Caylee Anthony Still Missing … Judge to Rule on Gag Order … Padilla to Begin Searching Again and Anthony Family Prefers TES Searches over Bounty Hunter

Gag orders, Padilla new searches and Anthony family prefers TES searches … OH MY!!!

As Caylee Anthony continues to be missing since June 2008, the drama seems to continue to take center stage rather than search efforts to finding Caylee. On Tuesday  Judge Stan Strickland delayed a ruling on placing a gag order on the case of arrested and indicted tot mom Casey Anthony and her kissing 3 year old daughter Caylee. The drama continues … However, all the cameras, all the media attention, all the craziness and the 3 Ring Circus goes away if tot mom Casey Anthony just admits what happened and what she knows. That would be Casey Anthony telling the truth for once.

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A state attorney has requested that Circuit Judge Stan Strickland limit statements by prosecutors, defense attorneys, Orange County investigators and the family of defendant Casey Anthony in the case.

Lawyers for both sides agreed that any gag order should be more narrowly tailored and the judge said he hoped to rule by Wednesday.

Defense attorneys have stated that there has been continual leeas of information by the state, yet defense attorney Baez has had no issue going on local and national TV himself. Will there be a gag order? It is certain the media does not want there to be.

Orange County Assistant State’s attorney Jeff Ashton said at Tuesday’s hearing that the girl’s grandparents, Cindy and George Anthony, should be able to discuss their belief that Caylee is alive and their efforts to find her.

Defense attorney Jose Baez said the state has leaked much more information. But Ashton detailed several national television appearances Baez made that he said were designed to influence jurors.

Judge’s Ruling On Gag Order Expected In Casey Anthony Case

WESH: Baez Plans To Fight Casey Case Gag Order; Also: Padilla Plans Return To Search For Caylee

UPDATE I: JUDGE DENIES GAG ORDER

A judge is refused to issue a gag order in the case that had been requested by prosecutors, Wednesday afternoon.

Defense attorney Jose Baez said he should be allowed to continue to speak freely. Baez lashed out at prosecutors Tuesday, blaming them for trying the case through the media.

UPDATE II: Judge denies gag order in Casey Anthony case

A judge today denied the state’s request to prohibit the main players in the Casey Anthony case – her attorney, prosecutors, and her parents – from making public comments.

Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland ruled the legal standard had not been met to issue a gag order in the case.

“The State Attorney’s office argued that the defense team, as well as the Anthony family’s lust for the ‘limelight’ may well sabotage the potential jury pool when the case is ultimately tried. While this argument has some appeal it does not rise to the level of being a serious and imminent threat to the administration of justice,” Strickland wrote in his three-page order. “Further, this court is confident that even with a ‘gag order’ the publicity and media attention would continue unabated.”

In other new, the Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Bounty Hunter Leonard Padilla will be returning to Orlando, FL to search for Caylee Anthony. It is being reported that Padilla has received $50K in donations from an anonymous source.

Leonard Padilla is returning to town. A donor has provided $50,000 to help the bounty hunter continue his search for Caylee Anthony.

That development was the main news this weekend in the Casey Anthony case. She is charged with first-degree murder in her toddler’s disappearance.

“People might call him crazy, but bounty hunter Leonard Padilla says he’s planning an exhaustive new search of the bottom of the Econ River in hopes of finding Caylee Anthony’s remains,” said Bob Kealing of WESH-Channel 2.

WFTV-Channel 9 reported that Padilla would not identify the donor. 

Another Padilla search in Blanchard Park was a false alarm — “a frenzy,” WFTV called it — that received exhaustive live TV coverage earlier this month. Kealing reported that Padilla has not taken a lie-detector test yet about that search. To WESH, Padilla repeated that he did not plant evidence in that unsuccessful search.

In a bizarre and ironic twist of fate after learning that Bounty Hunter Leonard Padilla was returning to Orlando with 3 Ring Circus in tow, Anthony family spokesperson Michelle Bart said that a search by Tim Miller of Texas EquuSearch would be more credible than one by bounty hunter Padilla. Irony, you betcha. After being at odds with Tim Miller and TES for searching for Caylee Anthony’s body rather than the denial live search by the family and Kid Finders, the Anthony’s now support TES.