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Casey Anthony's lawyer Jose Baez joins defense in Aruba case

Casey Anthony's lawyer joins defense in Aruba case
Casey Anthony, center, walks out of the Orange County Jail with her attorney Jose Baez, left, during her release in Orlando, Fla. AP Photo/Red Huber

(CBS/AP) ORANJESTAD, Aruba - Jose Baez, the lawyer who gained fame in the Casey Anthony murder trial in Florida said Tuesday that he will now help a U.S. businessman jailed in Aruba in the presumed death of his travel companion.

Pictures: Robyn Gardner
Pictures: Casey and Caylee Anthony, Personal Photos

Baez said he has been retained to defend Gary Giordano in the Dutch Caribbean island. Baez confirmed his hiring in a text message to The Associated Press but declined to provide details about his role in the Aruba case.

Giordano's Aruban lawyer, Michael Lopez, said Giordano's father, Frank, hired Baez, who was the lead defense attorney for Anthony in her trial on charges of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. Anthony was acquitted of killing Caylee in July but convicted of four charges of lying to police.

In Aruba, Baez can serve in an advisory role and provide other assistance but he cannot argue in court, Lopez said. "If my client wants me to share all information with Baez, I will do so, even though his role will be that of a consultant," he said.

Giordano has been jailed for nearly a month because authorities suspect he was involved in the presumed death of 35-year-old Robyn Gardner of Frederick, Maryland. He has denied committing any crime and says the Maryland woman was swept out to sea while snorkeling. Her body has not been found.

Giordano, who is from Gaithersburg, Maryland, and owns a temporary staffing business, was arrested as he tried to leave the island on Aug. 5. Prosecutors have said they initially detained him because he gave inconsistent statements about Gardner's disappearance.

The prosecution has disclosed little of the evidence against Giordano but has said he was the beneficiary of a $1.5 million accidental death insurance policy he took out on her before their trip.

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