'Consortium' wanted Jose Baez for Zimmerman

By Alice Feigel

updated 2:10 PM EDT, Mon September 17, 2012

NEED TO KNOW

Anonymous party offered to pay for all of defense's costs if George Zimmerman chose Jose Baez as defense attorney
Zimmerman decided not to choose Baez because of the negative associations people have with Casey Anthony trial

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'Consortium' wanted Jose Baez for Zimmerman

George Zimmerman's friend told In Session’s Vinnie Politan that the former night watchman was considering hiring Jose Baez, who represented Casey Anthony in her high-profile trial, as his defense attorney.

Frank Taaffe, who lives in the same gated community in Florida that Zimmerman did the night he shot Trayvon Martin, says a third party offered to pay 100% of the defense fees if Zimmerman chose Baez. Taaffe acted as an unpaid "broker" between Zimmerman and a “consortium” of people willing to pay the defense costs. But he wouldn’t say who made up that “consortium.”

Taaffe told In Session that Zimmerman ultimately chose Mark O'Mara because of "the fallout George might incur by hiring Jose Baez because of the Casey Anthony trial.”

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