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Casey Anthony back in Florida to fight probation

Casey Anthony is back in Florida and will report to a probation office in Orlando to start probation if an appeal fails, her lawyer said.
/ Source: msnbc.com staff and news service reports

Casey Anthony has returned to Florida.

Speaking Sunday on Fox News' "Geraldo at Large," Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, said she's in Florida and will report to a probation office in Orlando to start probation if an appeal fails.

"We are going to follow the law wherever the courts follow the law and I am certain she will do what's asked of her if necessary and hopefully it won't come to that," Baez said.

Anthony had been in Ohio, Baez said, receiving therapy and spiritual guidance.

He would not specify where because of threats made against Anthony, but added: "She has been with close friends of ours that ... are somewhat spiritual advisors, people who care and are trying to help her get on with her life."

Circuit Judge Stan Strickland sentenced Anthony to a year of probation in January 2010 after she pleaded guilty to stealing checks from a friend. At the time, Strickland said Anthony should serve the probation upon her release, but those instructions never made it into a written order.

Corrections officials interpreted the sentence to mean Anthony could serve the probation while she was in jail awaiting her murder trial, where she was acquitted in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Strickland clarified in an order earlier this month that Anthony must begin her probation now that she is out of jail. He then recused himself from the case and turned it over to Judge Belvin Perry, who had presided over Anthony's murder trial.

Perry upheld Strickland's order and Anthony's attorneys last week filed an appeal with the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Daytona Beach.

In the appeal, Anthony's attorneys accused Strickland of bias, citing an appearance on Nancy Grace's television show in which he said he was "shocked" by the murder trial verdict. Grace has been a vocal critic of Anthony.

The attorneys also argued Strickland couldn't amend the order since the probation sentence had already been completed. The order also violates double jeopardy since Anthony would be serving the same sentence twice, they said.

If the order is upheld, Anthony has until noon Friday to report to the probation office.

Baez said he didn't think Anthony had followed the media coverage or public outrage against her since her acquittal.

"I don't think she's concentrating all that much on" it, he said. "The coverage is important to some people who have decided to make this their entertainment. It's not entertainment for her — it's her life. And that's why I don't think she's paid that much attention to the coverage of her case."

"It's time for everyone to move on and let everyone who is involved in this case move on and live their life," Baez added.