Check Fraud Case - Possible Plea Deal

Fysty, I don't think that was a typo.... I think she meant the SA's office was PERSECUTING her.........

Poor little KC... everyone's persecuting her.......

I hope this plea deal involves Casey becoming a convicted felon. Hopefully this helps speed things along so they can still have the murder trial this summer.

Source: Plea Deal Likely In Anthony Fraud Case
Neither Side Will Confirm Deal Has Been Made

POSTED: 10:54 am EST January 18, 2010
UPDATED: 6:09 pm EST January 19, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Some sources close to the investigation said they suspect a plea deal has been struck in Casey Anthony's check fraud case.

A source close to the investigation said they expect Anthony to take responsibility for at least one of the 13 felony fraud counts against her. That will clear the way for both sides to concentrate on much work still to be done before her first-degree murder trial.

The defense team has not asked for more time on the fraud trial, and court administrators confirm the trial will not go on as scheduled on Monday.

Sources said that is a clear sign that a plea deal has been struck.

In a hearing scheduled for Monday, Anthony is expected to change her plea in the check fraud case. A couple of motions from the murder trial are also expected to be heard.

Officially, neither side will confirm that there is a plea deal in the fraud case. And one source said, "Nothing is etched in stone until the judge accepts it."

The check fraud charges are related to Anthony's alleged spending spree while Caylee Anthony was still missing.

Images of the spending spree were captured on surveillance cameras at area Target stores and local banks.

Anthony's friend, Amy Huizenga, said her checking account was drained of about $700 without her permission.

Anthony is charged with the first-degree murder of her daughter, Caylee Anthony.

The remains of the 2-year-old were found in December 2008 in a wooded area near the Anthony home in east Orange County.

Casey Anthony claims a babysitter named Zenaida Gonzalez kidnapped Caylee. The babysitter has never been found or proven to exist.

http://www.wesh.com/news/22264076/detail.html

I really think they are workin on a plea deal. This suprises me greatly! But think about it..... the pretrial motions were set for tomorrow and Jose has not even deposed Amy! I guess we'll see Monday! kh

Bill Sheaffer on the Expected Plea Deal:

http://www.wftv.com/video/22281962/index.html

Court calendar STILL says the trial and the hearing are scheduled as of 11:30 a.m. today. Now they have ADDED a hearing for 1:30 p.m. on TUESDAY, 1/26/10, instead of MONDAY, 1/25/10. This is all pretty confusing...... I guess we will have to just wait and see.

Casey Defense May Bypass Prosecutors On Plea Deal

Posted: 5:42 pm EST January 20, 2010
Updated: 6:31 pm EST January 20, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- It appears Casey Anthony’s defense team is planning to bypass prosecutors and take its chances on a check fraud plea deal with the judge. Between an expected plea and trial delays, it seems like her defense lawyers are doing everything they can to avoid a jury.

BILL SHEAFFER: 1/20 Analysis | 1/19 Analysis
VIDEO REPORT: Plea Deal Expected
CASEY CRIES IN COURT: Video | Images
SLIDESHOW: Casey With Caylee

If Casey's check fraud case were to go to a jury, it would see security video of her at the teller window of the Bank of America on South Conway Road in Orlando, less than a month after Caylee disappeared, cashing a stolen check from her best friend with her friend's forged name on it.

A jury would see Casey Anthony smile at the teller as she took the $250 cash from her best friend Amy Huizenga's checking account. A jury would see Casey at the checkout at Target stores and Winn Dixie with stolen checks, buying her white sunglasses, beer, food, lingerie and even the blue hoodie that she was arrested in.

Casey initially pled not guilty to the check fraud charges, asked for a change of venue and tried to get the judge to drop some of the charges. But now, Eyewitness News has learned, she's planning to take her chances with the judge.

“If you can't do any worse with the judge than what the state has offered you in a plea, then you can do better,” WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said Wednesday.

Sheaffer suspects the defense and prosecutors couldn't come to terms on the issue of adjudication, whether Casey would be adjudicated or convicted. If she were to be convicted, it might limit her option to take the stand during her murder trial, because prosecutors could ask her whether she's ever been convicted and it would damage her credibility with the jury.

The defense doesn't have to take its chances with the judge; it could go to trial. But Sheaffer says taking responsibility for the crime usually brings a lighter sentence.

“You go to trial and your client gets convicted, they're going to suffer a harsher penalty,” Sheaffer said.

The plan for a plea comes on the heels of Eyewitness News reports exposing defense attorney Andrea Lyon's disparaging comments about jurors. On the recording, Lyon bashed judges, female prosecutors, victim's advocates and even called jurors “killers.”

“You can give the killers on your jury, and there are some, the ammunition they need to go after people,” Lyons said while lecturing local lawyers in 2008.

The expected plea is not etched in stone. Anytime between now and Monday afternoon, Casey could change her mind.

“As Yogi Berra said, ‘It ain't over 'til it's over,’” Sheaffer said.

If Casey decides to go to trial, it might start Monday, even though the defense has not yet questioned alleged victim Amy Huizenga under oath. The judge has said in court that her check case would be resolved either with a plea or trial on January 25.

http://www.wftv.com/news/22286349/detail.html

Fraud Guilty Plea Could Work Against Anthony
Back-To-Back Hearings Slated For Next Week

POSTED: 5:02 pm EST January 20, 2010
UPDATED: 5:39 pm EST January 20, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Now that sources said Casey Anthony is on the verge of pleading guilty to bank fraud Monday, prosecutors will be able to use that against in the murder case.

A guilty plea could open the door for prosecutors to impeach any of her statements introduced in the murder trial in which Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the disappearance of her daughter, Caylee Anthony. Caylee's remains were found in a wooded area off Suburban Drive In December 2008.

An Orlando defense attorney said the fraud case is not one Anthony can win. By getting her to plead guilty to multiple fraud counts, he said prosecutors gain a tactical advantage in the murder case.

"If you get guilty to five felonies and suddenly the jury gets the picture this person can't be trusted," defense attorney Richard Hornsby said.

If Anthony goes through with pleading guilty to bank fraud Monday, Hornsby said prosecutors can use that plea to refute any of her statements introduced in the upcoming murder trial.

"That's very important. Even if she doesn't get on the stand and testify, they already damaged her credibility by showing she's been convicted of a felony," Hornsby said.

Hornsby also said he is not at all surprised by talk of Anthony pleading guilty and avoiding the fraud trial.

"She has little to gain by going to trial she doesn't have a valid defense," he said.

Hornsby said the security camera videos are compelling evidence Anthony went on a bad check spending spree on her best friend's account. In doing that, Hornsby said Anthony eliminates any risk of serious jail time if convicted of 13 fraud counts.

"Casey gets peace of mind knowing she doesn't expose herself to 60 plus years in prison if Judge Strickland were to go hard on her," Hornsby said.

The check fraud hearing is set for Monday afternoon, and another hearing has just been set for Tuesday on the defense motion to get more access to the records of Texas Equusearch.

http://www.wesh.com/caseyanthony/22285878/detail.html

Bill Sheaffer: Casey's Defense Team Expected to Plea (Part 2)
January 20, 2010

http://www.wftv.com/video/22285132/index.html

Casey Anthony Case Back In Court Monday

Thursday, January 21, 2010 7:45:21 AM
Reported by Adam Longo

ORLANDO -- Casey Anthony will be back in court Monday, but it won’t be for a trial in her check fraud case.

That case was originally scheduled to begin Monday, and News 13 was the first to learn the trial would not move forward as planned.

Legal experts believe the reason Anthony's check fraud trial won't start Monday is because they said she's ready to change her plea.

Casey has thus far pled not guilty to charges she stole checks from friend Amy Huizenga, cashed them at a local bank and used them to buy goods at a Target store.

While there's no confirmation at all that Anthony plans to change her plea at a hearing on Monday, it wouldn't be the first time a high profile defendant surprised everyone with a plea change.

In November at a pre-trial hearing, former astronaut Lisa Nowak pled guilty to a reduced charge and avoided prison time.

What's not clear with Anthony is if any deal has been struck between her lawyers and prosecutors.

Legal experts said a felony conviction on check fraud charges wouldn't come up in her murder case unless she took the stand.

But does the defense really lose anything with a guilty plea?

That's not all expected to play out on Monday.

Sources said two different motions will be heard by the judge.

The first deals with the Texas EquuSearch group.

Anthony's lawyers filed papers with the court back in November saying, "evidence discovered by the defense shows that statements made by TES (Texas EquuSearch) to the court were inaccurate."

EquuSearch handed over documents stating only 32 volunteer searchers combed through the area where Caylee's remains were eventually found.

The defense found at least two others who offered sworn statements, and News 13 talked to a man in November who said he searched in that area.

Anthony's defense believes EquuSearch hasn't been forthcoming and they are once again demanding all documents relating to the search for Caylee.

The other motion expected deals with Jill Kerley, an ex-wife of meter reader Roy Kronk.

She claims he was physically abusive with her and Anthony’s defense is asking the judge to allow her testimony.

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2010/1/20/casey_anthony_case_back_in_court_monday.html

I say it is a lot of media speculation from their "sources"......

I am content to wait until Monday to see what happens.... it should be interesting.

Fraud Guilty Plea Could Work Against Anthony:

http://www.wesh.com/video/22285915/index.html

Just to refresh everyone's memory, here are the 13 charges against KC in the fraud case:

I wonder if she's gonna plead to the "theft" charge and wants the others dropped...If that's the case I hope the judge doesn't buy it...She should be held accountable for ALL her actions!!!

Snaz wrote:OrlandoEAST, reportedly, is Cindy Anthony....... she frequently posts on this blog:

The rumor mill has gone wild again.

(1) Nothing has been decided as of this time.

(2) Not all people who plea are guilty. Again this was a petty issue (basically a misunderstanding between friends) where every penny of the paltry sum was paid back.

(3) Again, for those of you with an ounce of sense, this petty case was being used by the Persecution to muscle Casey on their baseless murder trial (for which there is no objective evidence).

This petty case is being used as a form of double jeopardy by proxy.

Reply Posted by: OrlandoEAST | Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 6:19 PM

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/01/casey-anthony-will-accept-plea-deal-in-check-fraud-case-wftv-reports.html/comment-page-1#comments

i think this letter sums up to a 'T' why KC is the way she is.... calling STEALING a checkbook and using almost 700.00 dollars in checks that DO NOT BELONG TO YOU ... is NOT what i would call petty... not to mention calling this a "misunderstanding between friends" is a travesty...

the only "misunderstanding between friends" that occurred here was poor amy thinking she could trust KC... what, is CA suggesting that in her allowing KC to use her vehicle, KC believed that anything contained in the car became communal property, and thus BELONGED to KC while she was away??

but i suppose, in the scheme of things... if you knew your daughter KILLED your grandaughter in cold blood, stealing would seem a little petty...