Casey Anthony attorneys want cap on possible civil case punitive damages

ORLANDO, Fla. — Attorneys for Casey Anthony and Zenaida Gonzalez were back in court Wednesday afternoon for another hearing.

Anthony’s lawyers are trying to limit the amount of money a jury could award Gonzalez in the civil case.

Gonzalez is suing Anthony for defamation after Anthony told detectives a woman with the same name kidnapped her daughter, Caylee.

Anthony is afraid her civil trial could take away hundreds of thousands of dollars she could earn in future book or movie deals, so her lawyers fought to convince a judge not to allow Gonzalez to sue Anthony for punitive damages, according to Channel 9’s Kathi Belich.

Last year a jury acquitted Anthony of murder after she claimed Caylee drowned.

The first judge on the case already ruled the jury could consider punitive damages. The second judge said she'll rule in writing whether to reverse the order.

WFTV’s legal analyst said the civil jury's verdict might not go Anthony’s way.

“It's human nature,” Sheaffer said. “No one wants to believe that someone got away with murder without being punished. There may be a chance to mete out that punishment.”

The civil trial is set for January.

WFTV