Exactly how did Jose Baez become Casey Anthony’s attorney and how he is getting paid? Those are the questions that everyone wants answered.
But what people should really be asking is how did Jose Baez become Casey Anthony’s attorney so quickly.
And to get to the heart of the story, you have to go back to the beginning – back to the day Casey Anthony was arrested.
In the beginning there was no Jose…
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Prisoner Transport Jurat, Casey Anthony was officially booked into jail as of 11:40 p.m. on July 16, 2008.
According to the Notice of Appearance filed by Jose Baez, he was officially her attorney of record as of 3:54 p.m. on July 17, 2008.
And just like that, 17 hours later, Casey Anthony had made the life or death decision of who would be her attorney.
A Little Perspective Please
But to help you understand just how extraordinary it is that Casey Anthony “selected” Jose Baez in less than a 17 hour period, it is necessary to put the other events that were taking place during that 17-hour period into perspective.
First she was booked.
She was booked on July 16, 2008 at 11:40 p.m. Assuming that everything went smoothly, booking would take about an hour, possibly two.
Then she had her Initial Appearance.
We are now at about 2:00 a.m. in the morning. Casey Anthony has likely been awake all day and her Initial Appearance (also called a First Appearance) is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. that same morning.
At around 7:30 a.m. (but as early as 6:30 a.m.) the guards would have started waking up the inmates to line them up for Initial Appearance and to fill out paperwork. And it is this paperwork which I think some of you will find very interesting.
What paperwork you ask, none other than financial paperwork; specifically an Application for Criminal Indigent Status.
And while I am sure that those interested in Ms. Anthony’s finances will no doubt pour over the details of her “claimed” income and assets, there are only three pieces of information that I am concerned with:
- As of 8:30 a.m. she was seeking the appointment of the public defender;
- The Clerk of the Court determined that she was indigent; and
- The Office of the Public Defender was originally appointed to represent her.
Considering that Casey Anthony had affirmatively requested the appointment of the Public Defender, it would seem safe to assume that Casey Anthony had not entered into a formal agreement with Jose Baez prior to filling out the Application for Indigency, much less even met him yet.
Because if she had already hired Jose Baez, why even fill out the form. (Unless she really is as diabolical and cunning as some of you believe – I mean she did indicate she had one dependent).
Time keeps on ticking, ticking into the future…
I also know that Initial Appearances take about two hours, so that puts her back into her cell around 10:30 a.m.; thus narrowing the time she had to meet with and select Jose Baez to 6.5 hours.
Not so Fast!
But not so fast my friend. It is interesting to note that the the Notice of Appearance was stamped by the Orange County Clerk of the Court at 3:54 p.m. And you must remember that Jose Baez’s office is in Osceola County. And a little Google Map action shows that it takes 30 minutes to drive from Jose Baez’s office to the the Orange County Courthouse. The obvious inference is that Casey Anthony had actually selected Jose Baez well before 3:00 p.m.
Because after he met with her, he would have had to agree to take on her case and then leave the jail and have someone type up the Notice of Appearance and then file it with the Clerk of the Court.
But even better, there is a drop box where attorneys leave their filings. Which means that it is usually another hour before a Deputy Clerk stamps the filing in. (Only in rare circumstances does an attorney actually asks a Deputy Clerk to stamp a filing in, especially such a routine filing like a Notice of Appearance.)
So it is most likely that Jose Baez met with Casey Anthony sometime between 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.; giving a grand total of 3.5 hours to make the decision of her life.
Simply amazing.
And then there was Jose Baez. Jose Who? Jose Baez, Jose Who? Oh never mind!
Now knowing the likely time period under which Casey Anthony operated when selecting Jose Baez, we still do not know:
- How did Casey Anthony get Jose Baez’s number?
- How did Jose Baez get Casey Anthony’s name?
And in all honesty, I have no answers and am only left with analyzing the most widely suggested theory.
Someone in Jail gave Jose Baez’s Number to Casey
Although this seems like the most obvious explanation, I think it is unlikely. Let’s discuss.
First, when you are initially arrested, you are not immedietly placed into general population, the place where inmates are most likely to have an attorney’s number handy.
Rather the jail keeps you in their Booking and Release unit until they can process you and formerly assign you to permanent housing unit. So it is unlikely that she had sufficient contact with other inmates to even get an attorney’s name and number to call.
Second, even if another inmate gave her Jose Baez’s number, you would expect that inmate to have hired Jose Baez as well. Moreover, because the jail keeps inmates segregated, you would expect that inmate to be a woman.
And while by no means exhaustive, you can exclude this possibility by conducting a search on the Orange County Clerk’s website for all cases that Jose Baez handled from September 22, 2005 (his date of admission) to July 18, 2008 (the day after Casey Anthony’s arrest).
The search reveals he was attorney of record in 54 cases. Of those cases, only 16 cases involved female clients (or at least feminine first names).
And if you examine each of his female client’s cases, you will see that none of them were either:
- Being held in jail awaiting trial, or
- Serving a jail sentence on the day of Casey Anthony’s arrest.
So it seems highly unlikely that a female inmate gave Jose Baez’s phone number to Casey Anthony.
But What if Some Other Dude Did It?
But what if it was a male inmate you ask? Well okay, if you examine each of the male clients that he was representing at the time, you will see that none of those clients were arrested in the week leading up to her arrest date; and the only male inmates she could have had contact with would be recently arrested inmates. So while possible, it is highly unlikely.
My Personal Conspiracy Theory
Wikipedia defines a conspiracy theory as “any fringe theory which explains a historical or current event as the result of a secret plot by conspirators of almost superhuman power and cunning.”
And with that definition as a backdrop, I would like to briefly offer what I think is a more plausible theory of how Casey Anthony got Jose Baez’s number – she had contacted him before Caylee was ever discovered missing.
Why? Because I can not think of any sane attorney who would:
- Respond to a telephone call from a recently arrested inmate within four hours.
- Actually be able to meet with an inmate within four hours of receiving a call (did he not have any other meetings that Thursday or say, court?).
- Agree to take on an inmate’s case, without speaking to a third party guarantor.
- File a Notice of Appearance without first obtaining a very significant down payment from the Third Party guarantor.
I mean think about it, what was the rush? While I can only speculate, let us assume they actually met for the first time on July 17, 2008. I would love to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation, which would have taken place after Jose read the Arrest Affidavit.
- Jose: So let me get this straight? Your daughter has been missing for 31 days?
- Casey: Yeah.
- Jose: And you told the police that Zanny the Nanny kidnapped her?
- Casey: Yeah.
- Jose: And you then lied to police about where you worked when they tried to verify parts of your story?
- Casey: Yeah.
- Jose: And you went so far as to take them all the way to Universal Studios?
- Casey: Yeah, why? Don’t you believe me. Won’t you take my case?
- Jose: Sure, just sign right here on the dotted line. I will then run back to my office in Kissimmee, print out a Notice of Appearance, and then drive back to Orlando and personally file the Notice of Appearance myself because I have nothing better to do today.
Listen, I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I have handled my fair share of cases and I don’t know any attorney this side of Wonderland who would:
- Read an Arrest Report like the one in Casey’s case and then
- Talk to a potential client like Casey who is the subject of that arrest report and then
- File a Notice of Appearance without so much as a smidgen of compensation or guaranteed source of payment.
Be clear, Casey Anthony may have been in a rush to get out of jail. But Jose Baez did not need to rush to take on the case so quickly.
Any attorney worth his salt – let me rephrase that – any attorney period, would have thought long and hard before filing a Notice of Appearance in a case like Casey Anthony’s.
I don’t care how much media exposure the case had AT THE TIME. Nobody knew how big the case would become.
At the time the case was just another “News at 6″ headline.
But if it could be proven that Casey Anthony contacted Jose Baez prior to it being discovered that Caylee was missing; it would be the biggest bombshell in the entire case.
Because it would show beyond all doubt that Casey Anthony had a guilty conscience and sought out a criminal defense attorney for preemptive advice.
But then again, that is just my conspiracy theory. Nothing more, nothing less. Because everyone knows that neither Casey Anthony nor Jose Baez has the super power or cunning to secretly plot out something so diabolical – or do they?
But the Most Likely Explanation
But before I go, I think it is prudent of me to opine as to what I think is the most likely scenario. I ran the above theory by Florida News Network reporter Rozzie Franco.
She in turn asked around and reported back that it was believed Jose Baez had handled a traffic ticket or something of that nature for one of her former boyfriends (Jesse Grund I believe) and it was the boyfriend who asked Baez to go out and talk to Casey.
If true, that makes a whole heck of a lot of sense.
But then again, I still can’t understand why in the world Jose Baez would take on a case of that nature without first asking Casey one simple question:
Hmm, show me the money… Maybe that will be the subject of my next blog post?
maybe they have a list that newbie inmates can look over, of attorneys that inmates can reach, if a person finds themselves in need, and bozo’s name was on it, and she just called the first one..that was male, since we all know socio loves males. Maybe it was in the phone book. I mean after all you do still get that one phone call when arrested don’t ya?
Hmmm maybe his name and number were written on the restroom wall. You know similar to when you see “for a good time call so and so” mixed in with the rest of the grafitti. JK. I suppose someone could have had his card in their pocket or she could have been given his name and called directory assistance. Odd that he was at the jail by 11ish that same morning, just hours after she had requested the services of a public defendor. If it was an ex-boyfriend like Jesse, I guess it will come out at trial?
That all sounds very reasonable, but when you combine the mysterious appearance of Baez onto the scene with the mysterious source of funding you have to conclude that things are just not that simple.
I agree with your bathroom wall idea!
Queen B
You rock! Lmao!
Don’t you mean she has ROCKS in her brain!
Yes ssboobear (can’t bear to type that childish nic). Better than the cotton stuffing that seems to be creeping out of your seams.
The aliens are coming LILY
lily! why you always getting dragged in? You started out so strong on the blogs and i see you deteriorate with every comment. Dont go slugging me, I am actually a closet fan of yours. Stay out of it.
Mr. Hornsby….will you be adding an “ignore” button any time soon??
Chris well put. The “pissing match” is a BIG distraction, who cares? Most of us ONLY care about the Legal aspects of this case that RH presents & the topic presented. Many interesting ideas & information have been shared but the BICKERING is “Imposing” on the rest of us.
Maybe RH would consider a Personal Messaging feature & have the Bickering taken there, & NOT BORE the rest of us with the mindless bullchit.
Judge: No Conflict Of Interest in Casey Anthony Case
http://www.wftv.com/news/19002037/detail.html
Posted: 12:24 pm EDT March 24, 2009 Updated: 5:58 pm EDT March 25, 2009
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — In another legal victory for Casey Anthony’s defense team, Judge Stan Strickland ruled Wednesday there is no conflict of interest in Jose Baez serving as Casey’s attorney. Casey was in court wearing a long-sleeve purple shirt and blue pants (see images). George and Cindy Anthony were also present at the 10:30 am hearing, along with their attorney, Brad Conway.
The hearing was scheduled to discuss a possible conflict of interest and whether the defense has any book or movie deals that could be influencing the direction of the case. In the state’s motion (read motion), it reads, her “seeming conversion from pauper to princess did not come from the sale of some tangible asset.”
Excerpt: “The undersigned’s Retainer Agreement does not contain any clauses allowing him financial gain based on selling the rights to Ms. Casey Anthony’s story, nor are there any other instruments giving Defense counsel or any third party the rights to Ms. Casey Anthony’s story,” Judge Strickland quoted from Baez’s motion.
My question is – did Gil Cabot aka Todd Black and the inactive Aim Production Company of Nashville, TN buy the rights to make a movie as has been rumored? If so, and Gil Cabot is part of the money trail that will eventually help pay the defense, would this not be a “third party” and become “a conflict of interest”? The only way I see “no conflict of interest” is an unknown benefactor who would have no rights to any book or movie deals to help pay the defense “team” or does it simply mean that the Baez team has made no deals, but can profit from those who have?
Richard, looking forward to “Show Me The Money”.
Feel free to read Alessi v. State, 969 So. 2d 430 (Fla. 5th DCA 2007) if you would like to get a taste of where my blog post will be going.
p.s. Footnote 4 is a must read
Should I say, “bring on the ethics inquiry”? I believe I do see where you are going and looking forward to your next blog post.
Richard, do you think that Baez is the best lawyer for this case and do you think that Andrea Lyons will stay the run or will be back for the penalty phase only.
To me he does not the experience, wisdom to defend such a case.
Your opinion would be appreciated.
What do I know? I am just another criminal defense lawyer. And I can’t imagine Ms. Lyon not staying on for the long haul, I really don’t understand why people think she would not. She did not really think she was going to win the death penalty motion, in reality it was a rather routine (although unusual) motion. You go through the motions of filing it just in case you lose and it is one more issue for the appellate court to consider.
Thank you. The fraud trial will be comming up soon. If she is convicted for fraud prior to her murder trial, will they state be able to use this even if the murder was apparently prior to the fraud.
O.K. Does Lyons have to stay the course, if she knows she is not going to get it thrown out. Can Mr. Baez handle this alone or does she have to stay on because it is a death penalty case and he can not try this as he has not enough experience and lastly, do you think that Casey will take the stand. I know everyone is saying the defense would be crazy to let her but she is her own person.
I believe that Ms. Lyon will be involved in this case until the end, whatever that may be.
What happened to all the other Attorneys on record? Did they just “poof”, when Ms. Lyons came on board?
Do you think Casey will testify on her own behalf?
Is it possible that Baez watched the news, believed she deserved a good attorney, and raced to her rescue?
Sure
How are the Anthony’s able to pay their bills? Is Cindy still on disability? Is George working? Who is financing them, and why?
Don’t know, Don’t care. (Just saying.)
hehehe, you are quite a cool dude
Just a note to say……….Loving your blog!!!
Just read “Will the Real Zenaida Please Stand Up?”
Brilliant. Thank you so much.
First, MOST people, except of course, Cindy & George Anthony, KNOWS what “Zanni” really means–come on–can you just imagine how many secret laughs Casey got out of this one every time they uttered “her” name??
OMG, she is just twisted enough to pat herself on the back as she’s had sooo many people (less knowledgeable about street drug names) doing the same, over this so-called “nanny” and truly, it’s, well, absolutely HILARIOUS! (not for one minute do I think this case is, please don’t get me wrong on that!) To FINALLY see it in print for those who aren’t aware of the meaning “zanni bar” = Xannex is well, ABOUT TIME! (and for those who still aren’t aware, Xannex is a Valium on steroids, imho, an extremely strong
anti-anxiety drug that would knock a 3 year old into next year, if not straight into oblivion. Very dangerous to children of ANY age!
AND
One just can’t help wondering, how in heck did she find a name to match her “Zanni the nanny”?
Not to mention, anyone realize how absolutely ludicrous that Casey Anthony herself, alone, decided to utilize the only name that could even half way make any sense AND at the same time, fool those less knowledgeable in the street drug world? (whereupon legit med’s are abused and re-monikered such as poor Zenaida’s “Zanni” has been)
I mean, anyone ever wonder–or ask for that matter, if in fact “Zanni” is a legit nic for the lady’s name???
I would highly doubt it.
In a children’s book, the fictional “Zanny the Nanny” name makes sense and is a fun play on words for the kiddie’s, but in the adult world of real human women, only the sick and sadistic Casey Anthony could feed this BS to Cindy then expect her to not only buy it, but to go around repeating it while sitting back and get herself many a good laugh. (Casey is rarely heard actually speaking said name–I remember only once, in answer to Cindy during a jail house visit–that’s it. Probably, she didn’t want to burst out herself)
When I hear either of the Anthony’s say the name Zanni in the media or an interview, I wonder if they cringe inside. It’s really difficult to tell since these people are so insincere themselves. (Ugh, remembering George announce at his depo that the attorney wasn’t pronouncing it correctly! Why oh Why does he set himself up like that???)
I’d be willing to bet though, that the SA will be using it in the correct context. As previewed on the 11th, they will NOT give Casey Anthony the satisfaction of a secret, inside joke. Because it all comes down to being at the expense of a little 2 year old murdered child. Hey anthony’s:
HER NAME WAS CAYLEE!
Thank You Mr. Hornsby!
I don’t read everyday, but now when I do, I can’t wait to read what you have to say. I’m hooked…… Not only are you so damn smart, but witty. I find your style of literature organized and easy to follow. I have much respect for what you do and all the work that goes with getting your facts straight. I’ll keep reading on……
Mr. Hornsby, isn’t it more important to ascertain the source of the defense funding rather than how and under what circumstances Jose Baez was hired to defend Casey Anthony? The Alessi v. State case was directly on point. Thank you for posting that link.
I find your hypothesis of Casey having already sought out his legal advice, before Caylee’s disappearance was known, to be very plausible. It makes the most sense to me. Who knows how she found him. She could have searched the Internet or looked in the phone book. Does Jose Baez have an ad in the Yellow Pages?
I don’t see Jesse Grund referring him to Casey. Has anyone asked JG if Baez ever represented him? Why would JG need a criminal defense attorney for a traffic violation, anyway? Wouldn’t JG have confirmed this by now? Especially since rumors abound that the defense is considering casting suspicion in his direction.
Does Jose Baez have a daughter who’s a friend or acquaintance of Casey Anthony? That might explain how she knew him, but it could still be that she sought his advice before she told her mother that Caylee was missing.
Really, it’s more important to learn the truth about who’s paying for the defense. Personally, I can’t see a wealthy individual spending one red cent to help Casey Anthony. I don’t know anyone who supports that heartless woman. It makes the most sense that a marketing entity complete with publishing, movie and TV rights to the story is funding the defense. Just because the deal isn’t specifically made with Jose Baez doesn’t mean “the deal” isn’t paying for his services, one way or another.
What a country. Murder your child & throw her body away like trash, lie your ass off about her being kidnapped, thereby wasting the time of hundreds of searchers & law enforcement funds looking for Caylee, destroy a totally innocent person’s name & reputation (ZG), go partying nonstop for a month – “grieving ugly”, steal money from your best friend and go shopping at Target — do all that and sell the story to whatever media/public relations/publishing house/film-TV production company — to defend yourself. It’s just so wrong, there are no words. The defense of this murdering mom is being paid for by marketing her child’s murder. Sick, sick, sick.
It’s amazing how all of societies bottom feeders as yourself have found each other & congregated on RH’s blog. You crawled out from under your respective slimy rocks at the same time…right heckler?
Heckler…you hate an innocent man Richard Grund but defend & seem to be a cult like follower of the subhuman garbage that are attempting to frame Rev Grund, his wife & son Jesse Grund for the murder of Caylee Anthony.
Well, not just them since you brought it up…how about Roy Kronk, Zanaida G, Tony Lazzaro, Ricardo M, Amy H, Anthony M, and other ppl some who don’t even exist say like Juliette Lewis…lol…she’s an actress who’s never met whore face. Brandon Snow, Jeff Hopkins…anyone who breathed near the Anthonys are subject to getting framed for murder.
Heckler…you deserve a medal for being an observant & shrewd judge of character….just gotta love them Anthonys don’t you…wtf…lmfao!!
LOL
I said I don’t like him,not that I HATE HIM.
Oh and I did say bringing up Jesse was a bad idea.
I also said to me THE WHOLE WHO HIRED BAEZ is something I do not care about and frankly never discussed.
Go read TOPIX ok,the most WIGN has said about REV GRUND or Jesse is I think they are twits.
Go bully someone else,I knew if anyone brought Jesse up RG”S MINIONS would be on it like flys on ……….well you know!!
Mr. Hornsby,
I greatly appreciate the time you’ve been taking to maintain your blog and answer questions at Websleuths. It’s immensely helpful to have a central Florida criminal defense lawyer explain the relevant Florida laws and offer theories about legal strategies.
I’m as curious as everyone to know how Jose Baez came to represent Casey.
On page 20 of George Anthony’s July 24, 2008 OCSO interview, Sergeant John Allen asked George how Jose Baez came to be Casey’s attorney:
George: . . . I, I, I don’t like this freaking attorney that she has. I can tell you that right now from, from personal experience. I don’t like the guy.
John Allen: How’d y’all get that guy? How’d he come about?
George: My, my daughter talked to someone when you guys initially incarcerated her. And I guess, who she ever talked to, you know, according to my daughter now, this is what Mr. Baez told me, or Jose – I’ll just call him that – says, told, uhm, Jose Baez, “Oh, I asked someone, ‘Who’s a good attorney?’” And she has five thousand dollars supposedly, or at least fourteen hundred of it, to give him as a retainer to assist. We did not contact this man. We initially, when he came to our, called us, we thought he was a court-appointed attorney.
*****
During a 9:00am video visitation on July 25, 2008, Lee asked Casey how Baez came to be her lawyer (Part 1, starting at 7:40):
Lee: How did Jose become your attorney?
Casey: It just kind of happened at random in booking. I heard a couple people talking about attorneys, things like that, and they just flat-out asked me if I had anyone yet, and I said, “No.” And his name came up, and I was like, “Well, if he’s good, could you do me a favor and pass my name along?” So, he came and saw me the next day. It was like immediately, right after I saw the judge, so . . .
Lee: So, was it an inmate, was it a corrections officer?
Casey: It was an inmate, and there was three other people that confirmed it, so . . .
Lee: Okay. So that’s kind of how that happened. That makes sense, then, because from what I could find out, I didn’t think he was court-appointed.
Casey: No.
Lee: Okay, okay.
*****
On July 16, 2008 Casey Anthony was picked up from her parents’ house shortly after noon and taken to Universal Studios for the purpose of showing the detectives her office. After admitting she was not employed, she was interviewed by Detectives Wells, Allen, and Melich from 1:20-2:25pm. Following the interview, she was taken to an OCSO vehicle and shown photos of women named Zenaida Gonzalez, all of whom Casey rejected as the kidnapping babysitter.
She was then taken to the OCSO Central Operations Center at 2500 West Colonial Drive and offered a chance to provide information that would help find Caylee. She did not and was arrested at 4:33pm although according to Yuri Melich’s November 5 investigative report, she was not taken to the OC Branch Jail until later that evening.
As you noted in an earlier comment, inmates are processed at the Booking and Release Center, located in the OC Corrections Complex on John Young Parkway. According to the OC Inmate Handbook, booking involves being searched, fingerprinted, photographed, showered, issued jail clothing, an identification card, assigned a jail number, and provided a preliminary medical/mental health screening. During booking, possessions are collected, inventoried, and stored. Inmates are advised of the charge(s) against them and given bond information. They are also allowed to call their attorneys, families/friends, and bonding agencies.
At 11:16pm, Casey called her parents’ house for a 13-minute phone call, and during the call, she said she had been at the jail since 8:30pm and just prior to calling the Anthony residence, she had watched a live local news broadcast that took place outside the Anthony residence (Cindy was interviewed during the broadcast and Casey could see Mallory Parker’s car parked in front of the house).
Cindy: Casey?
Casey: Mom, I just saw your nice little cameo on TV.
(snipped)
Casey: I know Lee is at the house. I saw Mallory’s car was out front. It was just on the news. They were just live outside the house.
(snipped)
Casey: Again, I’ve only been in jail since about 8:30 tonight. I was with them all day. I know that I was with officers pretty much since 9:00pm last night up until this evening when I came up here.
*****
According to Christopher Stutz, Casey tried to call him twice from the jail around 11:30-11:45pm. He refused both calls.
*****
At 11:40pm, Casey’s Prisoner Transport Jurat was time-stamped.
*****
Casey’s Prisoner Transport Jurat was not time-stamped until 11:40pm, yet she claimed she had been at the jail for almost three hours when she called the Anthony residence at 11:16pm. Just prior to calling her family, she watched a local news broadcast. If 11:40pm was when Casey’s booking process began (per the 11:40pm time-stamp), then is it possible she was mingling with other arrestees in a communal area for a few hours after her arrival at the corrections complex? Could that be when she had the alleged conversation with other inmates about attorneys and asked another inmate to contact Jose Baez on her behalf?
I have yet to have an incarcerated client call me on behalf of a person who was JUST arrested, much less a random inmate. Remember, at the time she was being booked she had no reason to believe she would be unable to bond out.
And one other thing, most people who find themselves in jail do not think the attorney who negotiated their stay there is a good attorney – they blame that attorney for them being there.
And even if these were random inmates who had not used Baez, why in the wold would they recommend an attorney whose primary practice is in another county (Osceola).
Trust me, there are a number of other Orlando based attorneys who troll the jail for clients that would have been “recommended” by greased inmates.
Still not buying it. I just could not imagine getting a collect call from another inmate saying, YO Hornsby, I got this chick here who needs an attorney. And I would be like, you know what, I have nothing else to do today – Thursday – no court, not potential clients, no bowel movements I would like to take care of. Let me drive from Osceola County to the Orange County jail to visit this crazy chick an inmate just called me about
You make very good points, but then I don’t understand how Jose Baez picked up Nilton Diaz and Mayor George Gant as clients.
Jose Baez was admitted to practice law in Florida on September 22, 2005. According to Sunbiz, The Baez Law Firm was established on December 5, 2005 in Kissimmee, Osceola County, FL.
In February of 2006, Nilton Diaz, a Lake County man, was arrested for killing his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter, Noeris Vazquez, the granddaughter of legendary Puerto Rican boxer Wilfredo Vazquez. The child died on February 11. Diaz was arrested on February 15. Jose Baez filed a Notice of Appearance on February 22, exactly five months after being admitted to the Florida Bar (Min So was Diaz’s original lawyer until Baez took over).
From what I’ve read, the case was closely followed in the Puerto Rican community because of Wilfredo Vazquez; I do not know how heavily the case and trial were covered by central Florida news outlets, but it was without a doubt a case that got media coverage.
Kissimmee Mayor George Gant was arrested in early July 2005 – more than three months before the Florida Bar admitted Jose Baez to practice, and yet Baez was one of Gant’s lawyers preparing for a 2007 trial before the charges were dropped.
How do you think Jose Baez, who was denied admission to the Florida Bar for eight years following his 1997 graduation from law school until he could satisfy Florida’s required character and fitness standards for practicing law, get those high-profile cases?
ITA with you FairWitness!
There really should be laws against this–not just after conviction, but before as well!!!
Immediate family members should also be exempt from making money. The Anthony’s no doubt would funnel it over to her defense if Casey should she not be able to wheel and deal for herself.
Cyn
“There ought to be a law!” Trust me on this one, we have enough laws.