Follow us on

Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012 | 4:58 p.m.

Updated: 6:26 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, 2008 | Posted: 4:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, 2008

Attorney John Morgan Says He Plans To Question Casey Anthony

 

ORLANDO, Fla. —

It seems everyone who gets their hands on the Casey Anthony case ends up either fired or disgraced. Last week, Hollywood spokesman Larry Garrison was fired for taking money from a TV network. Then, bounty hunter Leonard Padilla was asked to take a lie detector test after he set off a false alarm in the search for Caylee's body.

Then there's mystery public relations man Todd Black. He slipped up on national TV and acknowledged Caylee is dead.

JOHN MORGAN SPEAKS: Watch Full Interview VIDEO REPORT: Padilla Leaves Central FloridaCASEY SUES ZENAIDA:Read Full DetailsPADILLA TALKS:Has Theory On Caylee's DeathMESSAGE BOARD:Case Against Casey AnthonyARCHIVE: Previous Reports On Anthony Case

Casey's lawyer, Jose Baez, has been criticized by other lawyers for making mistakes. High-profile Orlando attorney John Morgan told Eyewitness News on Monday he's dealing with one of those mistakes now (watch full interview).

Eyewitness News broke the story last week when Casey's defense team filed a civil countersuit against a woman named Zenaida Gonzalez (read report | read lawsuit). Casey's attorney told Eyewitness News he wants money for attorney's fees.

Legal experts say, if Casey files a countersuit, that means she will have to take the stand and that could be used against her in the criminal case. Morgan says he is surprised by the recent counterclaim Casey Anthony's attorney filed last week.

Gonzalez filed a defamation lawsuit after Casey Anthony named her as the babysitter who took Caylee. Anthony is now seeking damages, a move that will put Anthony on the stand and could hurt her criminal case down the road.

"I think they are putting their client in a position they may be sorry later," Morgan told Eyewitness News.

Anthony claims Gonzalez is not the Zenaida Gonzalez she was talking about and says the suit is frivolous.

"When you are fingered as someone who has murdered or kidnapped a child and we can connect the dots, I don't think anyone in America thinks that's frivolous," Morgan said.

In the claim, Anthony's attorney asks for damages and legal fees. Morgan says there are deficiencies, because the motion does not state a reason why Anthony should get any money.

"Zenaida thinks this is more insult to injury," Morgan said.

In fact, legal experts told Eyewitness News the motion that Anthony's attorney filed is not even a countersuit, but really a motion to dismiss.

"I don't think I ever read anything like it in my 25 years of practice," Morgan said.

PADILLA TO TAKE POLYGRAPH IN CALIFORNIA

Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla has left Central Florida. Eyewitness News spoke with Padilla Monday morning to confirm that he's back in California where he says he will take a lie detector test.

Investigators wanted Padilla to take the test after his divers discovered a bag of toys in the Little Econ River at Blanchard Park last week as they were searching for the body of Caylee Anthony. The toys turned out to be nothing of significance in the case.

Padilla also said he'd like to send divers into the water again later this week, but the divers have to wait to get permission from the park.

PADILLA KICKED OUT OF PARK

Meanwhile, Padilla was ordered out of Blanchard Park for the weekend, where he had organized a team of divers this week to search the Little Econ River for Caylee's remains. There were no divers in the park Saturday or Sunday.

Padilla had his paid scuba divers back in the water searching for Caylee Anthony's body Friday. A day earlier, Padilla's team set off a huge false alarm when they claimed they found bones in the Little Econ River (see map).

Eyewitness News spoke at length with Padilla on Friday (watch full interview) and he said, despite Thursday's drama and the fact his divers found nothing Friday, he is more convinced than ever that Casey Anthonhy dumped her daughter's body in the river at Blanchard Park.

As gators circled below and vultures soared above, volunteering Blackwater Divers spent another day in water bounty hunter Leonard Padilla insists is Caylee's current resting place

"The day after we got [Casey] out, she sits down and she's talking to me and says, 'I went to Blanchard Park and Zenaida and her sister Samantha were there and they took the baby away from me,'" Padilla told Eyewitness News on Friday. "In the reports, she mentions Blanchard Park eight times."

Plenty of the curious were camping out at Blanchard Park, which has turned into the new Hopespring Drive, where the Anthony family lives.

A hodgepodge of postal packing tape, leftover crime scene tape and ski rope marked the makeshift staging area Friday where Thursday divers handed detectives a dud of a lead. Now they want Padilla to take a polygraph.

"What do they want to ask you? Did you set up some evidence in the middle of the water so you could go out there and have all the cameras in America focused on you? Do you think they think you did that?" WFTV reporter Steve Barrett asked Padilla.

"That's what I think, yeah," he replied.

FBI agent are supposed to contact Padilla to schedule the test and Friday wondered out loud about why others in the case declined lie detectors.

"It would have been great if Casey, Lee, Cindy and George would have taken a lie detector test," he said (watch full interview), referring to the Anthony family.

Also Friday, Padilla dropped a new theory involving the Anthony family pool. He believes, after Caylee die from a chloroform overdose, Casey put her body in the swimming pool to test the buoyancy of her body and then used the neighbors shovel to fish Caylee out of the pool before putting her inside a garbage bag.

ANTHONYS HIRE NEW SPOKESPERSON

The Anthony Family has hired a new spokesperson. Eyewitness News looked into their new spokesperson Michele Bart's background and found out she owns a company based in Washington State called Helping Heroes Productions, Inc.

The company works for non-profit groups, hospitals and private companies. Bart said she's working on behalf of the group Kid Finders for free.

"I'm doing this to bring home a child that that gives me sleepless nights. I'm not here for personal gain, I don't even speak about my company, I speak for Kid Finders network," she said.

Last week, the Anthonys fired Larry Garrison when they found out he secretly profited from their appearances and family photos.

ANTHONY FAMILY CONTINUES TO HOLD VIGILS

The Anthony family still hopes that caylee is alive, despite evidence showing the little girl is dead. Sunday night the family held a prayer vigil at the Eastside Baptist Church.

While it was open to the public, news cameras were not allowed inside. The family said it will continue holding weekly vigils until Caylee is found.

ANTHONYS ATTEND KID FINDERS EVENT

George and Cindy Anthony were the main attractions Saturday morning as they met volunteers wanting to search for their missing granddaughter, Caylee.

The Anthonys attended an event for Kid Finders, the organization that is trying to find Caylee Anthony, who has been missing since early in the summer and whose mother is jailed on first degree murder charges in connection with the disappearance.

At Saturday's function, the Anthonys were helping Kid Finders gather a list of volunteers they can contact at a later date and determine how those volunteers can help in the search for Caylee, who the Anthonys maintain is still alive.

In an interview, Cindy stressed that the effort requires more donations so that Kid Finders can keep up the search.

Previous Stories: November 17, 2008: Padilla Back In California To Take Lie Detector Test November 17, 2008: Casey's Attorney Files Counter-Claims Against Zenaida Gonzalez November 15, 2008: Anthonys Greet Volunteers, Ask For Funds At Kid Finders Event November 14, 2008: Casey's Attorney Inspecting Her Car At Sheriff's Office November 14, 2008: Padilla Agrees To Polygraph Test As Search Resumes November 13, 2008: Detectives Say Dive Team Did Not Find Caylee's Bones November 13, 2008: Anthonys Say Spokesman Was Paid For Photos, Videos November 12, 2008: Anthony Family Fires Their Own Spokesman November 11, 2008: Bounty Hunter Holds Prayer Vigil For Caylee November 10, 2008: Tempers Flare When George, Cindy Arrive At Search Scene

 

Advertisement

Ads By Google

Advertisement

Links We Like
 
 

© 2012 Cox Media Group. By using this website, you accept the terms of our Visitor Agreement and Privacy Policy, and understand your options regarding Ad Choices.

 

View mobile site