section_path: Aftermath/Casey Anthony/Civil actions
section_name: Civil actions
paragraph_text: Civil actions
  
  In September 2008, Fernandez-Gonzalez sued Casey for defamation. In July 2011, Texas EquuSearch (TES), a non-profit group which assisted in the search for Caylee, sued Casey for fraud and unjust enrichment, estimating it spent more than $100,000 searching for Caylee even though she was already dead. And, in January 2013, Kronk served Casey with a defamation lawsuit of his own. In response to Kronk's claim, on January 27, 2013, Casey filed for bankruptcy with the Middle District of Florida Bankruptcy Court. Her estimated liabilities were between $500,000 and $1 million.
  
  TES and Casey settled out of court on October 18, 2013, resulting in TES being listed as a creditor to Casey entitled to $75,000, though attorney Marc Wites acknowledged that TES was likely to "receive very little money, if anything". The next month, the presiding bankruptcy-court judge, K. Rodney May, ruled that both defamation claims could proceed. In September 2015, however, Judge May threw out Fernandez-Gonzalez's claims, finding that Casey's statements concerning Fernandez-Gonzalez were not willful and malicious.
  
  In April 2016, affidavits by Dominic Casey were filed in relation to Kronk's claim. Dominic had testified in the murder trial, saying that a psychic had led him to the woods in which Caylee was buried, though he was unable to find the child. In the affidavits, Dominic stated that Baez had told him that Casey had admitted to killing her daughter. He further stated that Baez had a sexual relationship with Casey. Baez responded to the claims, saying that both allegations were false. In 2018, Judge May sanctioned Dominic for having failed to appear for three depositions, and the affidavits were struck from the record or sealed.
  
  In February 2019, Kronk's defamation lawsuit was dismissed by a bankruptcy court judge, who found there was a lack of evidence Casey willfully defamed Kronk. That decision was affirmed on appeal by a district court judge in January 2020.
  
  In September 2008, Fernandez-Gonzalez sued Casey for defamation. In July 2011, Texas EquuSearch (TES), a non-profit group which assisted in the search for Caylee, sued Casey for fraud and unjust enrichment, estimating it spent more than $100,000 searching for Caylee even though she was already dead. And, in January 2013, Kronk served Casey with a defamation lawsuit of his own. In response to Kronk's claim, on January 27, 2013, Casey filed for bankruptcy with the Middle District of Florida Bankruptcy Court. Her estimated liabilities were between $500,000 and $1 million.
  
  TES and Casey settled out of court on October 18, 2013, resulting in TES being listed as a creditor to Casey entitled to $75,000, though attorney Marc Wites acknowledged that TES was likely to "receive very little money, if anything". The next month, the presiding bankruptcy-court judge, K. Rodney May, ruled that both defamation claims could proceed. In September 2015, however, Judge May threw out Fernandez-Gonzalez's claims, finding that Casey's statements concerning Fernandez-Gonzalez were not willful and malicious.
  
  In April 2016, affidavits by Dominic Casey were filed in relation to Kronk's claim. Dominic had testified in the murder trial, saying that a psychic had led him to the woods in which Caylee was buried, though he was unable to find the child. In the affidavits, Dominic stated that Baez had told him that Casey had admitted to killing her daughter. He further stated that Baez had a sexual relationship with Casey. Baez responded to the claims, saying that both allegations were false. In 2018, Judge May sanctioned Dominic for having failed to appear for three depositions, and the affidavits were struck from the record or sealed.
  
  In February 2019, Kronk's defamation lawsuit was dismissed by a bankruptcy court judge, who found there was a lack of evidence Casey willfully defamed Kronk. That decision was affirmed on appeal by a district court judge in January 2020.