Casey Anthony Murder Trial Day 22: Defense Attorney Jose Baez Threatened with Contempt Charges by Judge Perry for Violating Court’s Order Rules of Discovery … Dr. William Rodriguez Expert Witness Fiasco

Day 22 – Murder trial of tot mom Casey Anthony: No Way Jose, Baez scolded by Judge Perry and maybe held in contempt.

Judge Belvin Perry reads defense attorney Jose Baez the riot act in court today … will take up possible contempt charges against Baez after trial is over. Will Baez be found in contempt of court and be sanctioned again? Not only is Baez too inexperienced for a capital murder trial, his arrogance that he thinks he is the next coming of F. Lee Bailey is beyond insane.

Judge Perry provides a Smack Down to Defense Attorney Jose Baez

It did not take long this Saturday morning for fireworks to erupt in the murder trial of Casey Anthony in the death of her daughter Caylee. Defense witness Dr. William Rodriguez III, co-founder with Dr. Bass of the Body Farm, was the first witness and he was not on the witness stand long when the State objected that Rodriguez be considered an expert in entomology (VIDEO – 11:22) and a side bar was called by Judge Belvin Perry. You could see during the this mornings proceedings that Judy Perry was annoyed. That would only be the beginning of how upset Perry would become. Eventually, the witness was accepted as an expert in the fields tendered by the defense. However, the best was yet to come.

Then it happened again, State prosecutor Jeff Ashton objected during Rodriguez’ testimony, asked for a voir dire and asked Judge Perry to approach the bench. Judge Perry then looked to the Heavens once again and dealt with a side bar with Jose Baez, Cheney Mason and Jeff Ashton. It lasted a short period of time but still the time bomb was yet to go off.

THEN IT HAPPENED, Ashton objected again stating that “we have a discovery issue (VIDEO – 26:04). A perplexed Judge Perry told attorneys to approach the side bar and cut the comments out. The side bar lasted forever and it was obvious that Judge Perry was none too pleased with Baez and the defense. They came back from the side bar and Judge Perry asked Ashton to make the objection again so that they could go through the issue by the numbers.

Ashton’s objection was that the opinion being offered by the defense expert witness is not contained in his report of Feb 21, 2011 pursuant to the court order previously stated by Judge Perry. Ashton goes on to say that there is no reference of an opinion with regards to duct tape or any interpretation of duct tape. Jose Baez and the defense team was busted. Baez tried to weasel out of the obvious game that had been caught in by saying, that it was their understanding of the court’s order that if it was not submitted in the report or in deposition that it would be precluded from trial (VIDEO – 5:14). An infuriated Judge Perry told Baez to pull out the court’s order and read the portion that is in question. Judge Perry then began asking the witness, Dr. William Rodriguez III, some questions as it pertained to his understanding of what should have been included in his reports and what he was going to testify to as to the duct tape in this case.

Dr. Rodriguez was going to discuss the positioning of the duct tape and that it could not be determined as to the exact positioning of the duct tape on the body. None of which was in his report. The doctor was asked by Perry when he formulated that opinion of the duct tape. His response was early on when he saw the pictures. Dr. Rodriguez stated that the pics were provided to him by Jose Baez prior to his doing his report that was dated February 21. Then he was asked the $64,000 question by Judge Perry as to why he did not include any of the findings and opinions of the duct tape in his report? He stated that he noted it in his examination but did not note it in his report. Judge Perry asked if he shared that opinion regarding the duct tape with any one of the defense team. His answer, I did.  He stated he informed Mr. Baez (VIDEO – 9:00). Judge Perry then asked the witness whether he was informed by the defense, namely Mr. Baez, of this court’s order requiring all opinions that experts are to give in this case should be placed in their reports. Dr. Rodriguez’s answer was no, he was not aware of it and that he was never shown a copy of the court’s order. Baez’s expert just threw Jose Baez under the bus, how does the tire tread taste Jose?

The end result was that lead defense council Jose Baez never informed his expert witness of the court’s order requiring experts to provide their opinions in a certain manner in order to be heard in court. Way to go Jose. Yet more stellar lawyer work from Baez and this time it can’t be blamed on him being a novice, rank amateur … it goes to a purposeful violation of ethics. Baez then tried to save face and asked his witness multiple questions regarding their correspondence regarding the report and his opinions. However, Judge Perry was not buying it as the expert witness had notified the defense back in February 2011 of his opinions. Baez had already been previously sanctioned in this case.  Judge Perry asked Jose Baez whether his witness was mistaken or misinformed as to whether he told Baez in February of his opinions. Baez said, that is not what he is saying. Of course he is not going to say that and throw his expert under the bus. What was pathetic in searching for answer to save his legal butt, Baez makes reference that the State was trying to pull a fast one with regards to reports and depo’s, when it was Jose Baez who did.

Judge Perry that asked Jose Baez, “what you are basically saying sir, is that you can pick which  court orders you comply with and which court orders you don’t comply with and that’s not going to happen here.”  Perry then said, “THIS IS NOT A GAME.” The reason why Judge Perry entered the court order was because he did not want to be in the position that he presently finds himself in now.

With the jury out of the court room, Judge Perry called out lead defense attorney Jose Baez and took him to task providing Baez with a verbal tongue lashing and took Jose Baez out behind the wood shed as only a judge can do Perry (VIDEO). Under no uncertain terms Judge Perry stated that he felt Jose Baez did this intentionally. OUCH. Perry basically called Baez unethical. The witness was excused for the day to be deposed by the State Saturday afternoon and will be heard from next week. Judge Perry then stated that he would entertain an instruction  from the State and he will decide whether there will be contempt preceding at the end of the trial. But Jose Baez couldn’t let it go knowing that he had a pissed off judge on his hands and dared make requests of the judge. UNREAL. Maybe some one should have texted Jose to STFU at this point, take his medicine and call the next witness. Instead, the arrogant and pompous fool infuriated the judge even more causing Judge Perry to give Baez a lecture that this was not his first rodeo. Keep it up Baez, you might just parley your sanction or contempt charge to a disbarment.

click on pic for the Judge Perry Smack Down of Jose Baez

Perry: It appears to me that this was quite intentional. This was not some inadvertent slip. This was not some sub issue of another issue. It was not inadvertent. Case law seems to indicate the following: contempt, an instruction to the jury concerning the violation that has occurred.

Summary of comments from court regarding the above Baez fiasco can be read HERE. (Hat Tip: Magic Eyes)

Attorney Jose Baez stated prior to the murder case of Casey Anthony that this case would not define him or his career.  My response to that was … WANNA BET! It would appear that the fiasco that is the defense of Casey Anthony from the beginning opening statement from today’s near contempt charge against Jose Baez will more than define him. At the rate he is going, it might just disbar him as well.