Civil suits pile up for Anthony

July 24, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Orlando Sentinel

ORLANDO, Fla.

Casey Anthony initially claimed 2-year-old Caylee Marie was kidnapped by a baby-sitter named Zenaida. But at her murder trial, defense attorney Jose Baez claimed that was a lie and that the toddler drowned in the family pool.

Although a jury found her not guilty of murder this month, the contradicting stories may cost her financially.

In the weeks since Baez delivered his opening statement and told the jury — and the closely watching public — that Caylee was never missing but accidentally drowned, Anthony has been slapped with several civil lawsuits.

Texas EquuSearch, the group that launched extensive searches for Caylee in summer 2008, wants to recoup more than $100,000 it spent looking for the toddler.

A diver who volunteered his services to look for Caylee in a river at Jay Blanchard Park has filed another suit, claiming he relied on false information and expended significant time and money on the search.

And last week, there were more developments in the initial suit filed against Anthony — a defamation case brought by Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez, a Kissimmee mother who claimed Anthony ruined her reputation.

Bob Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University, said the lawsuits raise an interesting question: When is a client bound by his or her lawyer’s opening statement?

Jarvis said those who sue Anthony will say her lawyer is her representative and therefore, she should be responsible for what he says.

“I know the plaintiffs’ arguments are going to be ... your agent’s statements are now your statements,” Jarvis said.

Baez told jurors in Anthony’s murder trial that she fabricated the baby-sitter kidnapping story. And the jury, which found Anthony not guilty of murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse, convicted her on four counts of lying to law enforcement.

Anthony is appealing those convictions, which Jarvis said is noteworthy.

“She has never said that she made up these statements,” he said. “Casey never said anything in the criminal case.”

Casey Anthony was born in Warren in 1986 to George and Cindy Anthony, who lived in Howland before moving the family to Florida in 1989.