The George Zimmerman trial is inevitably drawing comparisons to the Casey Anthony case here in Central Florida. Cheney Mason, one of the lawyers at the center of the Casey Anthony case, was at the Seminole County Courthouse Wednesday and spoke exclusively with reporter Dave D'Marko.
Mason was at the courthouse for business unrelated to the Zimmerman trial. He said he has been following the trial as much as he can, just like millions of people are around the country, and just like people followed the case two years ago when he represented Casey Anthony.
He said it he was glad Don West and Mark O'Mara are the ones who have to face the spotlight right now, and he was able to walk by the throngs of national media un-noticed.
He said it's actually the third time he's been to the Seminole County Justice Center since jury selection began.
One thing he mentioned, as we walked by the nearly empty protest zone was there seemed to be a lot less anger right now than there was during the Casey Anthony trial.
He offered one possible explanation as to why; in a recent conversation he said he had with Zimmerman's defense lawyer.
“Mr. O’Mara asked the other day what it’s like to have so many people hating your client, and I said only half the world hated your client the whole world hated mine.”
Mason said he and O'Mara have talked several times leading up to the trial about what the defense could expect and not expect to happen as the case continues.
But he said in the end, he's like every other American and has no idea what to expect from the case or what the final verdict might be.
Transcript of Dave D'Marko's interview with Cheney Mason
On following the George Zimmerman trial:
“I’ve seen some of it, and read the paper and had various conversations with defense lawyers, it will be what it will be, I’m glad not to be in the middle of the circus, but there’s not much circus though, there’s a lot more of you all then there is anybody else.”
On the differences between the Zimmerman case and Anthony case:
“Mr. O’Mara asked the other day what it’s like to have so many people hating your client, and I said only half the world hated your client the whole world hated mine.”
On his relationship with George Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O'Mara:
“We’re friends I’ve talked to him several times about what he can expect and not expect with this case, any more so than anyone else does.”
On the defamation suits against Casey Anthony:
“It’s another Shakespearean much ado about nothing, the judge over there I’m reasonably sure will determine there’s no reason to go forward with it, their lawyers have done it to get all the publicity they want, there’s not going to be hardly anymore and it’s going to be over and it’s going to go away.”
On the decision to keep Casey Anthony’s defamation suits case in federal court:
“There’s no way it’s ever going to go back to State Court, especially with the comments that were recently made by the Chief Judge. There’s no reason to do that, it’s a straight forward bankruptcy case that people try to get emotional about and do things they didn’t have a right to do.”