Andrea Lyon Leaves Defense Team

Funny Snaz, I guess not.

Who is going to "mother hen" hug Casey in court now?

This might be the wrong thread,

Casey Anthony: She had one visitor in last 3 weeks, WESH reports

posted by halboedeker on June, 28 2010 5:41 PM

WESH-Ch. 2 tonight looked into whether Casey Anthony has been shut off from the outside world at the Orange County Jail.

Of course, many viewers may not care, but the report contained an interesting bit of news.

“The only visit she’s had in more than three weeks is from a mitigation specialist who works for the defense,” WESH’s Bob Kealing reported. “Basically, it’s her job to go in, interview Casey repeatedly, construct a life story to where if she is convicted, it will help the defense argue for life instead of death.”

Will there be an Anthony family reunion at the jail?

Kealing reported that George Anthony had tried to visit his daughter in December, but was talked out of it by her defense team. Casey Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

Attorney Richard Hornsby, who offers legal analysis for WESH, questioned keeping the family away. “If Casey doesn’t want to see her parents, well, then it’s the right move for her,” Hornsby said. ”But I just can’t imagine that that’s what she really wants.”

Ah, what Casey wants — that will keep people speculating.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/06/casey-anthony-she-has-one-visitor-in-last-3-weeks-wesh-reports.html

Andrea Lyon’s Body Language Indicated She May Not Have Believed Casey Anthony, So It Comes As No Surprise She Is No Longer on Casey’s Team. Are There More Reasons for Her Departure?

July 1, 2010

ANDREA’S BODY LANGUAGE SAID IT ALL

A while back I wrote a blog detailing Andrea Lyon’s body language and what it said about her relationship with her client Casey Anthony. In my view Andrea gave off many body language cues that may have indicated she may not have totally believed her client. In fact the following link takes you to the original blog I wrote on Andre Lyon.

http://drlillianglassbodylanguageblog.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/casey-anthony-attorney-andrea-lyons%E2%80%99-body-language-on-the-today-show-shows-her-fear-that-casey-will-be-sentenced-to-death-and-that-she-may-believe-that-%E2%80%9C-casey-killed-her-kid/

Now there is word that she left Casey’s defense team. The reason she apparently gave was because of financial issues. While that may certainly be a possible factor in this economy, to me it doesn’t seem like it is the only reason she is leaving the team.

Read more:
http://drlillianglassbodylanguageblog.wordpress.com/

I'm not sure that Lyon would have made much money through a book deal after all is said and done with Casey Anthony's trial but she would be in demand as a speaker about it and would have more than recovered the costs.

Snaz, I do agree with your excellent points but just can't see why AL would leave since she has worked so hard in trying to get Florida to drop the death penalty even before this case came along. This case would have helped her in acheiving that. She was raked over the coals by the legal community and the medias for taking on Ryan's case but she stuck with it.

Snaz, here is a link to a statement analysis of Baez' response to AL's departure:

Statement Analysis

There is a link in the article that will tell of the analysis done on AL and her relationship to Casey Anthony. You may very well be right, her reputation was at stake. I'm just having a hard time buying that, though.

Updated Orlando Sentinel article:

Death penalty expert Andrea Lyon leaves Casey Anthony defense team

By Anthony Colarossi, Orlando Sentinel
7:36 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2010

Casey Anthony (center) receives a hug from attorney Andrea Lyon as attorney Jose Baez (right) prepares to leave the courtroom after a hearing on May 11, 2010. (Red Huber, Orlando Sentinel / May 11, 2010)

Chicago attorney Andrea Lyon, who joined the Casey Anthony defense team to fight prosecutors' desire to seek the death penalty for the 24-year-old Orlando woman, is no longer on the team.

Lead Anthony attorney Jose Baez confirmed that Lyon has left the defense because of financial issues. He filed paperwork with the Orange County Clerk of Court's office late Wednesday reflecting Lyon's departure.

"We're sad to see her leave, but we completely understand that it's a fiscal reason," Baez said.

He said Lyon will remain "fully accessible to us if we need her at any time."

Local attorney Cheney Mason, a veteran of high-profile murder cases, remains on the team, and Baez said, "You're really not going to notice any difference in the way the team operates."

Casey Anthony's defense will not be jeopardized by the departure, he said.

"She [Lyon] would not have left if she felt it would affect Casey. I know that," Baez said.

Lyon was not immediately available for comment. An outgoing message on her office answering machine said she would not be receiving her voice messages.

In late May 2009, Lyon, a nationally known death-penalty attorney, joined Casey Anthony's defense team.

At that time, her team needed to find a qualified death-penalty attorney who met the state's criteria — which includes five years' trial experience and service as lead attorney in at least nine state or federal jury trials of serious or complex cases.

By then, Lyon, a DePaul University law-school professor, had handled more than 130 murder cases and more than 30 potential capital cases.

Terence M. Lenamon, a Miami death-penalty attorney who briefly worked on the Anthony case, said the loss of Lyon is not good for Casey Anthony's defense.

"In the long run I think it's going to be detrimental to the client," Lenamon said. "I think Andrea is a great lawyer … I'm severely disappointed someone with such great experience and who clearly had the client's best interest in mind is leaving the team."

Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee Marie. The 2-year-old's remains were found Dec. 11, 2008, in woods less than a mile from her family home in east Orange County.

The state is seeking the death penalty against Anthony, and Lyon joined the team for that reason.

Lyon is a clinical professor of law and directs the DePaul law school's Center for Justice in Capital Cases, according to her website. In 1990, she founded the Illinois Capital Resource Center and served as its director until joining the University of Michigan Law School faculty in 1995.

Last year Lyon said prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for "strategic reasons."

"You will hear about those strategic reasons in motions that I will be filing, challenging their right to even ask for the death penalty in these circumstances," Lyon said at the time. "I believe Florida law simply doesn't allow asking for the death penalty in these circumstances."

Baez said that the travel involved with this case and time spent away from her center forced Lyon to leave the team. She needs to focus on that project and help generate revenue there, he said.

Much of her death penalty-related arguments have been filed in motions.

"A good chunk of the work she was doing was completed," Baez said. He added that Mason "has taken on a lot of her responsibilities."

Another long-time attorney with the team, Linda Kenney Baden, also remains. Also, Lyon's private investigator, Mortimer Smith, will remain with the team, Baez said.

He called Lyon a "phenomenal lawyer" and a friend. He said the reasons for her leaving "are purely fiscal."

Casey Anthony is aware of Lyon's departure from the team and was grateful for her work, Baez said.

As for adding new members to the team as the trial approaches, Baez said, "I can't say at this time. If the need arises, yes. If it does not, no."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/caylee-anthony/os-casey-anthony-andrea-lyon-20100630,0,2682343.story

Sherry wrote:Snaz, here is a link to a statement analysis of Baez' response to AL's departure:

Statement Analysis

There is a link in the article that will tell of the analysis done on AL and her relationship to Casey Anthony. You may very well be right, her reputation was at stake. I'm just having a hard time buying that, though.

Thanks, Sherry. I always find those analyses very interesting, although I don't always agree with the person who happens to be doing the analysis. I think this one pretty much hits the nail right on the head.

I don't think her reputation is the only reason AL left, but I do think it ranks right up there in the top 3, but that is strictly my opinion.

Maybe Lyon left because she 'had to' bow out after being involved in donating money to Casey's defense.

How many more ratz will desert the sinking ship. Lyon must have begun to start worrying about saving her own big ass reputation instead of Casey's almost-certain DP. Lyon finally had to stop lying to herself about why she came on board in the first place. Well, Mr. Mason will take her place with his Monotones of MumbleJumbo.

Lyon probably could have recovered most of the money as a speaker, but I agree with Snaz about the donations drying up. I bet that Depaul's donors were up in arms when then learned their donations being used for an accused child killer's defense.

She probably also realizes that Judge Perry is going to deny any motions she files against the death penalty.

Haven't got time to read this this AM...Will have to spend the evening reading it....all I can say is

BOOM...BOOM...BOOM

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST !!!

i think you are all spot on about her sudden departure..

#1 reason in my mind however is that those uppidy ups that donate DO NOT want there $$ to pay for the high dollar defense of a baby killer. maybe some of the board/committee members put a screeching halt to all this nonsense.

i think her reputation is another biggy for miss lyon-- maybe THIS is how she has "never lost" a fight, pull out when things are looking bleak...

and i too, could not help but sing that corny old song when i read of her leaving...
and another one down and another one down and another one bites the dust.. HEY HEY!!

Lyon Leaving Anthony Defense Team

http://www.wesh.com/video/24104269/index.html

Andrea Lyon leaves a ‘money pit’; how big a blow is it?

posted by halboedeker on June, 30 2010 10:28 PM

What do Tom Hanks and Casey Anthony have in common?

They have both starred in something called “The Money Pit.”

WFTV-Ch. 9, via its 10 p.m. news on sister station WRDQ-Ch. 27, explained that defense attorney Andrea Lyon “wants out because the case is a money pit,” anchor Vanessa Welch said tonight.

WFTV explained that defense attorney Jose Baez will continue to consult with Chicago attorney Lyon but that she was leaving the case for financial reasons. Casey Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said he wasn’t surprised Lyon had departed because the money has been exhausted. Sheaffer added that Orlando defense attorney Cheney Mason can take over Lyon’s duties and said if Lyon were a true believer she would still be with the case.

Yet Baez described Lyon as “a wonderful lawyer” who believes in Anthony’s case and who spent her own money on the case, WFTV’s Kenneth Moton reported.

WESH-Ch. 2 legal analyst Richard Hornsby said Lyon’s departure was a huge blow. “The defense as a whole is definitely going to take a step back without her resources and knowledge,” he said.

Do you agree?

Hornsby didn’t buy Baez’s cost explanations for Lyon’s departure. “She wouldn’t have had to have a lot of costs to incur,” he said. “I think the cost excuse is really a cover for something a lot bigger with Andrea Lyon’s belief in the defense team.”

Baez told WESH that simply wasn’t true and that’s Lyon’s departure wouldn’t affect the defense. (The report aired on the 10 p.m. news on sister station WKCF-Ch. 18.)

So how big is Lyon’s departure?

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2010/06/casey-anthony-andrea-lyon-leaves-a-money-pit-how-big-a-blow-is-it.html

I would've thought that if Lyons worked for no pay, she is afterall receiving her Professor's salary....... She could be writing a book about Casey's case all along. Just documenting the case, and after the trial was over, she could publish the book and make millions.......

Certainly seems feasible, eva.......

So the Lyon turned into a chicken...She doesn't want to blight her legal record...aaaannnddd there is the lack of $$$$$....Too bad we won't get to see her theatrics in the courtroom...I know KC will miss her motherly advice...