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Legal Analyst On Anthonys: "Like Mother, Like Daughter"

Posted: 5:25 pm EDT April 10, 2009Updated: 6:48 pm EDT April 10, 2009

George Anthony may have to face questions under oath again. Lawyers for Zenaida Gonzalez say they may force him to answer questions he refused to answer Thursday in the civil case against Casey.


LEGAL ANALYSIS: Sheaffer Reviews Depos
VIDEO REPORT: Sheaffer On Depositions
CINDY DEPO: Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Read | Images
GEORGE DEPO: Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Read | Images

The Anthonys are accusing Gonzalez and her attorneys of jumping on the publicity bandwagon. They want to reduce the case to grandstanding to defend their daughter.

But Gonzalez say she's lost her job and her peace of mind after Casey gave her name to investigators and they questioned her. WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer says Zenaida's attorneys were patient and polite, despite the Anthonys' belligerent behavior.

"It makes them look as though there's something to hide," WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said.

Sheaffer watched Cindy and George Anthony's videotaped depositions and told Eyewitness News the Anthonys' behavior is damaging to their daughter Casey's defense against charges she premeditatedly murdered her daughter Caylee two months before her third birthday.

"I'm not gonna answer that," George Anthony told attorneys during his deposition Thursday.

"Very arrogant, very combative," Sheaffer said about George's attitude during the deposition.

Sheaffer told Eyewitness News the Anthonys now appear to be less sympathetic and less believable; if the jury doesn't like them, the jury's not going to like their daughter.

"Can somebody… Uhhhhh! You're not letting me speak," Casey yelled during a video visitation with her parents months ago.

Some comparisons could be drawn to Cindy during her own deposition Thursday.

"I'm answering it and then he cuts me off. That's exactly what the sheriff's office did to my daughter. They never let her speak. You're doing the same thing to me," Cindy told attorneys during her deposition.

But, in fact, investigators let Casey talk for hours and Cindy's deposition was three hours long. They both talk in circles and they both change their stories.

"A jury's gonna look at that quite frankly and say, 'Like mother like daughter. Like father like daughter,'" Sheaffer said.

Sheaffer said it might actually help Casey during the sentencing phase if she's convicted. The jury might feel sorry for her and take her upbringing into consideration.


SHEAFFER ANALYSIS: "ACTS OF DESPERATION"

Casey Anthony said Caylee's mystery nanny, Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, who also goes by the name Zanny, disappeared with Caylee. Then, she insinuated Casey's ex-fiance might be involved. Then Casey's mother told investigators Zanny might be him or even one of Casey's friends. Thursday, Cindy didn't back off of that.


FRUSTRATED CINDY: Lashes Out After Deposition
ATTORNEYS SPEAK: Zenaida's Attorneys' Comments
CINDY, GEORGE ARRIVE: See Images | Raw Video

"I think Zanny could be Amy or Jesse at this point," Cindy Anthony said during Thursday's deposition.

Cindy Anthony repeated under oath Thursday what she said to investigators in August; she first believed Zanny the nanny was real, then that Zanny could be Casey's good friend Amy Huizenga or even her ex-fiance Jesse Grund and Thursday she let those accusations stand.

Sheaffer says, if she does it at Casey's murder trial, she will make her daughter look bad.

"This is where she gets her attitude and her ability to lie with impunity and to hurt anyone who is innocent in order to advance her own cause," Sheaffer said.

Thursday, Cindy said Jesse Grund was actually the first one to mention the name Zanny. George said under oath Thursday he believes Zanny the nanny took Caylee. Even last summer, he told investigators he asked Caylee about Zanny before all this happened and got no response.

"If you asked her how, did you have a good time with Zanny today, there was never any brightness or anything like that come through her," George previously told investigators.

"There was no recognition on her part?" FBI Special Agent Scott Bolin asked George.

"No, none whatsoever," he replied.

Sheaffer says the Anthonys' inconsistent statements make them look deceitful and desperate, which makes Casey look guilty.

"It looks like acts of desperation. These people will say and do and drag anybody down that they have to," Sheaffer said.

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