Jose Baez: Motion For Change of Venue Cited Due To Publicity--Baez States in Impromptu News Conference Held During News Hour

On Monday, Jose Baez filed a motion for change of venue regarding the trial of his client, Casey Anthony. (read motion).

Baez claims the jury pool in Central Florida is tainted and therefore Casey Anthony (read Casey's statement) cannot have a fair trial.

One of the reasons cited for change of venue was all the publicity and scrutiny the local media has placed on the case--making it high profile-- and drawing more attention with a new story leading the newscasts daily.

Baez revealed his reasonings when he spoke to the media during an impromptu news presser held at the beginning of the local news coverage.

Baez feels that Casey Anthony will not receive a fair and impartial jury from the Orlando area due to all the publicity. Baez is pushing for a change of venue because of too much local publicity. Prosecutors have never gone on camera for the case, but Baez does it regularly to react to evidence and other developments.

Baez researches news site web polls--Holds presser at top of news hour

Along with preparing for trial, Baez, who is not death penalty trial qualified, has been doing research regarding the local Orlando and surrounding area blogs and news websites. Appears he has a lot of time on his hands, or perhaps Casey is doing the research for him. She is quite good at 'Google-ing'.

Baez says his research shows that 84-percent of WFTV web visitors who answered a poll said they believe prosecutors should seek the death penalty against Casey Anthony. He said, in four months, more than 14,000 stories aired about the case, but only three-percent of them aired in the Miami area and even less in the Tallahassee area. Yet, he wants the trial in Miami.

Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, is pushing for a change of venue because of too much local publicity. Prosecutors have never gone on camera for the case, but Baez does it regularly to react to evidence and other developments.

As well as being disgruntled with the media coverage, Baez is also perturbed that it is taking too long for him to receive case discovery from prosecutors.

Even on Monday, after the motion filing, Baez timed his news conference so that he could do it live at the top of the five o'clock news.

Eyewitness News opted not to air it and Baez became upset about that decision.

Reporter Kathi Belich Calls Baez Out...Asks Tough Question

WFTV reporter Kathi Belich had an opportunity to ask Baez whether he helped cause the publicity problem, but Baez would not answer the question.

Jose Baez didn't like Kathi Belich's question Monday during his impromptu news conference. (raw video / images). She had only one question for him:

"Can you explain your complaints about publicity when you're the one holding news conferences all the time and going on national television?" Belich asked.

Baez never answered. But it appears he likes publicity as long as he likes what's been publicized, otherwise he's less fond of it.

Baez also filed a signed affidavit from Casey herself complaining about questions Eyewitness News asked her, such as did she kill Caylee? (see statement above)

Casey herself doesn't like the questions Belich has asked her in the past and it's one of the reasons Casey says she wants her murder trial moved out of the Orange County courthouse.

MORE ON THE STORY:

DOCUMENTS: Motion For Venue Change /Casey's Statement
BELICH vs. BAEZ: Raw Video / See Images
BAEZ PRESSER: Speaks After Venue Request
LEGAL ANALYSIS: Sheaffer On Venue Change Request
VIDEO REPORT: WFTV Confronts Baez


During Baez's news conference--held just in time for the five o'clock news--to complain about all the publicity in the case, Baez says he wants to move the trial to the Miami-Dade area or to Broward County.

"It simply is that the local coverage has been so constant and at times so inflammatory that members of the local community have already formed their opinions without having heard one piece of evidence," Baez said Monday.

"It's disingenuous. The bottom line is that every time you go on TV to complain about the case it just re-energizes the interest of the national media," WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said Monday (watch full interview).

Sheaffer says moving some 200 witnesses, a judge and court personnel and dozens of investigators, for possibly a month, will cost tens of thousands of dollars. Finding a jury of a white woman's peers won't be difficult, but they can't know much or have an opinion about her.

Sheaffer says interest could wane and the judge might try to seat a jury in Orange County before moving on.

"The judge will confer with the chief judge, Perry. They would confer with the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court," Sheaffer said.

videos and images courtesy: WFTV