell in us all. Peace&Love2Uall.

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  17. Anonymous1:48 PM

    Well, you cannot have both ways! Either she pays the state of Florida back or she remains indigent because no one will ever offer her gainful employment. Are you hoping that by not meeting her financial obligation, she will be summarily arrested and placed in jail? This is unlikely, given that she can prove that she is unable to obtain work. This is precisely why the department of corrections is allowing her to take university courses online. Her probation officer realizes that the likelihood someone would actually hire Casey Anthony, in any capacity, is pretty remote.

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  18. Disgusted4:44 PM

    Then WHY hasn't she gotten her GED and started her college courses online?????? She's had a month to get started. Because she has no intentions of doing so, she thinks she is special and so do her unethical defense team...... And as far as indigent goes, what did she do with the money she got from TMZ while she was strolling around, by herself, in Ohio last month??????

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  19. Anonymous7:26 PM

    First.. her body was found in AUGUST.. so all costs involved in Caylee's disappearance should stop there. It wasn't Casey's fault that noone paid attention to Roy Kronk.
    Also.. they can't prove that Casey knew where Caylee was.
    The only thing the prosecutors proved was that Casey has a mental illness.. but never proved that she was capable of being anything but loving toward her daughter.

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  20. Anonymous7:48 PM

    I just read something very interesting. I know those of you familiar with the entire Casey Anthony saga will not hesitate to comment on the veracity of the story. It basically claims that Roy Kronk's girlfriend worked for the Orange County Sheriffs Office and that jail officials overheard Casey tell Jose where little Caylee's body could be found. Unable to legally act on this information, due to attorney-client privilege, the OCSO decides to sit on the information. However, Kronk's lady gets the bright idea of having her boyfriend "discover" the remains in order to collect a substantial reward. Have any of you heard this version of events?

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  21. Anonymous12:00 PM

    meme~obviously you and the multitude of Casey haters truly believe that her life will be a hell on earth and you may very well be correct in your assumption. So, why continue to be eaten alive with bitterness and anger. Just take a deep cleansing breath and LET IT GO!
    Disgusted~I understand Casey earned her GED during her stay in the Orange County Jail. This was one of the reasons she was deemed a model inmate. Remember the one meeting she had with a probation officer while still incarcerated? This was one of the conditions she was required to meet.

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  22. Disgusted9:08 PM

    To Anonymous above me....... Sorry but you need to get your facts straight. As of Sept 2, 2011, your bff casey has not completed her GED according to the report from her probation visit, you might want to check out the following link http://www.examiner.com/us-headlines-in-national/casey-anthony-reports-for-probation-says-she-is-unemployed

    to Anonymous under Meme
    According to the unethical Baez, casey was still upset in October of that year because her daughter was still missing,,, I'm sorry but the defense cannot have it both ways and if he knew that Caylee was dead the day she went missing, why did he let casey stay in jail for 3 years????

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  23. Anonymous10:58 PM

    Jose Baez had been dealing with the prosecution from the beginning. He knew that they would not accept the story of an accident...they would have laughed in both Jose and Casey's face. But WHO had the last laugh? JOSE BAEZ. The question one might ponder is why did George let his daughter sit in jail for three years?

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  24. Anonymous11:08 PM

    Disgusted~trust me, I know a great deal about this particular case and inmate. Do not believe everything you read on the internet. Casey absolutely obtained her GED in the Orange County Jail. With no educational materials or preparation, she took the test once and passed with flying colors!

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  25. Anonymous12:43 AM

    Casey Anthony is not getting treated special. The state of Florida is treating her the same way it would anyone else. With the exception of not making her probation place public information. This is not because of Casey, this is to protect 100s of workers from getting shot in the crossfire in case some angry person comes to shoot Casey. How would you feel if your husband or wife were her probation officer? Would that not make you cringe every time she was up for a visit? Scary for many innocent people. Who cares what happens to Casey? The state of Florida does not. It is protecting it's workers. The state is NOT paying for her accomodations at present. I don't know who is funding it, but it's not the state. Anyone can go back to school instead of working. That is available to anyone. This is not rocket science or for Casey only. This is for anyone serving probation.

    The state has no chance of collecting this money. Even if they hold her responsible, she will find a way to never pay. She has no money or will show that she has no money. This will only keep the drama going so to speak. It does no good. She did not ask them to spend the 500,000 to investigate, so they really have no reason to ask for the money back. You don't see them asking for money back from other felons. In fact, after this is cleared up, the state of Florida might end up getting sued by Casey.
    Please don't say I'm Casey's BFF because I hate the outcome of this case. I don't like her and I think she's evil. No justice was served, but we all need to move on.

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  26. Anonymous12:49 AM

    This is not something normal. That is why Judge Perry said theres no case law to make a judement based on. Any ruling will be appealed, just leading to more costs for the state of Florida. It's a no win situation. Pleanty of felons have lied, but yet they are expected to pay up.

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  27. Anonymous12:14 PM

    I'll tell u what people,if I was on that jury we would still b deliberating r HUNG because I would've put her AWAY 4 the tattoo alone !!! Casey Anthony u make me sick,& u will c what people feel about u 4 the rest of ur life...........enjoy u pos!

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