The conclusion to Casey Anthony's murder trial featured the high emotion and drama the millions watching came to expect throughout the six-week trial.
After deliberating for 10 hours and 40 minutes over three days, the jury of five men and seven women returned with a not guilty verdict on first-degree murder charges at 1:15 central time Tuesday afternoon. They also rendered a not guilty verdict on aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter. Anthony cried as she hugged her lawyer, Jose Baez, and the rest of her legal team after the verdicts were read.
Anthony was convicted on four counts of lying to law enforcement investigators, charges the defense all but conceded during the trial. Sentencing by Judge Belvin Perry will be Thursday morning.
Baez told media members after leaving the courtroom, "While I'm happy for Casey, there are no winners in this case."
The outrage throughout the nation started as soon as the not guilty verdict was broadcast. This trial has been dubbed "the first social media trial" because everyone who has an opinion has shared it on Twitter and Facebook. While millions have discussed it through these platforms, the discussions and media coverage created a strong public opinion of guilty.
The circumstantial evidence against Anthony was damning, but it didn't explain how her daughter, Caylee, died. The lack of evidence in this area is the reason Anthony was acquitted. The cause of death was never proven.
The prosecution claimed Anthony used chloroform on her child, then put duct tape over her mouth and nose to kill her. She then hid the body in her trunk before she dumped the body less than a mile from the family's home in a wooded, swamp area. While this theory could be true, there wasn't proper evidence to determine this beyond a reasonable doubt.
This theory, presented by lead prosecutor Jeff Ashton, wasn't proven anymore than Baez's theory of an accidental drowning. This is why the jurors took less than 11 hours to decide on not guilty.
The prosecution claimed chloroform and duct tape were the two culprits in the death. The expert Ashton called was Arpad Vass, an anthropologist, who said levels of chloroform were "shockingly high" in the air samples taken from the trunk of Anthony's car. Vass used a machine he invented and is trying to patent and sell to law enforcement across the world. Baez poked holes in this by calling his own FBI witnesses that countered the levels of chloroform and he pointed out how Vass would gain financially if his "sniffer machine" was patented.
Prosecution claimed duct tape as the murder weapon, based on its theory and how duct tape was found on the mandible bone of the remains. However, Roy Kronk, the meter reader who found the remains, admitted to moving the skull and picking up the bag of bones. That makes it hard to believe the duct tape couldn't have moved. There was also no DNA on the duct tape.
This trial's notoriety rivaled that of the OJ Simpson trial. Millions watched and many believed Anthony was guilty based on the circumstantial evidence. However, in our great justice system, everyone gets their day in court. Crimes and charges have to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
There was too much doubt in this case, too many questions still left unanswered. Casey Anthony was judged by a jury of her peers and was found not guilty. Whether you believe she did it or not, the justice system worked in this trial.
Showing posts with label Casey Anthony trial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Casey Anthony trial. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Will Casey Anthony testify?
Casey Anthony's defense team said it would rest its case on Thursday in the high-profile murder case in Orlando, Fla.
Day 31 on Wednesday featured an emotional George Anthony back on the stand answering questions from Jose Baez about sexual abusing his daughter, Casey, and his suicide attempt in January of 2009. George Anthony came off as genuine and believable....at surface level. We know what kind of liar, actress and manipulator Casey Anthony is, but how far does the apple fall off the tree?
While I don't believe George Anthony had anything to do with the actual death of Caylee Anthony, there are lingering doubts about how much he isn't telling everyone. The testimony George Anthony gave Tuesday about visiting a woman's condo, while both were helping search for then-missing Caylee Anthony, showed one secret he doesn't want in open air. He denied sexually abusing Casey again today by saying, "I would never do that to my child." Baez countered with, "You would never admit to doing that" before prosecutors objected.
George Anthony broke down into tears on the stand when talking about his suicide attempt in a Daytona Beach hotel, and the letter he wrote to his wife, Cindy, while there. Casey Anthony stared unemotionally at her dad as he cried on the stand. 'If looks could kill' came to my mind.
All of this leads up to the million-dollar question: Will Casey Anthony take the witness stand?
My prediction: NO
If she takes the stand, she will be forced to answer questions she simply not capable of answering. First reason: She's a proven liar many times over. She'll be grilled about what she was doing in the month her daughter was missing. Jeff Ashton, the lead prosecutor, will be relentless in attacking her lies.
And what will her own attorney ask? Will they really ask her to lay out this accident story, and that her dad helped cover it up after there is no proof he did? There are far too many negatives for putting Casey Anthony on the stand.
The only reason she would take the stand would be to sell the sexual abuse theory. It could be effective, but it's only one part of the testimony. Once she's up there, she's stuck.
I believe the defense will call Casey Anthony's ex-fiance, Jesse Grund, to push the sexual abuse theory further into the jury's mind. Grund testified Tuesday outside of the jury's presence that Casey Anthony told him stories that her brother, Lee Anthony, had groped her and was caught standing over her as she slept. This could raise enough doubt in that area to avoid putting Casey Anthony on the stand to sell that particular theory.
The sexual abuse theory is bold, and yet to be proven. However, because it's of the nature of the alleged offense, we may never know if it's true unless Casey herself backs off the theory. Perhaps George Anthony has that deep, dark regret he is so ashamed of he will never admit, no matter what the cost. That's why I thought Baez's question of "You would never admit that..." was appropriate. While George could certainly be lying, history has shown many times over that Casey Anthony will commit to a lie until it can be proven.
Lee Anthony's inappropriate behavior, according to Grund, led Casey Anthony to tell Lee she didn't want him around newborn Caylee. Cindy Anthony apparently agreed because Lee Anthony testified to being ignored by his parents when asked about Casey's pregnancy, and how he wasn't allowed to visit the hospital during Caylee's birth.
All signs point to Casey Anthony not taking the stand in her own defense. This has been the game plan from the beginning. I don't believe there was ever any intention of calling her, but the defense certainly wishes it had gotten further with other witnesses to provide more evidence of its theories laid out in opening statements.
The defense says it will rest Thursday. Will they have done enough?
Moment of note: Before the day's session began Casey Anthony spoke in court for the first time by responding to a question from Judge Belvin Perry. One of her attorneys, Ann Finnell, was addressing the court by phone about declaring a mistrial based on the Florida death penalty being unconstitutional. Baez and Cheney Mason hadn't arrived yet and Perry asked Casey Anthony if she wanted to answer the question or wait for her attorneys. She said, "I can answer that now. I agree with Miss Finnell. ... You're welcome."
Day 31 on Wednesday featured an emotional George Anthony back on the stand answering questions from Jose Baez about sexual abusing his daughter, Casey, and his suicide attempt in January of 2009. George Anthony came off as genuine and believable....at surface level. We know what kind of liar, actress and manipulator Casey Anthony is, but how far does the apple fall off the tree?
While I don't believe George Anthony had anything to do with the actual death of Caylee Anthony, there are lingering doubts about how much he isn't telling everyone. The testimony George Anthony gave Tuesday about visiting a woman's condo, while both were helping search for then-missing Caylee Anthony, showed one secret he doesn't want in open air. He denied sexually abusing Casey again today by saying, "I would never do that to my child." Baez countered with, "You would never admit to doing that" before prosecutors objected.
George Anthony broke down into tears on the stand when talking about his suicide attempt in a Daytona Beach hotel, and the letter he wrote to his wife, Cindy, while there. Casey Anthony stared unemotionally at her dad as he cried on the stand. 'If looks could kill' came to my mind.
All of this leads up to the million-dollar question: Will Casey Anthony take the witness stand?
My prediction: NO
If she takes the stand, she will be forced to answer questions she simply not capable of answering. First reason: She's a proven liar many times over. She'll be grilled about what she was doing in the month her daughter was missing. Jeff Ashton, the lead prosecutor, will be relentless in attacking her lies.
And what will her own attorney ask? Will they really ask her to lay out this accident story, and that her dad helped cover it up after there is no proof he did? There are far too many negatives for putting Casey Anthony on the stand.
The only reason she would take the stand would be to sell the sexual abuse theory. It could be effective, but it's only one part of the testimony. Once she's up there, she's stuck.
I believe the defense will call Casey Anthony's ex-fiance, Jesse Grund, to push the sexual abuse theory further into the jury's mind. Grund testified Tuesday outside of the jury's presence that Casey Anthony told him stories that her brother, Lee Anthony, had groped her and was caught standing over her as she slept. This could raise enough doubt in that area to avoid putting Casey Anthony on the stand to sell that particular theory.
The sexual abuse theory is bold, and yet to be proven. However, because it's of the nature of the alleged offense, we may never know if it's true unless Casey herself backs off the theory. Perhaps George Anthony has that deep, dark regret he is so ashamed of he will never admit, no matter what the cost. That's why I thought Baez's question of "You would never admit that..." was appropriate. While George could certainly be lying, history has shown many times over that Casey Anthony will commit to a lie until it can be proven.
Lee Anthony's inappropriate behavior, according to Grund, led Casey Anthony to tell Lee she didn't want him around newborn Caylee. Cindy Anthony apparently agreed because Lee Anthony testified to being ignored by his parents when asked about Casey's pregnancy, and how he wasn't allowed to visit the hospital during Caylee's birth.
All signs point to Casey Anthony not taking the stand in her own defense. This has been the game plan from the beginning. I don't believe there was ever any intention of calling her, but the defense certainly wishes it had gotten further with other witnesses to provide more evidence of its theories laid out in opening statements.
The defense says it will rest Thursday. Will they have done enough?
Moment of note: Before the day's session began Casey Anthony spoke in court for the first time by responding to a question from Judge Belvin Perry. One of her attorneys, Ann Finnell, was addressing the court by phone about declaring a mistrial based on the Florida death penalty being unconstitutional. Baez and Cheney Mason hadn't arrived yet and Perry asked Casey Anthony if she wanted to answer the question or wait for her attorneys. She said, "I can answer that now. I agree with Miss Finnell. ... You're welcome."
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Defense calls key witnesses - George Anthony and Roy Kronk
Day 30 in the Casey Anthony capital murder trial featured two witnesses the defense painted as key suspects in the theories presented in its opening statements.
Lead defense attorney Jose Baez called Casey Anthony's father, George Anthony, to the stand Tuesday morning to ask him about an alleged affair with a woman who helped search for then-missing Caylee Anthony.
Baez pushed George Anthony if he ever had a romantic relationship with Krystal Holloway, or River Cruz. George Anthony replied, "No, sir.....I find that very funny."
The defense tried to bolster its theory that George Anthony, while sharing an intimate moment with Holloway, told her Caylee's death was "an accident that snowballed out of control." George Anthony denied any such conversation ever took place.
George Anthony did admit to visiting Holloway at least three times at her gated condominium complex to "console" her because she was sick with a tumor. If nothing else, it raises the question of why was George Anthony visiting a search party member's home alone.
Though his testimony was brief Tuesday, and wasn't the "home run" many thought the defense was looking for, truTV's Sunny Hostin did say it was at least a "base hit" for the defense.
George Anthony's testimony may not be done. The defense may recall him to question him on other theories they've thrown out, like that he sexually abused Casey. This was brought up in cross-examination during George Anthony's testimony for the prosecution when he testified May 24.
Roy Kronk testifies
Roy Kronk, a meter reader who found Caylee Anthony's remains, also testified Tuesday. Baez called Kronk "a morally bankrupt individual" who thought he found "a lottery ticket" in opening statements. The defense claimed Kronk hid the body to cash in the reward money.
During his testimony, Kronk said he first noticed something that "looked like a skull" when he went to relieve himself Aug. 11, 2008, while working in the Anthony's neighborhood. He tried to get co-workers to check it out but they were too busy looking a dead rattlesnake.
Kronk called police in August about the skull, but essentially was ignored, or wasn't taken seriously. The defense claims Kronk called his estranged son a month before the body was discovered on Dec. 11, 2008 and told him to watch the news because he was going to be famous.
Defense attorney Cheney Mason didn't get Kronk to admit he hid the body but Kronk did admit to poking the skull and rotating it with his meter-reading stick, and to picking up the bag that contained the skeletal remains. This does raise questions as to how much that movement contaminated the crime scene, and to what else Kronk was doing in the four months before the authorities found the body.
The defense team continues to voice its theories on what happened, yet haven't been able to get any corroborating testimony from its witnesses.
SIDE NOTE: Casey Anthony's former fiance took the stand Tuesday afternoon outside of the jury's presence. James Grund spoke on conversations between he and Casey about her brother Lee Anthony's past behavior. Grund told Judge Belvin Perry Jr and both sets of attorneys that Casey told him Lee Anthony had groped her while she was sleeping, and on a separate instance, she awoke to find him standing over her. He also said Casey said she didn't want Lee Anthony around then-newborn Caylee, a statement proved by Lee Anthony's own testimony when he said he wasn't allowed to ask questions about Casey's pregnancy or be present during the birth.
Prosecutors claimed Grund's testimony is hearsay and not admissible. Judge Perry has not ruled if Grund can testify in front of the jury yet.
(Photo credit: Creative commons)
Lead defense attorney Jose Baez called Casey Anthony's father, George Anthony, to the stand Tuesday morning to ask him about an alleged affair with a woman who helped search for then-missing Caylee Anthony.
Baez pushed George Anthony if he ever had a romantic relationship with Krystal Holloway, or River Cruz. George Anthony replied, "No, sir.....I find that very funny."
 |
| George Anthony testified for the defense Tuesday |
George Anthony did admit to visiting Holloway at least three times at her gated condominium complex to "console" her because she was sick with a tumor. If nothing else, it raises the question of why was George Anthony visiting a search party member's home alone.
Though his testimony was brief Tuesday, and wasn't the "home run" many thought the defense was looking for, truTV's Sunny Hostin did say it was at least a "base hit" for the defense.
George Anthony's testimony may not be done. The defense may recall him to question him on other theories they've thrown out, like that he sexually abused Casey. This was brought up in cross-examination during George Anthony's testimony for the prosecution when he testified May 24.
Roy Kronk testifies
Roy Kronk, a meter reader who found Caylee Anthony's remains, also testified Tuesday. Baez called Kronk "a morally bankrupt individual" who thought he found "a lottery ticket" in opening statements. The defense claimed Kronk hid the body to cash in the reward money.
During his testimony, Kronk said he first noticed something that "looked like a skull" when he went to relieve himself Aug. 11, 2008, while working in the Anthony's neighborhood. He tried to get co-workers to check it out but they were too busy looking a dead rattlesnake.
Kronk called police in August about the skull, but essentially was ignored, or wasn't taken seriously. The defense claims Kronk called his estranged son a month before the body was discovered on Dec. 11, 2008 and told him to watch the news because he was going to be famous.
Defense attorney Cheney Mason didn't get Kronk to admit he hid the body but Kronk did admit to poking the skull and rotating it with his meter-reading stick, and to picking up the bag that contained the skeletal remains. This does raise questions as to how much that movement contaminated the crime scene, and to what else Kronk was doing in the four months before the authorities found the body.
The defense team continues to voice its theories on what happened, yet haven't been able to get any corroborating testimony from its witnesses.
SIDE NOTE: Casey Anthony's former fiance took the stand Tuesday afternoon outside of the jury's presence. James Grund spoke on conversations between he and Casey about her brother Lee Anthony's past behavior. Grund told Judge Belvin Perry Jr and both sets of attorneys that Casey told him Lee Anthony had groped her while she was sleeping, and on a separate instance, she awoke to find him standing over her. He also said Casey said she didn't want Lee Anthony around then-newborn Caylee, a statement proved by Lee Anthony's own testimony when he said he wasn't allowed to ask questions about Casey's pregnancy or be present during the birth.
Prosecutors claimed Grund's testimony is hearsay and not admissible. Judge Perry has not ruled if Grund can testify in front of the jury yet.
(Photo credit: Creative commons)
Monday, June 27, 2011
Casey Anthony trail: Competent to continue
The mysterious recess taken Saturday that cancelled seven hours of scheduled testimony was due to a motion filed by Casey Anthony's defense team challenging that their client is competent to stand trial.
It was another shocking twist in a trial filled with bizarre circumstances and testimony. After Judge Belvin Perry granted the recess, Anthony was examined by three psychologists over the weekend, who declared her competent to continue the trial.
Experts have speculated this motion was based on private conversations between Anthony and her defense team. Some believe it was due to an emotional breakdown. Casey Anthony's mother, Cindy, and brother, Lee, both gave emotional testimony on Friday.
Experts also suggest it could be due to a psychotic breakdown, or that she is hindering the defense's case, or that she isn't aware of what's going on in the case and courtroom. All is speculation. The psychologists findings were sealed by Judge Perry.
Another theory is this motion could be tied to whether or not Casey Anthony will take the stand later in the trial. Perhaps Casey Anthony is demanding to take the stand, against the defense's wishes, causing defense attorneys Jose Baez and Cheney Mason to file this motion to see if she is competent and fully understands the preceedings.
Speculation has ran rampant over the past few days in the most-watched and discussed trial of the decade. The defense is expected to rest its case later this week. George Anthony, Casey's father, will most likely be called back to the stand in what will be riveting testimony based on the accusations Baez made against him in his opening statements.
And the question of whether or not Casey Anthony will take the stand remains the hottest topic moving forward.
The defense continued its case today, the 29th day of the high-profile case, by calling the lead police investigators to the stand in the morning session. Casey Anthony has been seen smiling and laughing in the courtroom with the jury not present. Her stoic look returned in front of jurors.
It was another shocking twist in a trial filled with bizarre circumstances and testimony. After Judge Belvin Perry granted the recess, Anthony was examined by three psychologists over the weekend, who declared her competent to continue the trial.
Experts have speculated this motion was based on private conversations between Anthony and her defense team. Some believe it was due to an emotional breakdown. Casey Anthony's mother, Cindy, and brother, Lee, both gave emotional testimony on Friday.
Experts also suggest it could be due to a psychotic breakdown, or that she is hindering the defense's case, or that she isn't aware of what's going on in the case and courtroom. All is speculation. The psychologists findings were sealed by Judge Perry.
Another theory is this motion could be tied to whether or not Casey Anthony will take the stand later in the trial. Perhaps Casey Anthony is demanding to take the stand, against the defense's wishes, causing defense attorneys Jose Baez and Cheney Mason to file this motion to see if she is competent and fully understands the preceedings.
Speculation has ran rampant over the past few days in the most-watched and discussed trial of the decade. The defense is expected to rest its case later this week. George Anthony, Casey's father, will most likely be called back to the stand in what will be riveting testimony based on the accusations Baez made against him in his opening statements.
And the question of whether or not Casey Anthony will take the stand remains the hottest topic moving forward.
The defense continued its case today, the 29th day of the high-profile case, by calling the lead police investigators to the stand in the morning session. Casey Anthony has been seen smiling and laughing in the courtroom with the jury not present. Her stoic look returned in front of jurors.
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