ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.,None — The Orange County jail Friday launched its own investigation into at least one corrections officer accused of helping Casey Anthony exchange letters with her jail pen pal. But Casey probably won't get in trouble for that pen pal, even though the rules of her high-risk solitary confinement were broken.
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The jail's policy places the blame on jail guards for this kind of thing if they were involved, so Casey might not face any repercussions.
Jail guard Silva Hernandez might, though. This happened about a year ago and Hernandez had already been transferred from Casey's building before this came to light.
"Orange County Corrections has started an internal investigation into issues uncovered in an FDLE investigation mentioned in court documents yesterday. The court document indicates that letters or notes were passed between Casey Anthony and at least one other inmate," Allen Moore wrote in a release from Orange County Correction emailed Friday afternoon.
The director of the Orange County jail was told late Thursday to start an internal investigation into allegations that surfaced during the Casey Anthony murder investigation that a jail guard helped Casey and another inmate exchange letters, which is not allowed.
"I think it's very serious. That's not what they're there for. They're there to protect everyone. If they're in protective custody, that's what it means," Orange County Public Safety Director Mike McCoy said.
Casey is in protective custody in the female detention center, Dorm L, which is where jail guard Silva Hernandez worked for a year, starting January 2008 when she was hired. Casey was there at least since October 2008.
Two Inmates In Casey Controversy 031910 A Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found that Casey befriended two inmates in dorm L, Maya Derkovic and Robyn Adams. Derkovic later admitted to choking a 15-year-old girl to death while someone else held her down. Adams was convicted of federal drug charges, along with her husband, a former Altamonte Springs police officer.
Investigators say they have 50 notes and letters Casey passed to Adams, apparently with the guard's help. They say Adams gave those letters to a mysterious third party.
Orange County Deputy Anthony Whitmore was also interviewed by FDLE for as of yet unknown reasons. Whitmore was hailed as a hero almost six years ago for helping rescue a badly injured officer, but has also been investigated twice by his department, once for allegedly stealing a magazine.
Hernandez works at the jail's booking center and will stay there during the investigation. She and any others who might have been involved could face discipline, but probably not criminal charges.
The defense has 14 days left to file a motion if it wants to keep Casey's pen pal letters sealed.
JUDGE GRANTS INDIGENT STATUS
Taxpayers are going to have to pay Casey Anthony's defense bills. The court officially declared her indigent Friday afternoon (read order).
JUDGE'S ORDER: Strickland Grants Indigence Status INDIGENCY HEARING: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Images INDIGENCE DETAILS: Motion | Fees | Application
Casey's lawyers were in court Thursday fighting for the state to pay for their defense. Friday, they got what they wanted.
Casey has already spent $275,000 on her defense. Much of that money came from a TV network deal, but now she's out of cash.
The judge said Friday that he reviewed defense attorney Jose Baez's cost ledger and said Casey meets all the legal standards to be declared indigent for the purposes of cost.
The defense told the judge Thursday it brought in a total of $275,000 for Casey's defense. Baez had already filed paperwork with the clerk indicating he got $90,000 of it for his fee and co-counsel Andrea Lyon got $22,500, but used all of that for expenses, and that he paid public relations woman Marti Mackenzie $10,000.
Behind closed doors, Baez apparently explained how he spent the other $152,500 that was left.
Baez reluctantly revealed Thursday in court that he had gotten $200,000 through Casey's deal with ABC for Casey's photos and videos of Caylee, $5,000 from a donor he didn't disclose and another $70,000 through an unusual contribution from his former co-counsel Todd Macaluso.
Coincidentally or not, Lyon said her DePaul University Law Clinic had raised $70,000 in donations for Casey's defense.
Regardless of exactly how the money was spent, taxpayers will now pay for Casey's experts, investigators, and other costs, which her new lawyer J. Cheney Mason said Thursday could amount to about $200,000. The cost of her lawyers, all of whom appear to currently be working for free, is not covered under this order.
"GAME CHANGING" ATTORNEY INTRODUCED AT CASEY HEARING
At an indigency hearing Thursday morning in the case against Casey Anthony, there was a major shake-up in the defense team. Renowned criminal defense attorney J. Cheney Mason, who is based in Orlando, has now joined the defense team (visit his website).
CASEY ARRIVES: See Images | Raw Video BILL SHEAFFER: Analysis Of Casey Hearing INTERVIEWS: Casey's New Attorney | Jose Baez TEAM COVERAGE: Casey In Court, New Attorney
"I was looking all over for a Perry Mason. The best I could do was Cheney Mason," Casey's lead attorney, Jose Baez, told the media after Thursday's hearing (watch full interview).
Now, Mason will be added to the team assembled by Baez. He's there with death penalty expert Andrea Lyon and former member of the OJ Simpson dream team, Linda Kenney Baden.
"You do not come any larger than J. Cheney Mason," WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said. "He's going after an acquittal, not just to get her off a death sentence."
Mason has 39 years of experience as a criminal defense lawyer and a largely winning record.
"This is the most significant event for the defense since the discovery of Caylee's body," Sheaffer said.
Mason was awarded the highest honor in the country in 2004 by National Criminal Defense Attorneys and has been successful in defending 50 first-degree murder cases.
"He has a great deal of talent and a great deal of credibility," Sheaffer said. "This is a game changer."
Thursday, Mason said defense lawyer Jose Baez asked him to join the defense team and he agreed, saying it will be "fun." WFTV asked him if he's a "game changer."
"I don't know. I guess when a jury says 'not guilty' we'll find out," he replied (watch full interview). "This case is going to be fun to try, and we will walk out of here with Casey in arm. Stand by."
Mason said he's putting off retirement to do this and said he's already amassing a team of others who are willing to work for free, as he is, to give Casey a fighting chance against what's becoming a tougher and tougher case for her.
"In the end, no matter how talented the lawyer is, the facts are what the facts are. He cannot alter those facts. He has to work with them," Sheaffer said.
This isn't the first high-profile case Mason has been involved in. He helped former astronaut Lisa Nowak get a plea that kept her out of jail and a felony conviction off her record. Nowak was accused of trying to kidnap a romantic rival after driving to Orlando from Texas.
Mason also successfully represented Lou Pearlman in cases against boy bands N'Sync and The Backstreet Boys. That was before Pearlman was exposed as a con-man and convicted of cheating banks and investors out of $300 million. Mason dropped out of that case before it ended.
Previous Stories: March 19, 2010: Judge Grants Casey Anthony's Indigent Status March 19, 2010: Casey Celebrates Another Birthday In Jail March 19, 2010: Casey's Jailhouse Letters Could Hurt Defense March 18, 2010: "Game Changing" Attorney Introduced At Casey Hearing March 18, 2010: Judge To Decide If State Will Pay For Casey's Defense March 17, 2010: Anthony's Attorney Denies George Had Affair March 15, 2010: George Anthony Texted Alleged "Other Woman" March 15, 2010: Woman Claims She Had Affair With George Anthony
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