Angel of Death Row: My LIfe as a Death Penalty Defense Lawyer
My book: Angel of Death Row, My Life as a Death Penalty Lawyer
is coming soon and is going to be published by Kaplan Publishers.
This is my story — the story of the first woman in the nation to
serve as lead attorney on a death penalty case. And it is also the
story of my clients — their lives, not just the acts they were charged with.
May 28th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
It’s merely an intellectual exercise to you, Andrea. That, mixed in with some self-aggrandizement…look how *evolved* you are, defending society’s pariahs, polishing your halo.
Until murder has touched your life in a personal way–someone brutally and mercilessly kills your husband, your child, your parent, your friend—then you will be deaf to the cries of the victim.
May 29th, 2009 at 1:03 am
I see that you are representing Casey Anthony In FL yet no mention on webpage. I guess it could help you sale more books, but looking at the evidence she need to admit what happen or she may end up with life in prison. As Far moving the trial out central florida you could have it in California it going be just like OJ hopefully justice will be served and it wont take for her to slip up again to prove intent.
May 29th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I agree with Dianne. Until you have someone in your family, whom you love beyond words, murdered, then you can stay on your soap box.
Hopefully Andrea you will never know this pain, because it does not every go away. You have to live with it, and it’s always there.
Yes its wrong to kill, then why do you defend people who murdered someone from the death penalty??
As for you being on the C. Anthony case, just publicity for you to promote your book.
May 30th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Hi Ms. Lyon:
I think it is great that you are on board the Casey Anthony team. Mr. Baez up to this point has been doing a fantastic job, but with all that is against him and Casey, they need all the help they can get. Not everyone believes that Casey is guilty, and I am one. I have read almost every piece of evidence that has been put out in this case, and with that being said, I cannot see how anyone else can feel that she committed this crime. There is not one shread of conclusive, concrete piece of evidence that would support her guilt. If the state is going to seek the death penalty against Casey they have better have more than just circumstantial, inconclusive, evidence. The media for the most part is reporting only fact. But so often since this started they are reporting outright lies and innuendo. It is very disturbing. The general public are like a lynch mob, out for blood. They do not care if the facts do not support their mistaken beliefs. How can any supposed educated individual cast guilt without even hearing all the evidence in this case? Also disturbing in this case is the fact that the Anthony’s, Cindy, George, Lee have also be attacked and continues to be so.Cannot people see that these are good, honest, decent people living a nightmare. Also, anyone that has anything to do with this case will be attacked. I wish you the best in your work in this case, and like i have been saying, there is no justice for Caylee unless the person who committed this crime is punished, whomever that is.
May 30th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Andrea,
Maybe you should watch this video. How anyone in their “right” mind could want to defend Casey is beyond me. Oh wait, heres the reason:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Please enjoy the video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPd6V0GtoqE&NR=1
May 30th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
It’s so obvious Gwen is a member of the Scamthony family.
Hey Gwen, what about those 31 days???
May 30th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I have no problem with Ms. Lyon defending Casey against the DP. It’s supporting the lies and spin is what I object to. Gwen must have glaucoma because anyone who as ACTUALLY read all the documents can see that Casey, and Casey only, is responsible for this crime. A little girl has been murdered and everyone wants to put some spin on this. Again, a little girl has been murdered. The goal here is justice, not gloating because you want a murderer to go free.
May 30th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I believe Ms Anthony will now get a fair trial and if she is convicted so be it. I do not believe in the death penalty.
May 31st, 2009 at 10:06 am
I agree with you that everyone should have the presumption of innocence for the crime they are charged with until it is heard by a jury. My problem is hearing Jose Baez continue to say his client is innocent when she is not innocent in the disapearance and death of her child. Is she “not guilty” of the crime of murder? That will be determined by a court of law.
Innocence is having no knowledge or involvement in the crime. Casey is involved up to her eyeballs. Her actions and/or lack of actions can not be denied.
Good Luck in getting it all supressed…
June 1st, 2009 at 9:38 am
Ms. Lyons,
Now that you’ve been propelled into the international spotlight, I would hope that your blog would respond to legitimate questions from the public rather than being used solely as a venue to state your own opinions, thoughts and interests.
Regarding your stated observations and your fear of the innocent being condemned can you support that by explaining where you draw the line as far as the guilty going free? Or is a trial a game of lawyers to be won or lost? After all everyone that stands before a judge isn’t innocent and the outcome isn’t always accurate. So if the guilty go free has a fair trial been accomplished as long as he had proper representation? Is the bottom line the trial itself or the outcome and since someone wins and someone loses who determines whether or not the results were right or that has no bearing?
I think where the general public gets confused is that we think, feel and expect the result to represent what happened and the innocent go free and the guilty get convicted, however I believe lawyers operate from a different stand point. Some believe winning is what matters and the results being accurate are irrelevant.
No one wants to see an innocent person held responsible for the crime of another, but at the same time no one wants to see the guilty go free based on strategy and lawyering. After all how is one justice if the other is not? The scales must be in balance meaning that while everyone deserves a “fair” trial not everyone deserves to go free.
I have yet to understand how a fair trial works since every innocent person in prison means that someone guilty is free. How is a “fair” trial and honest trial because the facts don’t always win? If Casey Anthony is guilty let’s say and you are successful and she is acquitted… how has justice been served?
June 1st, 2009 at 11:42 am
Andrea,
The Prosecution has not been the source of the leaks. Have you even followed this case? Baez is on National TV spewing stories about the case, but I don’t see anyone from the State releasing info, other than what is covered under the Sunshine Law. It’s FL law and the State must follow it. For the defense to act as if there’s something underhanded going on is bizarre and the defense makes fool of themselves everytime they talk of leaks. Baez insults the intelligence of viewers if he thinks people believe this.
Between him and her parents, there isn’t too very much that’s kept under wraps. He’s extremely unprofessional and takes snipes at anyone who asks anything that he doesn’t like. Apparently, his own family didn’t hit any home runs as parents either or he would show others some respect to people rather than his flippant remarks.
Calender boy….really not funny. His “new” public enemy number two image seems to have sent his already huge ego soaring to whole new heights and no one really cares about him. He’ll fade into the sunset with his tail between his legs, when this ends. He’s a very foolish man who needs to be brought back down to earth and rational thinking. Maybe you’re the one to do this. Good luck with that.
It’s going to be very interesting to see how you manage to control him, if at all possible. While I do not agree with your position on the DP, at least you’ve had success. What success has Baez had? You’re so far out of his league, it’s comical.
I hope you will post this, as you ignored my previous post which was in no way threatening. Blogs should be posted as opinions, and it would be a boring website without diversity.
June 1st, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I see you have now removed your “announcement” of being on the Casey Anthony defense team from your blog site. Instead, you have posted your “rules of engagement” for your blog. Very interesting.
Regarding your new book, do you have any signing engagements scheduled? If so, could you please share
June 1st, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Miss Lyon,
I’m very happy for you that you are going to take on the Casey Anthony defense. I wish you success.
John
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:38 am
Yes! It’s those 31 days that gets to me. Thats all I would need to hear if I were on the jury. There is nothing that can explain that away to me.
I’ve seen a difference already in the defense team. AL is really going to make a huge difference in this trial. I feel a slow knot starting to form in my stomach. I think Cindy needs to be looked at as well as casey. Cindy life __casey DR. There needs to justice for CAYLEE.
Good luck on both sides of this case. I just want the truth to come out…not some made up cover up. So good luck to everyone involved.
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:44 am
I had a dear relative through marriage murdered. This was a cold case, but solved and the guilty party went to prison. The DP doesn’t solve a thing or ever will. Stamped on this priest’s mind is the crime. Day after Day after Day.
The Anthony family has gone through a media blitz, that has turned into mob mentality, with judge, jury, and executioner before the trial starts. After seeing Cindy Anthony aged before my eyes in the courtroom this last time. One only wonders what type of society we really live in. I wish you sincere luck Andrea, with the Casey case.
June 2nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I thoroughly enjoy lawyer jokes, but if my life was a ping pong ball being bounced between prosecutors, police, media, and public opinion, I’d certainly want an attorney on my side ( regardless of whether I was, in truth, involved in a crime or not).
I would need someone who knows the details of the law and legal procedures and is experienced in the court room, a primo debater, and tenacious. Oh, and a thoughtful human being.
I hope Andrea Lyon would be available if I ever needed her because even her peers acknowledge these qualities in her. Their accolades show me that Andrea has earned their respect, not demanded or invented it.
I appreciate the legal system we have in our country. With all its foibles, it still beats what a lot of other countries have! I not ready to turn it over to the media.
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:27 pm
How come when anyone has a different opinion other than yours LISA they are called names? I too feel that there is not enough evidence to prove this loving mother killed her child. Don’t let the media fool you, that’s what makes the ratings!!
have a great day.
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Andrea, I myself do not believe in the death penalty, but I can understand why you have taken on the Anthony case. I honestly believe that she deserves to be punished for the crimes committed against her daughter. The Nanny theory is NOT gonna fly and we ( some of us bloggers) are seeking justice for Caylee. Even IF she didn’t do this crime, her daughter was in her care. Someone has to be a voice for Caylee.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:34 pm
Yes, I think it is appalling, since KC is at the helm of all of this. That through her lies, good people like Jesse Grund, Amy, Tony and all the people that KC used has to have their good names and everything about them drug in the mud. I hope that all of them come back and have many civil suits so that KC and her family will never be able to make one dime off of a little baby girls death.
I have read and seen every time that Cindy and George were on television. A book could be written on the contradictions that come out of thier mouth.
I think it is very sad when a family sides with their daughter and not with their beautiful grand-daughter. Maybe had they made KC take accountability for stealing 45,000 dollars a long time ago, maybe she would feel guilt for what she has done. There is an expression, it is crazy to think you will get different results by repeating the same action over and over again.
So why are the Anthonys still enabling their daughter against Caylee. It just doesn’t make sense.
July 15th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
“There is an expression, it is crazy to think you will get different results by repeating the same action over and over again.”
Insanity-
3.
Extreme foolishness; folly.
Something that is extremely foolish.
IMO it’s because cindy has tried harder to be caseys BFF than a mother, always had a rivalry going. cindys never grasped the fact that no matter how well we raise our kids, they are responsible for their own actions good or bad. she worries more about keeping up appearances than honesty.
what are they thinking? still worshiping at the alter of casey. while strangers brought together out of a love for a child not our own, pray for some measure of justice for caylee. IMO though we need to give lyon a chance, i don’t think she’s going to let lieaez run the show anymore and maybe, just maybe she can get to the truth. she is not going to let his ego do anything to blemish her resume. nejame is a good example of how quickly people ‘jump the gun’ in this case. i’ll wait and see what happens. nothing we can do to change anything about this anyway
August 30th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Mrs. Lyon,
I agree that everyone is entitled to a fair trial and vigorous defense. I’m not sure how I feel about the death penalty though. I think about the innocent victims in these death penalty cases and I ask myself did they deserve the death sentence they were given? Did their killer care about their life when they took it? We all must remember in these cases there are victims that need a voice also and deserve justice, but I’m not sure the death penalty is the justice us mortals should be deciding. God will be the final judge in the end. The Casey Anthony case may be the only case that I feel the death penalty may be warranted. The victim was her own daughter and Casey was in a postition of trust in Caylees little eyes. This is the most horrible of all crimes, when a mother kills her own child. I am not saying she is guilty or innocent, the jury will decided that, but I just cannot get over not reporting her daughter missing for 31 days!
October 1st, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Wow. I cannot believe the new evidence that has been released this week. I cannot understand why this information was not released sooner; well yes I can actually but let’s not go there. In my opinion, the state has let everyone believe evidence existed in this case that in actuality did not. Also the incompetence is staggering. Why is this woman charged with this crime???? There is no motive, there is no evidence, and now we realize that most of the circumstantial evidence does not even exist at all. And for the state to lay those charges on bogus information is unbelievable. your motions were nothing less than brilliant. keep up the good work. still believing that casey is innocent. and true justice will be found for sweet little caylee. god bless caylee and the anthony family.
July 26th, 2010 at 6:23 am
Hey Andrea,
I read your insightful and wonderful book…Its really good that there is someone out there who basically cares. If everybody is a prosecutor, a judge and an executioner then America is heading to the middle ages. The amount of sacrifices you devoted too is amazing and luckily now you are a professor, a teacher and a guidance counsellor for the many aspiring human rights lawyers across America. Andrea, there will always be critiques and people not appreciating the fact that you are there to help the disadvantage. But America is changing and people are fed up with the amount of lies and deceit. The rich have the disposal of the politicians, the monies, the lawyers, the judges, etc…what about the disadvantaged and the ignorants, they have no one to inculcate the correct values to them and they always assume life is just c’est la vie. Believe me, there are more and more educated Americans today and they want to see something different and do not wish to be absolved by whatever media or education they have. Freedom is about the believe that life is at peace and with that and only with that we have harmony.
In solidarity,
Dominic