Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland denied a Casey Anthony defense team request to bar California bounty hunter Leonard Padilla and his associates from testifying about conversations they had with her.
He disagreed with Casey Anthony’s defense team, who claimed Padilla and crew were an extension of legal services provided by her defense attorney Jose Baez.
Padilla’s nephew, Tony Padilla, helped post a $50,000 premium required to bail her out of jail after her initial arrest last year.
Baez argued during a hearing Friday that the Padillas and their associates, Robert Dick and Tracy McLaughlin, were acting as agents of the defense counsel and should be covered by the attorney-client privilege.
McLaughlin stayed inside the home with Casey Anthony while the others stayed outside. They drove her to and from her attorney’s office.
Casey Anthony’s father, George Anthony, testified Friday that he believed the team was there for security for his family.
“It is reasonably clear to the Court that the individuals in question were not under the supervision or employment of counsel for the Defendant,” Strickland wrote in his four-page ruling.
The team was “simply protecting their investment,” Strickland added, referring to Casey Anthony’s bail bond.
Last Friday, prosecutors provided the judge with recorded law-enforcement interviews of Padilla and the others. Strickland had planned to listen to the recordings before making his decision.
It’s unclear how damaging their statements may be for the defense.
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