A hearing in the defamation lawsuit against Casey Anthony ended Friday after the judge stepped aside from the case.
No explanation was given for Circuit Judge Jose Rodriguez’s decision to remove himself from the case. That decision was announced after attorneys for both sides took part in a 20-minute sidebar, which constituted the entire hearing.
The Florida woman, who was acquitted earlier this month of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, did not appear at the hearing into whether she should be deposed in the case before her release from jail.
Zenaida Gonzalez has sued Anthony for defamation, saying her reputation was maligned when Anthony claimed a babysitter named Zenaida Gonzalez kidnapped her daughter in the summer of 2008. The claim later was shown to be a lie.
It remains unclear whether Anthony will have to submit to a formal interview by Gonzalez’s lawyers before her release from jail on Sunday.
Gonzalez's attorneys argue that they may not get a chance to depose Anthony once she's released.
A deposition in the civil case is scheduled for July 19 in Orlando.
'Emotionally and mentally exhausted'
that Anthony's attorney, Charles Green, said Anthony's safety could be put at risk if she had to appear next week. According to the report, Greene said Anthony would have no choice but to assert her Fifth Amendment rights.
Green said Anthony was "emotionally and mentally exhausted" from the murder trial.
Orlando criminal defense attorney Richard Hornsby, who provides legal analysis for WESH 2 News, told the station that Anthony does have the right to stay silent.