Jose Baez (lawyer)

Jose Angel Baez (born October 17, 1968) is an American lawyer and New York Times best selling author.^[2] He is best known as the lead attorney for Casey Anthony, who was acquitted of murder in July 2011 after a trial that attracted significant national and international attention.

Early life and education

Baez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, was born in Manhattan, N.Y.,^[1] and raised in the Bronx, New York and South Florida with his three sisters by his single mother.^[3][4] He attended Homestead High School in Florida, leaving in the ninth grade at age 17, when he got married and became a father.^[4] After earning his General Education Development diploma, he joined the U.S. Navy in 1986. According to his resume, he spent three years assigned in connection with NATO at Norfolk, Virginia, trained as an intelligence analyst, and held a Top Secret security clearance.^[5]

After leaving the Navy in 1989, Baez attended Miami-Dade Community College, then transferred to Florida State University where he earned a BA. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from St. Thomas University School of Law in 1997.^[6]

Career

After graduating from law school in 1997, Baez was denied admission to the bar due to financial irresponsibility.^[7][8] Unable to practice as an attorney, he worked instead as an intern at the Miami Dade Public Defender's office. In 2005, the Florida Board of Bar Examiners admitted Baez after he had demonstrated that he had rehabilitated himself.^[8]

Criminal cases

After being granted his license, he focused primarily on criminal defense cases, including the case of Elvira Garcia, an illegal Mexican immigrant accused of kidnapping a child that she had adopted as her own. Garcia was cleared of all charges.^[9][10]

He also tried the first-degree murder case of Nilton Diaz, heavily covered by the media in Orlando and Puerto Rico because the victim was the 2-year-old granddaughter of World Boxing Champion Wilfredo Vazquez.^[11] Diaz was acquitted of first and second degree murder but convicted of manslaughter. Prior to taking on the Casey Anthony case, Baez had tried over 45 jury trials including 5 murder cases and has never had a client convicted of first degree murder.^[12]

Baez came to significant national and international attention when he took on the case of Casey Anthony. In what Time Magazine dubbed the Social Media Trial of the Century.^[13] Anthony was acquitted of the murder of her daughter, Caylee, after a trial that lasted six weeks. In a press conference on the day of the verdict, Baez said, "While we're happy for Casey, there are no winners in this case. Caylee has passed on far, far too soon, and what my driving force has been for the last three years has been always to make sure that there has been justice for Caylee and Casey because Casey did not murder Caylee. It's that simple." He added, "And today our system of justice has not dishonored her memory by a false conviction."^[14] Baez was featured on every major news network and show across the country. Jeff Ashton, one of the prosecutors in the case, later complimented him on his cross-examination skills.^[15] Baez authored a book with Peter Golenbock about the Anthony Case, Presumed Guilty, which was published on July 3, 2012 and became a New York Times Best Seller. Fox News Channel commentator Geraldo Rivera nicknamed Baez “Juanie Cochran.”^[16]

Missing in Aruba

After representing Anthony, Baez was noted for assisting attorney Chris Lejuez in representing millionaire businessman Gary Giordano in Aruba. Giordano was detained in KIA Prison for 116 days in connection with the disappearance of Robyn Gardner.^[17] Aruba’s High Court released Gary Giordano for lack of any evidence in this case. He was released on November 28, 2011; no charges were ever filed against Gary Giordano. Baez and Lejuez successfully defended an appeal filed by Aruba’s Chief Prosecutor, Taco Stein.^[18]

George Zimmerman case

In 2012, George Zimmerman was arrested in the shooting death of 17‑year‑old Trayvon Martin. After jail calls that were released where George Zimmerman was discussing Baez, Zimmerman's friend Frank Taaffe disclosed to HLN that a "consortium" wanted to hire Baez to represent George Zimmerman.^[19] Rumors began to spread based on the jailhouse tapes that Fox News host Sean Hannity offered to pay for Zimmerman's lawyer.^[19] Instead, Baez ended up representing a lead detective in the case, Chris Serino.^[20]

Cyber bullying case

In October 2013, Baez was hired to defend the 12‑year-old suspect arrested in connection with the death of 12‑year-old Rebecca Sedwick, whose mother had claimed was bullied to the point where she committed suicide by jumping to her death from a silo in a cement factory.^[21] The case made national news when Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd made the first arrest in the country for cyberbullying, and gave interviews on all major media shows including the Today Show and Good Morning America.^[22] When Baez entered the case, he vowed to clear his client and criticized Sheriff Judd for releasing the juveniles names and photographs setting off a battle between the sheriff and defense attorney.^[23] Sheriff Judd told the media that Baez "a flashy lawyer from out of town should go work out a plea deal." In the end Baez was true to his word and all charges against his client were dropped.^[24] After winning the case, Baez told Sheriff Judd that “He should get a lawyer and a darn good one because he’s gonna need it," indicating that his client may sue the Sheriff.^[25]

Civil cases

In 2012, Baez began representing multiple victims in a negligent security lawsuit in connection with the mass shooting at the Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.^[26] He is also representing alleged rape victim Leoanny De la Cruz in a suit against Latin Grammy winner Elvis Crespo.^[27] In January 2013, Baez was retained by the family of chef Stefano Riccioletti, who was struck and killed by drunk driver Karlie Tomica, a 20‑year‑old bartender who got intoxicated at work before driving home and striking Riccioletti, in what the media called the "Party Princess" case.^[28][29] Baez is suing Nikki Beach, a South Beach nightclub, for allowing the 20‑year‑old to drink on the job and then drive while intoxicated.^[30] Baez was also hired by the victims to sue for negligent security in the 2013 Hialeah shooting where seven victims were shot and killed in an apartment complex in Hialeah, Florida.^[31] In February 2015, he was retained by the family of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who was shot and killed while throwing rocks at police in Pasco, Washington.^[32]

According to Rene Lynch of the Los Angeles Times, Baez is considered one of the most sought after criminal defense attorneys in the country.^[33]

Aaron Hernandez 2013 murder appeal

He will be working with Aaron Hernandez to appeal his conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd and defend him on charges related to a 2012 Boston double homicide. ^[34]

See also

• Cheney Mason – co-counsel for Casey Anthony
• Timeline of the Casey Anthony case
• Linda Drane Burdick – lead prosecutor on the Casey Anthony case
• Investigating Innocence - wrongful conviction advocacy; Baez is a founding member

References

External links

• Official website