Jose Baez on Casey Anthony case: ‘We need to start respecting the jury verdict’

Jose Baez, the lead defense attorney for Casey Anthony, took part in an exclusive interview on Fox News’ Geraldo at Large on Sunday to address the public’s reaction to the verdict that was reached in his client’s murder trial.

A jury of seven women and five men found Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, convicting her only on four misdemeanor counts of providing law enforcement officials with false information.

Anthony was released from an Orange County jail over the weekend as a crowd of outraged onlookers shouted obscenities and voiced their displeasure.

“We need to start respecting the jury verdict and decisions that the juries make,” Baez told Geraldo Rivera. “Pundits and media personalities have no right to try and alter the life of any individual because of what they think may or may not have happened.”

Another member of Anthony’s defense team, Cheney Mason, appeared on NBC’s The Today Show to discuss the measures that are being taken to protect her as she embarks on her fresh start.

“She’s gone, she’s safe, and elaborate plans had to be made to keep the people away from her,” he said. “Her life is going to be very difficult for a very long time as long as there are so many people of the lynch-mob mentality.”