ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.,None — The parents of accused murderer Casey Anthony have hired new attorneys. Mark Lippman and Jennifer Craddock, from the Lippman Law Firm, are now representing the Anthonys.
The announcement of their new attorneys came after the departure of their last attorney. Earlier this month, the Anthonys' former attorney Brad Conway resigned. He said in an e-mail that Casey's defense attorneys made false statements about him in relation to a dispute over Texas EquuSearch records.
Before Conway, Mark Nejame stopped representing the Anthonys, in part, because they would not follow his counsel while searching for Caylee.
Lippman told WFTV on Thursday that he will be more conservative in how he represents the Anthonys. Lippman says he will not be doing a lot of national television interviews.
WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer says the biggest challenge for both attorneys is controlling their clients.
"They must get their clients under control. They must get their clients to listen to their advice and as we have seen thus far, there hasn't been a lawyer that's been successful in doing that," Sheaffer said.
Lippman says he represented the Anthonys during their recent home foreclosure case.
Sheaffer says regardless of whom the Anthonys have represent them, they are still witnesses in their daughters case and will testify when it goes to trial next May.
CASEY'S DEFENSE WANTS TO BLOCK RELEASE OF DOCS
Casey Anthony's defense team filed a new motion late Tuesday afternoon asking Judge Belvin Perry to block certain documents from being released to the public.
READ: Motion To Block Documents
Jose Baez says the Orange County jail has been releasing Casey's commissary purchases to the media. He calls the information "ridiculous" and says it will poison the potential jury pool.
The defense also wants Chief Judge Belvin Perry to reverse any prior rulings relating to public disclosure.
ATTORNEY NO LONGER REPRESENTING CASEY'S PARENTS
The attorney representing Casey Anthony's parents said that her lawyers made false statements about him, so he resigned Monday. Brad Conway said in an email that a motion filed by the defense earlier this month contains untrue allegations involving him.
NEWS CONFERENCE: Defense On Conway's Resignation VIDEO REPORT: Brad Conway Resigns
Casey's lawyers, Jose Baez and Cheney Mason, defended their statements about Brad Conway during a press conference Monday afternoon.
"We just want to be as thorough as we possibly can and, unfortunately, we're going through, as they say, 4,000 documents without a pen or a notepad. I see all of you have notepads here today. Why? So you can remember what was said and what was done here. Well, we simply wanted the courtesy to do the same and that's why we proceeded the way we did," Baez said.
The motion deals with records from the volunteer group Texas-based EquuSearch that searched for Caylee's remains. The defense was ordered by the court to keep their notes about the Texas EquuSearch records to themselves, so they don't do to volunteers what they tried to do to former meter reader, Roy Kronk. Kronk, who found Caylee Anthony's remains, was publicly accused of being Caylee's murderer.
George and Cindy Anthonys' second free attorney quit on national television Monday and slammed their daughter Casey's defense team, as well as the Anthonys.
"I have no choice. I've become a witness now to pleadings that have been misstated. As an officer of the court, I can't stand by and knowingly participate in something that is false," Conway said.
Conway got caught up in Casey's fight for greater access to Texas EquuSearch records. He said the defense and the Anthonys made false statements about how he got to see those records and the defense claimed he had greater access than it did to the records.
EquuSearch wanted more restrictions placed on the defense to keep what they see to themselves, instead of trying to use the information to publicly smear the search volunteers or divulge personal information about them.
EquuSearch attorney Mark NeJame says he was able to get that assurance Monday, that the defense is barred from disclosing the private information.
The defense called a news conference late Monday afternoon to dispute Conway's claims and try to claim victory over the EquuSearch records.
"With this process there will no longer be remaining issues as to whether or not the defense receives fair treatment," defense attorney Cheney Mason said.
Conway is the fourth attorney to leave the Anthony camp.
In November 2008, Mark NeJame stopped representing Casey's parents, in part, because they wouldn't follow his counsel while searching for Caylee. Then, this past April, Todd Macaluso withdrew from Casey's defense team because he had been disbarred in California. Last month, death penalty specialist Andrea Lyon left the Casey defense team over financial concerns.
CINDY SAYS SHE'S NOT CONVINCED CAYLEE IS DEAD
Casey Anthony's parents spoke out on a national morning show Friday to discuss the case against their daughter and Cindy said the forensic evidence hasn't convinced her that Caylee is dead.
"There's a lot that doesn't make sense to me. There's nothing, I have not been able to find anything in it that actually proves that it's Caylee's," Cindy said on The Today Show.
Cindy and George Anthony celebrated what would have been Caylee's 5th birthday on Monday.
"Just reminisced, cried, tried to think about all the good things that little girl brought into our lives every single day," George said.
The Anthonys say they're still waiting to find out what really happened to their granddaughter more than two years after she disappeared.
"We've always said, we wanted to find out what happened to Caylee, no matter where the road or the path takes us," George said.
Cindy said she isn't ignoring the possibility that Casey was involved in Caylee's death.
"Can I see that Casey panicked, maybe something happened? I can see, you know, something happening," Cindy said.
"I don't want to believe that she's responsible for it. I don't want to inside believe that. If that's being in denial or something, then maybe I'm in a part of denial with that," George said.
But Casey's parents said they will stand behind their daughter throughout her murder trial.
"I'm going to stand behind Casey because, number one, I'm her father. I want to find out what happened to Caylee, I do. I mean, that's what I want to find out. So does Cindy," George said.
Cindy said she would not change much about her frantic 911 call that will be heard by jurors at Casey's trial. She said she was panicked that day, but said she would probably not have said Casey's car smelled like a dead body.
DEFENSE TO QUESTION MEDICAL EXAMINER
Defense attorneys are scheduled to question the medical examiner under oath Friday. Casey's lawyers are scheduled to depose Orange County's chief medical examiner, Dr. Jan Garavaglia.
Dr. G first ruled that Caylee had been murdered, but could not determine the manner of death.
Defense lawyers may also question Casey's ex-boyfriend, Tony Lazzaro.
CASEY OWES THE JAIL MONEY AGAIN
Casey Anthony owes the Orange County jail some cash, because she's spending more money than people are sending her.
WFTV checked jail records and, as of August 12, Casey owes $9.94.
Casey's family deposited $140 into her account two weeks ago, but it has all been spent on items from the commissary and her daily meals.
CASEY MAY HAVE LICENSE SUSPENDED
The Orange County clerk of courts filed paperwork on Saturday requesting that Casey Anthony's driving privileges be suspended. She could have her driver license taken away for not paying court costs in her civil check fraud case.
According to records, Casey still owed $381.00 as of August 11, 2010. Her case was sent to a collection agency.
The clerk has requested the Florida DMV suspend her driver license until the full amount is paid.
DEPOSITIONS CANCELLED BY CASEY'S DEFENSE
Casey's defense team was scheduled to question more witnesses under oath Wednesday, but the depositions were cancelled.
Her attorneys were suppose to depose Casey's ex-fiance, Jesse Grund and his father, Richard Grund.
Casey's parents, George and Cindy Anthony asked detectives to investigate Jesse Grund as a possible suspect. Casey claimed she didn't trust him.
Investigators from the medical examiner's offices were also supposed to be questioned.
Previous Stories: August 24, 2010: Casey's Defense Wants To Block Release Of Docs August 23, 2010: Attorney No Longer Representing Casey's Parents August 13, 2010: Cindy Says She's Not Convinced Caylee Is Dead August 12, 2010: Casey Anthony Owes The Jail Money Again August 11, 2010: Casey May Have License Suspended Over Owed Fees August 10, 2010: Letters, Emails, Docs Released In Casey Case August 10, 2010: Baez's Prison Conversation With Inmate Released August 9, 2010: Caylee's 5th Birthday Remembered August 6, 2010: Judge Denies Casey's Death Penalty Motions August 6, 2010: Casey Case Emails Show Plan To Sell Made Up Stories August 5, 2010: Letters: Cindy Wrote To Casey About Courthouse Fall August 2, 2010: Casey Defense Motion On Jail Call Denied July 30, 2010: Roy Kronk Questioned By Casey's Defense Team July 30, 2010: Jose Baez May Lose $670K Kissimmee Home