Rhornsby Legal Q&A #3 Relevant to the Anthony Case

[sleutherontheside]

Well, I kind of agree it is hocus pocus. But I also think it is unnecessary, George Anthony's testimony as to what he believed the smell to be is way more damaging than any magical air sniffer device.

What is your opinion on cadaver dogs? I am sure at one time they were considered hocus pocus yet they are now in widespread use. Do you consider the air tests to be hocus pocus because they are new technology? Many airports are now using devices to sniff out materials used in bomb making and can even be calibrated to detect drugs. Thoughts on those??

 

[ZsaZsa]

Listen, Morgan and Morgan is the number one television advertiser in Central Florida. What better way to get free publicity than to interject yourself into the biggest case in Central Florida.

Before this case, he was unknown out of legal circles or Central Florida; now he has had multiple national tv appearances.

As for the legitimacy of his client's claim. Legally, it is a leap to say that it is more likely than not that Casey Anthony was specifically referring to her. If anything, the ticketed Zenaida would fit the description more than Morgan's client. Why can't she sue as well.

Now, at the end of the day - before any attorney takes on any case, the first thing he asks is what is it worth. Morgan would only get 1/3 of any settlement. And last I check you cannot get blood from a stone. So Morgan's 1/3 of nothing is nothing. But what does he care, he is a multi-millionaire who has received immeasurable media exposure.

Meanwhile, poor little old Zenaida Gonzalez - the woman who is petrified of the media. Well she appears on the media with old John all the time. But more importantly, what damages has she suffered?

I am assuming her yearly salary before this case was 45K or less. And we know that one of Casey's friends received something like 20K from a tabloid for their story. Zenaida could probably get 3x that. and now her un-tabloid story is probably worth 20x that.

No matter how you cut it, she has suffered no damages. If anything, she hit the lottery by being involved with this case. Moreover, if she would have not sued, she would have been just a footnote in this story within a few months. Any continuing emotional trauma she suffers is her own doing.

So IMO this whole civil suit is a mockery. Hate Casey or not, I think everyone would agree that a death penalty case is more important than a civil suit.

Hmm , I can't think of anything more offensive than to have my good name associated in ANY way with the Anthony family. I hope Zenaida gets every penny of their 'licensing fees' the networks have bestowed on them.
They are the ones who have hit the lottery by selling their grand daughter.
What's so strange about John Morgan taking on a case Pro Bono- most of Casey's crew are doing the same aren't they?

 

[rhornsby]

Hmm , I can't think of anything more offensive than to have my good name associated in ANY way with the Anthony family. I hope Zenaida gets every penny of their 'licensing fees' the networks have bestowed on them.
They are the ones who have hit the lottery by selling their grand daughter.
What's so strange about John Morgan taking on a case Pro Bono- most of Casey's crew are doing the same aren't they?

Firstly, ZG is only suing Casey Anthony - so she gets ZERO from the rest of the Anthonys if she prevails.

And I am not disagreeing with you about the Anthony's motives, however, as far as Mr. Morgan's altruistic motives are concerned I think it "parallels" Jose Baez's motives for taking on Casey Anthony's case.

That is all I am saying.

 

[doogiesgirl]

Well, sure, I guess it is always unwise for a judge to second guess a jury's recommendation.

But remember, the jury does not have to be unanimous. What if the jury is 7-5 for death? Is that representative of all the public, or just some of the public.

And remember, that 7-5 recommendation is from people who were already willing to impose the death penalty. So the 7-5 recommendation is only representative of the portion of Florida's population that agrees with the death penalty. It is unrepresentative of people who are opposed to the death penalty.

So unless Judge Strickland rejected a unanimous (12-0) jury recommendation of death, I would never say sparing a person's life would be unwise. And even then, I might not morally disagree with such a decision (legally, maybe).

Thank you for answering....you've given me food for thought. Have to go xmas shopping now but when I return I will respond further, as your response leads me to other questions/concerns/thoughts. moo

 

[jennyb]

WWRHD? (what would Richard Hornsby do?)

Mr. Hornsby, I'm truly curious what you would do if you had been in Zenaida's shoes? What if a crime was committed and the media and the bloggers were in a frenzy over the fact that a Richard Hornsby was responsible? I don't know your middle name, but say it was Richard Oglethorpe Hornsby and that name was quoted time and again. And if the police had come to your door asking about the particular crime and asking your whereabouts at the time.

Would you go on the air to try and combat the gossip and rumors? Hold onto your good name? Would you accept help from an attorney? I realize it's hard to imagine you are Zenaida Fernandez Gonzalez and a lot of people don't think she has much worth protecting... but everyone at any level has a right to defend themselves against scurrilous claims. What would you do?

I'm honestly not trying to agitate, just very curious.

I never hear you question the motive or money or AIRTIME the other side had/has to bash this woman over and over again. What is the pittance of her denial compared to the worldwide slam against her? I guess I just don't understand your disdain when it comes to Zenaida and her claim.

Your beef with Mr. Morgan seems kind of personal but that's nobody's business. Anyway, if you wouldn't mind sharing... WWRHD?

Thanks.

 

[logicalgirl]

Firstly, ZG is only suing Casey Anthony - so she gets ZERO from the rest of the Anthonys if she prevails.

And I am not disagreeing with you about the Anthony's motives, however, as far as Mr. Morgan's altruistic motives are concerned I think it "parallels" Jose Baez's motives for taking on Casey Anthony's case.

That is all I am saying.

Ack - hate the picture! Please change it back - you look so charming in the other one.....please?

 

[The World According]

Gracias.

In the spirit of completeness, I will add the comic about Mr. Scheafer too. Thanks for being a good member and taking the good fun as it is intended.

 

[Horace Finklestein]

Listen, Morgan and Morgan is the number one television advertiser in Central Florida. What better way to get free publicity than to interject yourself into the biggest case in Central Florida.

Before this case, he was unknown out of legal circles or Central Florida; now he has had multiple national tv appearances.

As for the legitimacy of his client's claim. Legally, it is a leap to say that it is more likely than not that Casey Anthony was specifically referring to her. If anything, the ticketed Zenaida would fit the description more than Morgan's client. Why can't she sue as well.

Now, at the end of the day - before any attorney takes on any case, the first thing he asks is what is it worth. Morgan would only get 1/3 of any settlement. And last I check you cannot get blood from a stone. So Morgan's 1/3 of nothing is nothing. But what does he care, he is a multi-millionaire who has received immeasurable media exposure.

Meanwhile, poor little old Zenaida Gonzalez - the woman who is petrified of the media. Well she appears on the media with old John all the time. But more importantly, what damages has she suffered?

I am assuming her yearly salary before this case was 45K or less. And we know that one of Casey's friends received something like 20K from a tabloid for their story. Zenaida could probably get 3x that. and now her un-tabloid story is probably worth 20x that.

No matter how you cut it, she has suffered no damages. If anything, she hit the lottery by being involved with this case. Moreover, if she would have not sued, she would have been just a footnote in this story within a few months. Any continuing emotional trauma she suffers is her own doing.

So IMO this whole civil suit is a mockery. Hate Casey or not, I think everyone would agree that a death penalty case is more important than a civil suit.

She was fired from her job and unable to get hired anywhere, and she was also receiving death threats. Pretty shameful you would say she suffered no damages.

 

[RR0004]

Firstly, ZG is only suing Casey Anthony - so she gets ZERO from the rest of the Anthonys if she prevails.

And I am not disagreeing with you about the Anthony's motives, however, as far as Mr. Morgan's altruistic motives are concerned I think it "parallels" Jose Baez's motives for taking on Casey Anthony's case.

That is all I am saying.

Forgive me if this has been asked/answered...but there was discussion way back when about the A's homeowner insurance company paying up because Casey was residing with them. Is this possible?
Also, IIRC, Zenaida was encouraged to seek M and M out. I don't believe they went looking for her.

 

[jandkmom]

Listen, Morgan and Morgan is the number one television advertiser in Central Florida. What better way to get free publicity than to interject yourself into the biggest case in Central Florida.

Before this case, he was unknown out of legal circles or Central Florida; now he has had multiple national tv appearances.

As for the legitimacy of his client's claim. Legally, it is a leap to say that it is more likely than not that Casey Anthony was specifically referring to her. If anything, the ticketed Zenaida would fit the description more than Morgan's client. Why can't she sue as well.

Now, at the end of the day - before any attorney takes on any case, the first thing he asks is what is it worth. Morgan would only get 1/3 of any settlement. And last I check you cannot get blood from a stone. So Morgan's 1/3 of nothing is nothing. But what does he care, he is a multi-millionaire who has received immeasurable media exposure.

Meanwhile, poor little old Zenaida Gonzalez - the woman who is petrified of the media. Well she appears on the media with old John all the time. But more importantly, what damages has she suffered?

I am assuming her yearly salary before this case was 45K or less. And we know that one of Casey's friends received something like 20K from a tabloid for their story. Zenaida could probably get 3x that. and now her un-tabloid story is probably worth 20x that.

No matter how you cut it, she has suffered no damages. If anything, she hit the lottery by being involved with this case. Moreover, if she would have not sued, she would have been just a footnote in this story within a few months. Any continuing emotional trauma she suffers is her own doing.

So IMO this whole civil suit is a mockery. Hate Casey or not, I think everyone would agree that a death penalty case is more important than a civil suit.

I am a little surprised of your view on this. IMHO Ms. Gonzalez needs representation. Her name was thrown out at the beginning of this case as a kidnapper. No matter what Mr. Morgan's motives are, I am glad the he is showing the mentioning of a kidnapping for what is is...a lie. KC's lawyers have backed off of the kidnapping story involving Ms. Gonzalez since she has a lawyer. The death penalty case is the most important case, but if my name was being thrown out there as a kidnapper, it would be pretty important to me.

Are you saying you would not taken Ms. Gonzalezes case? Have you ever been in court against the Morgan & Morgan lawyers?

 

[cloud9]

Hmm , I can't think of anything more offensive than to have my good name associated in ANY way with the Anthony family. I hope Zenaida gets every penny of their 'licensing fees' the networks have bestowed on them.
They are the ones who have hit the lottery by selling their grand daughter.
What's so strange about John Morgan taking on a case Pro Bono- most of Casey's crew are doing the same aren't they?

Well said!

 

[cloud9]

I am a little surprised of your view on this. IMHO Ms. Gonzalez needs representation. Her name was thrown out at the beginning of this case as a kidnapper. No matter what Mr. Morgan's motives are, I am glad the he is showing the mentioning of a kidnapping for what is is...a lie. KC's lawyers have backed off of the kidnapping story involving Ms. Gonzalez since she has a lawyer. The death penalty case is the most important case, but if my name was being thrown out there as a kidnapper, it would be pretty important to me.

Are you saying you would not taken Ms. Gonzalezes case? Have you ever been in court against the Morgan & Morgan lawyers?

Exactly! Morgan said, along with representing Ms. Gonzalas, he was also treating this as the homicide case it is, while showing that Ms. Gonzalas is NOT a suspect. I respect him for that.
:woohoo:

 

[rhornsby]

I am a little surprised of your view on this. IMHO Ms. Gonzalez needs representation. Her name was thrown out at the beginning of this case as a kidnapper. No matter what Mr. Morgan's motives are, I am glad the he is showing the mentioning of a kidnapping for what is is...a lie. KC's lawyers have backed off of the kidnapping story involving Ms. Gonzalez since she has a lawyer. The death penalty case is the most important case, but if my name was being thrown out there as a kidnapper, it would be pretty important to me.

Are you saying you would not taken Ms. Gonzalezes case? Have you ever been in court against the Morgan & Morgan lawyers?

I am saying 100% I would not have taken on Ms. Gonzalez's case - because the damages are minimal (regardless of what everyone wants to believe). But I am far from a millionaire and I have an active caseload; Mr. Morgan can take any case he wants. So what does he care, Ms. Gonzalez's case costs him very little and he gets plenty of free media exposure.

With that said, some of Morgan & Morgan's attorneys are the absolute best in the profession. And the attorney handling the case, Mr. Mitnik is highly regarded - I know little beyond what people I respect have said about him.

Now, the reason I think so little of the case is that from a legal perspective, I think Casey Anthony's civil attorney has been the most accurate on the law. While I think he is getting the home town treatment, I have little doubt an appellate court would side with his arguments at the end of the day (I also believe a jury would award a token verdict).

One day I will blog about it, but it would take a lot of time to lay it all out logically since the subject matter is outside of my normal area of practice.

 

[rhornsby]

Forgive me if this has been asked/answered...but there was discussion way back when about the A's homeowner insurance company paying up because Casey was residing with them. Is this possible?
Also, IIRC, Zenaida was encouraged to seek M and M out. I don't believe they went looking for her.

Is it a possibility, the answer is kind of - but not really.

 

[rhornsby]

In the spirit of completeness, I will add the comic about Mr. Scheafer too. Thanks for being a good member and taking the good fun as it is intended.View attachment 6752

My all-time favorite :slap: I can see it now, the next Hannity & Colmes.

 

[jandkmom]

My all-time favorite :slap: I can see it now, the next Hannity & Colmes.

Which one are you

 

[rhornsby]

WWRHD? (what would Richard Hornsby do?)

Mr. Hornsby, I'm truly curious what you would do if you had been in Zenaida's shoes? What if a crime was committed and the media and the bloggers were in a frenzy over the fact that a Richard Hornsby was responsible? I don't know your middle name, but say it was Richard Oglethorpe Hornsby and that name was quoted time and again. And if the police had come to your door asking about the particular crime and asking your whereabouts at the time.

Would you go on the air to try and combat the gossip and rumors? Hold onto your good name? Would you accept help from an attorney? I realize it's hard to imagine you are Zenaida Fernandez Gonzalez and a lot of people don't think she has much worth protecting... but everyone at any level has a right to defend themselves against scurrilous claims. What would you do?

I'm honestly not trying to agitate, just very curious.

I never hear you question the motive or money or AIRTIME the other side had/has to bash this woman over and over again. What is the pittance of her denial compared to the worldwide slam against her? I guess I just don't understand your disdain when it comes to Zenaida and her claim.

Your beef with Mr. Morgan seems kind of personal but that's nobody's business. Anyway, if you wouldn't mind sharing... WWRHD?

Thanks.

I don't take anything personally. Morally, I kind of feel bad for her (but not really). Sure she got dragged into this, but her value now is exponential - she hit the lottery.

But my biggest beef is that from a legal perspective, this case is a dud. So what if she wins, there is no insurance company to pay out, Casey is broke, etc.

Moreover, this is a death penalty case. I found it personally offensive when Mr. Mitnik tried to argue that Ms. Gonzalez's brief inconvenience outweighed defending yourself against the death penalty. Pure hypocrisy.

Finally, I guess I see the bigger picture. I see people falsely accused and their lives completely destroyed. when I obtain acquittals they get nothing, not even their court costs reimbursed. So I guess my problem is that I just keep her "reputation" in perspective to every other law abiding wrongfully accused person I have represented. Morgan and Morgan would not give them the time of day unless it included a fender bender accident.

 

[rhornsby]

Which one are you

The smart one of course.

 

[jandkmom]

Do you think that an emotionally involved attorney is better or worse for the defendant?

 

[Kimster]

The smart one of course.

:floorlaugh:

:innocent:

Nice to know attorneys have a sense of humor. :dance::dance::dance: