Casey Anthony’s Atty Helps In Race For Judge
BY BUDDY NEVINS
A lawyer locked in a three-way race for Broward County Judge has gotten help from the best-known member of the Casey Anthony’s defense team – Jose Baez.
Baez is listed as a member of the Committee To Elect Jonathan Kasen for County Court Judge.
A fund raising letter distributed to lawyers this week contained Baez’s name along with many of the best-known members of the Broward criminal defense Bar.
Kasen earlier told me that Baez, who has a law office in Kissimmee, is a personal friend. Kasen was also helping with Anthony’s defense early in her murder trial.
My question is whether it is good to be associated with Anthony?
I know and believe deeply that everybody is entitled to the best defense. Baez and Kasen helped provide Anthony that defense.
Jose Baez and Casey Anthony in court
But do average voters support a candidate who helped get the “most hated woman in America” acquitted of charges she killed her daughter, Caylee? Add to that having Casey Anthony’s most visible defender — Baez — raise money for your campaign.
In an ideal world, it wouldn’t make a difference.
Politics is not an ideal world. Judicial campaigns is a world of double-dealing and backbiting.
Slurs, once only whispered, now cascade from Internet sites. They have become part of campaigning and there are actually professionals who get paid to plant items on comment boards.
How will an association with Casey Anthony, hammered into iPhones and home computers in bits and bytes, effect Kasen’s chances?
I don’t know the answer to that one. We’ll find out next August in the primary.
Another interesting point about Kasen’s fund raising committee: It contains super lawyer Michael Dutko and not his long-time law partner David Boganschutz, also a courtroom heavy-hitter. Maybe its just an oversight.
Kasen is running against incumbent County Court Judge Ian Richards and Fort Lauderdale attorney Claudia Robinson.
The fund raising letter is below (click to enlarge):
September 10th, 2013 at 2:15 pm
Wow, Stephanie Toothaker from Trip, Scott is supporting this guy. Who would imagine Tripp, Scott having their lawyers supporting a guy running against an incumbent judge and Casey Anthony’s attorney to boot. Wonder if Ed P is going to bring Kasen in for one of those Tripp, Scott interviews.
September 10th, 2013 at 3:45 pm
“Support of him (Kasen) in this early part of the campaign will be a good barometer of his viability as a judicial candidate”
So I guess if Kasen doesnt raise much money he by his own admission is not a viable judicial candidate? Wow this is something Judge Richards can say every night and not break the cannons since Kasen put it out there.
September 10th, 2013 at 8:17 pm
Tripp, Scott is where Former Judge Catalino Avalos now works.
September 10th, 2013 at 10:40 pm
For a lawyer, this letter is horribly written. The fact that he even equates money to viability shows his ineptitude as a candidate. A judicial race doesn’t cost much to run at all.
September 11th, 2013 at 12:41 pm
@ Duh……..Coincidence???
September 11th, 2013 at 3:58 pm
Any connection with Casey Anthony is a sure fail! BROWARD, don’t elect someone that is clearly in support of a baby killer or is friends with an Attorney who clearly lied to a court as Baez did!
September 11th, 2013 at 7:56 pm
Well we can all disregard whatever Kasen says in campaigning, about his sense of ethics. It’s not what you say but what you do that counts. Look at who he defended- a child killer. Look at who he is friends with- a liar, deadbeat Dad, contemptible excuse for an Attorney.
He should go into business with his good friend Baez- if he still has his bikini company.
August 12th, 2014 at 12:52 pm
inquiring2 says:
Casey Anthony’s former attorney, Jonathan Kasen, is now running for County Court JUDGE in Broward county, and Jose Baez is on his Committee to Elect.
We can voice our strong opposition to Jonathan Kasen winning this election to JUDGE!
http://lindapariscrimeblog.com/?p=945
That is all Florida needs now — a JUDGE who is a personal friend of Baez!