Central Florida attorneys became TV fixtures during the case. What stands out for them?
What did analyzing the Casey Anthony case mean to the Central Florida attorneys who logged hundreds of hours on television? They had widely varying responses about what it meant to their practices.
"Typically when you're handling a high-profile case there's no immediate effect," said Mark NeJame, who worked for WKMG-Channel 6. "But over time, more people come to you because they like the way you handle things."
Diana Tennis, who appeared on WOFL-Channel 35, said she gained "one relatively big case since the trial that is pretty directly related to that exposure. The rest of it is hard to track."
Richard Hornsby, who worked for WESH-Channel 2, says: "Did being on TV help my practice? Absolutely."
But Bill Sheaffer of WFTV-Channel 9 said the exposure meant nothing to his firm. The experience, however, was priceless. Sheaffer recalled telling fellow analysts: "This is a moment in time you'd better savor. This will never be duplicated in our life time. I enjoyed every moment.
Mark NeJame, WKMG
Why did you want to do the analysis? "I thought it was important to get the truth out as I understood it to be and there was an interested public thirsting for information."
What did you get from the experience? "This is unlike anything I've experienced in my career. It was the first case where it was interactive with the public, locally, nationally and internationally."
What was the most memorable moment? "So many. The thing about the case, it seemed like every day there was a new chapter that emerged with the story. It was important for me to never lose sight it was about a dead child who I believe was murdered by her mother."
Anything you would have done differently? "I think my analysis was dead on and the jury's wasn't. But I accept it and move on from it."
What do you think the analysis did for the law? "I think that the public understands much better the way the system works and the ways in which it's broken. I probably have well over a thousand letters from people who appreciated learning how the system works."
