May 10, 2011: Defendant Casey Anthony appears in court at the Pinellas County Criminal Justice Center on the second day of jury selection in her trial in Clearwater, Fla. (AP)
ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida judge has refused to delay Casey Anthony's upcoming civil trial from a defamation lawsuit.
Circuit Judge Lisa Munyon on Tuesday denied requests from Anthony's attorney to delay the trial, set to start April 10.
Anthony was acquitted last year of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. After Caylee disappeared in the summer of 2008, Anthony told investigators that a babysitter named Zenaida Gonzalez had kidnapped the toddler. A woman with the same name sued Anthony, claiming her reputation had been ruined.
During her murder trial, Anthony's attorney told jurors that the babysitter story was fabricated.
A motion on whether the lawsuit should be thrown out will be heard later this month.
Anthony currently is serving a year of probation at an undisclosed location in Florida for an unrelated charge.
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