The Defense Rests (or gives up)

The defense rested without Casey Anthony taking the stand. 

No big surprise. What could Casey Anthony possibly say? Maybe she is fresh out of new lies or just tired of the old ones.

Today's testimony began with George Anthony's alleged mistress who although helped the defense to put doubt in the jury's mind as far as George's honesty goes did more for the prosecution when they showed Krystal Hollaway aka River Cruz to be someone who lied during her deposition and a few days later sold her story to the National Enquirer for $4,000. 

Jose Baez then proceeded to ask Cindy, George and Lee about their family practice of how they prepared their deceased pets for burial in their backyard. The questioning was ridiculous but it did nothing for the defense. Yes, the family would wrap the pet in a favorite blanket or towel and then wrap it in a plastic bag sealed with tape. Only Lee said it was duct tape. The whole family, Casey included, was a part of this ritual. 

The judge called for an early lunch (11:30) and resumed at 1:30 and the defense rested. Casey Anthony was asked by the judge if it was her decision not to testify and she said it was.

The defense then rested and the state said their rebuttal would take less than half a day. The court is now arguing bring in testimony regarding work records for Cindy Anthony who had said on the stand that it was she who did the computer searches for "neck-breaking" and "chloroform" even though her work records showed otherwise. Her statements also went against the deposition that she had given. The prosecution planned on showing proof that she did lie about this and now the defense is accusing the state of withholding discovery.

As the judge determines what will happen, the jury is again out of the courtroom. With the holiday weekend coming, they are probably hoping to get this case for deliberation asap. 

Technically, they could receive the case before Saturday is over. How soon will they decide Casey's fate?

Who knows, maybe in time to go out and enjoy the 4th. Just my guess. 
 

Defense Gets Ready to Wrap it Up

Today the defense will allegedly wrap up their case with their final witnesses. Then the case goes to the state for its rebuttal and closing arguments and then to the jury. 

Yesterday started off with Cindy Anthony who was asked about alleged molestation by her son Lee against Casey. She denied any knowledge. She looked relieved when she was able to leave the stand.

Then George Anthony took the stand. He was supposed to be a defense witness but honestly, the sparring between George and Jose Baez made him seem like a prosecution witness.

Baez accused him of sexually abusing Casey which he denied and then asked him "well if you did abuse your daughter you wouldn't admit to it, would you?". Just the kind of slimy lawyering that Baez is good for.

Baez went a step further and brought up the suicide attempt that George Anthony had made in January of 2009, accusing him of feeling guilty about something.

This forced George to admit that yes, he had tried to commit suicide and he had left a note for his wife. He was despondent over losing Caylee and wanted to be with her.

Baez also asked about a gun that George had gotten when Casey was out on bail. George explained that the gun was so he could go to Casey's friends, threaten them at gunpoint and find out where Caylee was. This was a desperate grandfather who it is obvious was not thinking about anything but finding his granddaughter.

George also alluded to the fact that he no longer feels that Casey is innocent. Points for the prosecution big time. He again said that he smelled death in Casey's car. More points for the prosecution.

The prosecution went over the letter that George wrote and no where in this letter do you get the impression that this was a man who had covered anything up. This was a letter written by someone in deep pain from losing his granddaughter. George showed his emotions yesterday and really reminded the jury what this case is truly about- Justice for Caylee.

With the dysfunction being emphasized by the defense, the case has moved away from what it is all about. A child is dead and George is in the spot of being the father of the defendant but he is also the grieving grandfather. 

Cindy, George and Lee are the only members of the Anthony family who have shown any grief over losing Caylee.

As we wait for today's testimony to begin, this is Casey's last shot to take the stand. Will she or won't she? If she does, it will make for some interesting viewing but certainly the prosecution will rip her to shreds. 

 

Day 30

Today was day 30 of testimony and the defense still has half a dozen witnesses to call. 

George Anthony took the stand today to deny his alleged affair with River Cruz or Krystal Hollaway. He was able to say that this woman had two names he knew her by and had a record of fraud. Surprising what the judge allows the Anthony family to get away with. Most witnesses give yes or no answers but the Anthony family is different.

Did George seem believable? Nah, not really. He admits to going to her home alone to comfort her but denies any romantic involvement or telling her anything about Caylee's death being an accident. 

Does the jury wonder about George's credibility? Gee, I wonder too. 

Cindy Anthony was called to the stand to ask if she had sent her private investigators to search where Caylee's body was eventually found. She denied sending them. She denied arguing with her son Lee about it. Then Lee was called to the stand.

Lee Anthony, who is very clearly damaged, contradicted what Cindy said. (Cindy caught in a lie again) Lee (again) stated that he remembers the conversation clearly because until his mother had gotten a tip from a psychic, he thought the family was holding out hope that Caylee was alive.

Again Lee felt "left out" and decided to return to work. He also admitted that at that time he doubted whether Casey had been telling the truth about what happened to Caylee.

Poor Lee Anthony. This is a guy who needs some heavy-duty therapy and I sure hope he gets some before he reproduces and continues the family dysfunction.

Ray Kronk, the meter reader who found Caylee's remains was next up. Although Cheney Mason tried to insinuate that Kronk had seen the skull previously and tried to make the case that he was interested in the case because of a possible reward, I don't think he accomplished his claims.
Yes, Ray Kronk is a weird guy but I don't think he had anything to do with the defense's claims that he hid the body. 

At the end of the day, Jesse Grund, Casey's former boyfriend and the one she claimed was Caylee's baby daddy until Jesse got wise and had a paternity test done, testified (without the jury present) that Casey had talked about sexual abuse. 

The defense, as usual, is all over the place. Their witnesses mostly seem to be better for the prosecution than for the defense.

Will Casey Anthony testify? I doubt it. Deep down she has to know that she is a liar. She probably is believing that she is easily going to walk. 

She just might. The defense is throwing stuff all over the place. Yes, it is easy for them to show the dysfunction in the Anthony family. Every family has their secrets. Surely there are more secrets then will come out in this trial. BUT, and this is a big but, how are they going to prove Casey was sexually assaulted and so abused by her father?

Casey is a liar. George is a liar. Cindy is a liar. You cannot believe anyone in this family.

The bottom line still is (and if only the jury looked at the defense's ENTIRE theory) there is no way that George Anthony wouldn't have called 911 if Caylee accidentally drowned.

 read or view today's testimony here

Casey Found Competent: Defense's Latest Tactic Fails

Saturday's testimony did not happen because the defense filed a motion that claimed Casey was now incompetent and could no longer be a help to her defense team. The judge had 3, yes 3 court-appointed mental health professionals examine Casey on Saturday and Monday morning ruled that Casey Anthony is competent.

And so the trial continued.

Once again the s$#@ the defense tried to throw against the wall did not stick. If anything, they hurt Casey by this ridiculous motion. The examination is sealed by the court so we will not know what, if anything the professionals said about the mental state of Casey Anthony.

I am pretty sure that this is a young woman who is used to manipulating those around her and is quite aware of what the implications are for her actions. It is funny that before court started this morning she was laughing and smiling as if she hadn't a care in the world.

Today the defense tried to prove their theory that Caylee's remains had been dumped when Casey was already in jail. On the stand were two investigators, one who originally worked for Jose Baez and then was hired by the Anthony family. They were in the area where Caylee's remains were found about a month before but did not see the remains. They both testified that they had spent no more than 15 minutes looking on two separate occasions. One was "looking" and one was video-taping.

This really is not good enough proof of anything. The area that Caylee's remains were in was extremely overgrown with brush, was partially under water at one time and her skull had vegetation growing through it. I do remember the prosecution putting an expert on the stand who said that the remains had been there for longer than one month.

Again, nice try Mr. Baez but no cigar.

The defense originally was to have wrapped up their case by mid-week but because of all the delays it will go on longer.

Did I mention that they also asked for a mistrial (again)? I am sorry but I have lost count of how many times they have argued for a mistrial.

I am sure the jury just wants this to be over.

Although to many people the case points to Casey, I wonder if the jury feels the prosecution has proved their case. We should know in about 2 weeks from now. Maybe even less. I predict that the jury is not going to have to deliberate long. Although Jose Baez has tried to confuse us all and bore us terribly with long-winded experts, I think that the jury is a bit smarter.

Casey Anthony would be lucky to spend her life in jail. Could you even imagine what her life would be like if she manages to get away with murder????

Speculation Behind Saturday's Drama

In a few short hours we will (maybe) find out what the drama was about on Saturday behind closed doors in the Casey Anthony murder trial.

Some hint that it may have something to do with a change in the defense counsel with Cheney Mason possibly wanting off the defense team. (rumor is that he was heard shouting in the judge's chambers)

Although this is unlikely, whatever it is could be quite serious. Or not. 

As a follower of this sensationalized trial, I know that almost anything is possible.

I feel for the jurors who were promised by the judge that they would be back to their lives by the 4th of July. Many had made plans for the holiday and they are going to be mad that their plans will be disrupted because of all the drama.

It is frustrating as a viewer to watch this trial by sidebar; could you imagine being a juror? Hopefully they are all paying attention and are not easily fooled by the obvious flip-flopping of Cindy Anthony's testimony and the outrageously ridiculous defense theory.

The defense's job is to create reasonable doubt but c'mon, is it reasonable that a former police detective (George Anthony) would allow his own daughter to face the death penalty over an accidental drowning?????

Dysfunctional is not a strong enough word for anyone who would sit back, allow his name and reputation to be dragged through the mud just to what, punish his daughter for not watching his granddaughter which resulted in her accidental drowning???

Does anyone believe that? 

George Anthony (and the entire family) are liars but seriously, it would take an extremely disturbed, horrible person to do what it is alleged that he did to Casey.

Hopefully these jurors are seeing the truth and will serve justice for Caylee.

The Games Continue

Saturday testimony never happened today as the defense attempted to have a witness testify but was stopped by the prosecution. It seems that the defense is playing games again having yet another witness attempt to change his opinions and thereby violate court rulings regarding an expert changing his testimony.

Judge Perry is angry and after meeting behind closed doors, he recessed court until Monday. This was after Judge Perry had previously announced that today would be a full day of court due to wasted time over previous game playing.

This case is getting closer to a possible mistrial with the shenanigans of the defense. It was bad enough to see Cindy Anthony change her testimony and even Lee Anthony's memory of the past seems to be better today than it was two years ago. Don't they see how obvious it is to the jury how they are attempting to protect Casey?

When a deposition can prove that you are changing your testimony it threatens to do more damage to the defense.

The witness who was scheduled to testify today was an expert in chemicals and was to testify about chloroform levels in the trunk of Casey's car. The prosecution is on its' toes and is not allowing the defense to pull these games where a witness changes or has previously excluded an opinion in an attempt to blindside the prosecution.

Judge Perry yesterday asked the defense why it seemed they were trying to change their theory of how Caylee died and demanded to know from Jose Baez why he was questioning Cindy Anthony about marital troubles.

The soap opera-like testimony of the family drama from Lee and Cindy isn't really all that relevant to this case. Yes, Jose Baez is pushing the idea of just how dysfunctional this family is but really, is that a reason for why Casey behaved the way she did for the 31 days that Caylee was missing?

I get it. We all get it. This family is messed up. I still struggle with the idea that an accidental drowning snowballed into this.

I also do not get this one point. If Caylee accidentally drowned, why didn't Casey's attorney get her out of jail? Why did she have to sit in jail for nearly 3 years? Why didn't he go to the prosecution and explain the situation? 

Now HLN (which covers the trial on Saturdays) is saying that recessing court today was NOT related to the defense's witness today and may possibly have something to do with last week's prosecution stall of another defense witness. It seems that the prosecutor held back on some information and stalled this witness from testifying. 

Yes, games are being played on both sides. Will this mean that Casey walks free? Will we ever know the truth about what really happened to Caylee Marie Anthony????

Dr.Drew Analyzes the Secrets and Lies of the Anthony Family

Tonight Dr. Drew tried to figure out what the hell is really going on with the Anthony family. I have to admit that Dr.Drew is the only cable show covering this trial that I feel tries to be fair about this whole real-life drama.

Cindy Anthony's revelations yesterday that she was the one who searched the Internet for "chloroform" and "neck-breaking" seemed like a mother who was trying to lie to save her daughter. Being that her testimony was changed from her depositions, which -by the way can be proved, she obviously was lying.

We get it that this family is crazy. The speculation is what is the big secret?

IS there a big secret? Or is this family so nuts that they will cover up a crime?

The biggest revelation to me is the idea that perhaps the defense has proved some reasonable doubt. Caylee could have drowned had that ladder really been left down.

To believe that George Anthony helped to cover up an accident makes no sense!!!!!

If Caylee did drown and Casey was alone with her and should have been watching her- IT was still an accident. Why would you dump your daughter's body and make up a story over an ACCIDENT????? 

Because your mom was so attached to your child that she would blame you? Really? I don't know people but I would love to hear your theories. I am so confused by all of this.

As Dr. Drew says, there are secrets in this family but are they relevant to this case? Or is Casey Anthony the monster that so many people think?

Leave me a comment. What do YOU think?

Family Secrets

Today's testimony was confusing to say the least. It was hard to figure out just where Jose Baez was going but once the day was over...I think I have figured a few things out.

There never was any thought in my mind that the Anthony family is a bit dysfunctional. (okay-more than a bit)

Today though, it became pretty clear that there are some huge secrets in this family. Could Casey REALLY have been telling the TRUTH about what happened to Caylee??????

Cindy Anthony was back on the stand, this time testifying to how Caylee could easily climb the ladder and get into the pool. As a mom of 5 who had an above-ground pool when I also had a toddler, I find this 100% believable. Pictures of Cindy walking up the ladder behind Caylee show that Cindy was being like any typical mom (or grandmom) making sure that she was there just in case. 

Jose Baez also grilled Cindy on whether or not Caylee would always wear shoes when she left the house. I really didn't get this line of questioning but I do now. Cindy said Caylee ALWAYS WORE SHOES. Like most toddler girls, she loved wearing shoes. 

HMMMMMM. WHY were there NO shoes found with her remains?????????


Why were the shorts that were found with the remains unrecognizable to Cindy? Because she hadn't seen them in a while- Caylee had grown out of them.

Cindy also said that Caylee could open the sliding door to get outside but there was NO WAY Caylee could open the gate to the backyard.

Cindy also testified that she told police that when she came home from work on June 16th, the gate was open and the ladder was by the pool- NOT OFF like SHE had left it the previous day.

Okay. That is good for the defense in part but what came next was better.

Next up was brother Lee Anthony. You remember Lee? Casey's defense says Lee tried to molest Casey. So, why did Lee seem to do all he could to protect his sister???

Lee broke down on the stand several times when he spoke about how he was excluded from Caylee's birth and how when he had confronted his mother about his suspicions that Casey was pregnant (he noticed the baby bump on more than one occasion) she dismissed him. 

He also said that he went to Jose Baez because there was something that Casey's defense needed to know and he knew that his parents were not going to give Jose the information. 

This was not revealed and prosecution couldn't ask Lee about it. 

So what is the BIG SECRET?????? One can only speculate and honestly, I still cannot conceive why Lee would help his sister's defense when he was thrown under the bus by them.

The connection between this brother and sister is weird. The connection between Cindy and Casey is weird.

There are family secrets here that they do not want to come out. It is obvious. THIS is what is drawing the public attention. The total and complete madness of this family dynamic is compelling.

Did George Anthony really molest Casey?

The way this family lies for each other really makes you wonder. Can they possibly be so disturbed that Casey really snapped afterwards?

OMG. I cannot believe that the defense is making me feel like Casey Anthony is not a monster. 

Many people out there can look at this family and if they are honest with themselves, they might see that the cast of characters is believable. 

Yes, people can be this damaged. Cindy Anthony talks about this granddaughter as if she was her child. She treated Caylee as HER child. There were so many secrets in this family.

Denial, anger, misplaced roles, and of course - LIES.

All I can say is WOW.  The truth may just be as ugly as Jose Baez dramatized it to be.  

A Mother's Love

A mother (most of them) will do anything to protect their child no matter what!

This is just one of the many reasons why people are so fascinated and drawn to this trial. 

Cindy Anthony loves her daughter Casey. There is absolutely no doubt. Why else would she get on the stand as a witness for the defense and lie.

Little does Cindy Anthony realize but her lies only hurt Casey Anthony. First of all, we see where Casey gets it from. Secondly, the jury knows she was lying. The prosecution just about accused her of lying. Certainly the jury figured it out. Cindy was trying to protect Casey.

I feel for her as a mother. I could not easily forgive my daughter for having any part in my grandchild's death. I certainly don't think it would be easy for me to lie for her. 

The bombshell of the day was that Cindy Anthony alleges that it was she who searched the family computer for chloroform and neck breaking. She changed her answers from the deposition that she had given to the prosecution saying that her memory is better now and also that they didn't ask her these questions specifically. Needless to say, after Cindy figured out that Casey was responsible for taking her granddaughter away from her she changed her tune about a lot.

The smell of a damn dead body in the car became just pizza rotting in the hot Florida heat. 

I get it. It is unimaginable to think that you could have raised a monster like Casey. Your beloved granddaughter's death was at your own daughter's hands. It is a nightmare. One nightmare that will not be over any time soon. 

George and Cindy Anthony Face the Truth

Mark Lippman, attorney for George and Cindy Anthony, made a statement last night where he said that his clients "do not think Casey is innocent" and they do not want to see their daughter get the death penalty.

To me, it is a great relief that these parents are finally accepting the truth about their daughter, as awful as it is, because I firmly believe that although denial is a coping mechanism, you cannot live your life in denial. The pain that these parents/grandparents are living with is unimaginable.

The attorney also said that they understand that the defense is trying to save their client's life but I wonder how they feel about George being blamed for taking part in a crime. They did deny any knowledge and disputed that anything the defense claimed took place.

Most parents cannot help but love their child no matter what but tough love comes into play when the child (adult or not) behaves in a way that is criminal or self-abusive. George and Cindy Anthony said they continue to stand by their child but I don't think that either of them will take the blame for her crime.

It is quite possible that Cindy Anthony will be called by the defense today. Updates on the day's testimonies later.

Rumours and Speculation

The Casey Anthony murder trial is like a soap opera/reality show that has gotten attention all over the globe.

The cast of characters are complex and as the defense continues to attempt to poke holes in the prosecution case, new rumors are circulating about possible witnesses.

One person people are speculating about is a woman who was in jail the same time as Casey. (she was in for driving on a suspended license) What makes her interesting is that she lost a child in a backyard drowning. Her child's grandfather found the body (sound familiar?) but 911 was called and there were no charges.

Could Casey have gotten the "idea" for her defense from hearing this story while behind bars?

The woman says she never had any conversations with Casey but jail walls are thin and it is possible that Casey overheard her talking about her story. The prosecution could use this in their rebuttal.

The other rumor is regarding a woman who says she had a relationship with George Anthony. Reports are conflicting about this woman. Some news reports are that she and George were "just friends" and others call it an "affair". The defense has this woman listed as a witness to further drag George Anthony's character into the mud.

This woman alleges that George Anthony told her that Caylee's death was an accident that snowballed out of control. Okay. She is using the same words Jose Baez did in his shocking opening statement. Do I believe this? No, I really don't. Why did she not come forward when Caylee was reported missing? Why did she not come forward when she first found out? 

Remember she is a witness for the defense. If she cared about Justice for Caylee, wouldn't she be a witness for the prosecution?

Meanwhile, Linda Kenney Bodan, who was formerly a member of Casey's defense team, has been making the rounds of the nighttime cable shows that seem to have dedicated all their programming to the trial. I despise defense attorneys. I cannot help myself. You can always create reasonable doubt but when you are doing so in a case where someone is obviously guilty of a horrendous crime, well, karma will get you.

She again was saying that there are so many "facts" that the public does not know. Really Linda? Well, what is Jose Baez waiting for? He bores us all with witnesses who are not proving anything and is holding onto the "proof" that Casey is innocent? That doesn't sound right to me. 

Personally I think Ms.Bodan is full of sh@t. She can say anything she wants to "spin" this but there is no real credible explanation for Casey Anthony's behavior. If there is- bring on the proof. 

Is a Mistrial Coming?

Jose Baez continues to "play games" even after Judge Belvin Perry threatened that he may be facing contempt charges at the end of the trial during Saturday's testimony.

Baez attempted to accuse the prosecution of not doing their job and honestly, the whole thing is getting real juvenile. It kind of reminds me of two kids blaming each other when confronted by their mom.

Judge Perry showed who's boss (again) and order a full day of court on this coming Saturday and told both sides that if the game playing is going to continue they will receive shorter lunch times in retaliation.

read more about this morning's fireworks here

Legal experts are saying that they doubt a mistrial will happen but in this case- who knows?

The justice system is set up in such a way that it overprotects defendants. Innocent until proven guilty but honestly, thanks to the outrageous amount of media coverage in this case Casey Anthony has already been convicted by the court of public opinion.

This is about the death of a little girl and the saddest part of getting justice for Caylee is that no matter what, we will never ever know the real truth about what happened to Caylee Marie Anthony.


My only hope is that Casey Anthony will pay for her part in this beautiful child's death. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she is responsible. For that, she needs to be punished.


UPDATE: After all the complaints by the judge that the defense and prosecution have been holding things up and the defense not having a witness to call for the day, the judge dismissed court until tomorrow morning. I feel sorry for this jury. I am sure that they just want to get this nonsense over with already. New prediction: a very quick deliberation will happen once the final arguments are given. ENOUGH ALREADY!

Fireworks at the Casey Anthony Trial

Saturday testimony in the Casey Anthony trial brought plenty of fireworks inside the courtroom. Jose Baez's first witness was cut short when the prosecution objected to his testimony. It seems that Baez failed to share information with the prosecution prior to this witness taking the stand which is in clear violation of the court order in this case.

Judge Perry took control of the proceedings by warning both Baez and the prosecution that he is fully aware of the game playing that is going on with both sides. He further warned Baez that because of his intentional actions regarding his first witness of the day he is contemplating contempt charges against Baez once the trial has concluded.

Jose Baez is inexperienced and this shows. He also is slick and that fact doesn't go unnoticed by the Judge.

Jose Baez next called Dr. Werner Spitz to the stand. Dr. Spitz did the second autopsy on Caylee's remains. This man has participated in over 60,000 autopsies in his career that spans over 40 years. He has worked on high-profile cases and is well-respected. (how does an indigent young woman pay for these experts?)

Anyhow, Dr. Spitz's opinion is that the duct tape was placed on the body after death and was not the cause of death.

(this blows the prosecution's case - if you believe him,that is)

Dr. Spitz also contraindicated Dr.G's testimony that because of the circumstances surrounding Caylee's disappearance (no one reporting her missing, being found discarded like trash and duct tape found on the skull) that once could conclude this was a homicide.

In Dr.Spitz's opinion - since no cause of death can be concluded, this could have been an accident. 

What do you think the jurors are thinking about this highly-educated, experienced forensic expert?

Maybe there is no medical scientific proof that shows how Caylee died but what about the circumstantial evidence?

Do you think the jury buys the defense's claims that Caylee drowned and her body was dumped by someone other than Casey? Does anyone really believe that Casey's lies about a mysterious (make-believe) nanny are just the delusions of a young woman so damaged from being a victim of sexual abuse that she is unable to tell the truth?

To me, this case just got very complicated. I agree with Dr.G that it may look like a homicide because of the duct tape on the skull.

Dr. Spitz also insists that there would be evidence on the duct tape. I disagree. The area was flooded, animals had ripped apart the remains, the duct tape was submerged, how could there be fingerprints?

He also said that he believes the scene was manipulated to look like a murder. Really? By whom? Ray Kronk the man who discovered Caylee's remains?

All I can say is that the defense team got themselves one helluva good expert in Dr.Spitz. His experience will make a jury question whether this was a murder at all. Does the jury have to buy the rest of the defense's story to acquit Casey?

As good as the prosecution is, they could not make Dr. Spitz look bad. Will this testimony be enough for Casey to walk free?

I also wonder if Cindy Anthony (who was in the courtroom) is thinking that maybe Casey didn't murder Caylee. 

Yes. I am sorry but, she said she is there for the truth. Can this witness make Casey look innocent|?

Day 21 More Bug Talk

Today Jose Baez called his own bug expert to testify in defense of Casey Anthony.

I am not going to get into the technical nature of this witness' testimony but honestly, sometimes an expert can get too technical with his testimony and bore the jury. Who decides that they are going to grow up to be a bug expert anyway??

On cross examination, prosecution may have been harsh but honestly, they needed to.
More about that another post...what was most upsetting is the rumor going around on talk television.

This witness testified that he was contacted by the defense team before Caylee's body was even identified. 

This eludes to the rumors that Jose Baez knew Caylee was dead and Casey had told him where the body was.

This is really upsetting. Another wild rumor was that Casey and her attorney were illegally taped during a jailhouse meeting and law enforcement knew the location of the body but couldn't do anything! Client/attorney privilege and illegal taping of their conversation could have set Casey free. HUH?

read more about why people are fascinated with Casey Anthony

It is hard for me to comprehend that while George and Cindy Anthony and thousands of people searched for Caylee, people other than CASEY knew the child was dead and her body laid rotting in an empty lot. 

That is just disgusting. How can someone defend a monster who would allow her body to suffer from the elements as if she were trash? How could they just let this child lay in a semi-flooded lot? Didn't she deserve better than this?

What is also disturbing is how people are getting into physical confrontations trying to get a seat inside the courthouse.

I understand the passion of wanting Justice for Caylee. I understand the outrage over a "mother" who knows what happened to her daughter. People came together to look for this child but fighting to get a ringside seat to view the monster in court? Sad. just sad.  

Defense Fights Back

Yesterday was 3 years since Caylee Anthony was last seen alive and the defense began to present its case.

Jose Baez called an FBI expert to the stand and showed that no blood or DNA was found in Casey's car, on the pants she was wearing on June 16th or on the duct tape found with Caylee's body.

Then the fireworks began when Jose brought up the paternity testing done by the FBI. He tried to show that it was the police investigators that requested that Lee Anthony (brother of Casey) was suspected to be Caylee's father.

First of all- what did this have to do with Caylee's disappearance? I get why Jose Baez is trying to bring this in...how else can he back up his client's claims of being sexually molested.

Unless the defense has some kind of bombshell (which I don't think they have), the jury is still going to wonder why did Casey Anthony (or her attorney) allowed her to stay in prison for almost 3 years if it was just an accident. WHY wouldn't he have gone to the police and said "hey, this is what happened"?

There is only one reason why. THE DEFENSE'S STORY (LIKE EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF CASEY'S MOUTH) IS A LIE! 

Request for an Acquittal

After the state rested its case, the defense made their plea for the judge to acquit Casey Anthony.

This is normal procedure and it was interesting to listen to defense attorney Cheney Mason argue his reasons why the prosecutions case against his client is based upon speculation.

Cheney Mason does make some good points. Here they are as I see them.

1- No one knows when Caylee died.

2-Although at least 18 witnesses testified to Casey's character, no one said that Casey was a bad mother.

3- Pre-meditation needs to be shown for a death penalty case. The prosecution was lacking in this area.

Are these three reasons enough? I don't know. This case is based upon a lot of speculation, coincidence and because of the lies of Casey Anthony we cannot believe a word that she says.

Today marks 3 years since Caylee Marie Anthony was last seen alive. As cable shows broadcast the last video taken of Caylee on Father's Day when she visited her great-grandfather, I watch this video and I feel sadness. What kind of a sick person would take the life of this sweet little girl?

I have watched Casey Anthony during these court proceedings. I like her even less than I did the first time I ever saw her when the first interrogations with police were broadcast almost 3 years ago.

Her coldness, her lies, her almost arrogant attitude just made me want to shake her. Even a mother who has not bonded properly with her child would have some level of emotion regarding a missing child. She had none then and she has none now.

Her phony tears are all about Casey. If Judge Perry indeed grants the judge's motion for acquittal, I guarantee Casey Anthony will not live happily ever after. There is far too much anger over this case for anyone to allow Casey to just go back to life as normal.

If the Judge does anything, I am sure that all he would do is perhaps reduce the murder charges but it really is unlikely.

Casey Anthony is a monster. I feel sorry for Cindy Anthony and for George Anthony. Their granddaughter is dead and they are going to have to live with knowing that their own daughter is responsible.Cindy Anthony's denial has been so strong (perhaps it is what gets her through the day) that even if a jury convicts her daughter will she be able to accept it as the truth?

The Prosecution Presents Its Last Witness

The prosecution finished up with its last witnesses today. Cindy Anthony testified to the items that were removed from the house during the police search. She was asked again about duct tape but could only recall seeing black duct tape and not the grey tape that the case seems to be hanging on. During cross examination, Jose Baez desperately tried to link the duct tape to George Anthony. I do say desperately. Cindy Anthony was the prosecution’s last witness and honestly, she seemed hesitant in her answers both to the prosecutor and to Jose Baez.

This is a woman caught in the middle. 

Her daughter is on trial for her life. The defense attorney has already accused her husband of molesting her daughter and called her family dysfunctional. The defense is desperately trying to make the jury think that her husband was involved somehow in covering up the death of her beloved granddaughter.

The prosecution is trying to prove that her daughter killed her granddaughter.

It’s got to be stressful to be Cindy Anthony.

Unlike Cindy’s earlier testimony which was highly emotional, during today’s testimony Cindy seemed to be more in control and careful about her responses. Is she trying to help her daughter? 

No one knows how it would be to be so torn like Cindy Anthony is. She had said that she and her husband wanted to be in the courtroom because they need to find out the truth. If Cindy Anthony is still trying to protect Casey, does this mean she still believes in Zanny the nanny???

Really? 

The final witness was the tattoo artist who famously tattooed “Bella Vita” on Casey’s left shoulder on July 2^nd, 2008. This was during the 31 days that Caylee hadn’t been seen. The tattoo artist said he had known Casey for about 7 years and like others, testified that Casey seemed “normal”.  Whatever normal is for Casey Anthony; everyone seemed to testify that during those 31 days Casey told no one that Caylee was missing or dead.

The prosecution is expected to finish up in the morning and then rest their case. The defense will begin on Thursday and it is anyone’s guess what they will do.

Will Casey Anthony testify? In his opening statement, Jose Baez said that the jury would hear about the sexual abuse Casey endured. Could you imagine what the prosecution would do with Casey Anthony on the stand?

In my opinion, it (Casey testifying) will never happen. According to the buzz, defense attorneys often make claims in their opening statements that they never make good on. Casey’s defense made a huge mistake when they attempted to turn this case into “an accident that snowballed into a big cover-up”. 

If it truly was an accident, why did Jose Baez allow his client to sit in jail for almost 3 years? Wouldn’t he have tried to get her out once he found out the “circumstances”? 

Time will tell if the jury buys what the prosecution presented. I certainly don’t think any of the jurors will buy Jose Baez’/Casey Anthony’s twisted tale.

A Monster Disguised as the Girl Next Door

The Heart shaped image on duct tape found on the skull of Caylee Anthony's remains is something that the defense fought to eliminate from the prosecution's evidence. Jose Baez stated that it was detrimental to his client.

You just have to laugh at defense attorneys. Of course it makes Casey Anthony look bad. 

We already know (testimony was given) that similar heart-shaped stickers were found in Casey's bedroom. If George Anthony disposed of the body as the defense claims, do you really think he took the time to go through Casey's stuff, find a heart-shaped sticker and put it on the duct tape that was placed over Caylee's mouth and nose?

What continues to fascinate people is the unfathomable idea that a seemingly "normal" looking young woman had no concern for this sweet little child.

During Saturday's testimony by a bug expert, Casey Anthony laughed out loud while Jose Baez debated whether it was "garbage" or "trash" that certain bugs were attracted to. This was after the expert was described the maggots and other bugs found with her daughter's skeletal remains.

Yes. She laughed. Not just once either. The kind of laugh that was almost an uncontrollable giggle. The look in her eyes while she laughed was chilling. They are discussing the bugs found feeding off of your dead child and Casey laughs??????

There are not words strong enough to describe what a monster Casey Anthony is. In my mind, there are no excuses for Caylee's death or Casey's actions. 

I guess what is the hardest lesson learned from this tragedy is that monsters can look just like the girl next door. They can come from families that are not perfect but what family is? 

 

Remembering Caylee

As the prosecution nears the end of presenting their case against Casey Anthony, we need to remember why this case is even happening. 

Caylee Marie Anthony was murdered.

There really is no doubt about that. Whether or not it was intentional (which I believe it was) does not change the fact that this beautiful little girl's life was cut short. 

We all saw the videos of Caylee, the last known videos and pictures ever taken. While visiting her great-grandfather she sang, held a book and reminded many of us of the sweet innocence of a 2 1/2 year old child. She reminded many of us of our own child or grandchild. 

Perhaps the joy that exploded from this little girl was part of why so many people were horrified by her disappearance and total lack of concern by her own mother. It is unfathomable.

Total strangers, thousands of them, volunteered their time to search for Caylee. When her body was found 6 months later, a nation mourned.

We all hope for Justice for Caylee. No matter what happens, Caylee is gone and the death penalty will not bring her back. We will never be able to understand how or why a mother would take the life of her child. 

Let us all try and remember that this trial is not about a narcissistic young woman. This trial is about seeking the truth and getting justice for Caylee.

Prosecution Almost Done

FBI latent print analyst testified today about the duct tape that was found on and near the remains of Caylee Anthony. Although she noticed an outline of a heart on the duct tape, she failed to document it by having it photographed. She did point it out to another analyst but when she completed her testing and went to photograph it, it was no longer visible.

Is this a blow to the prosecution? It depends upon your opinion. 

The defense did win an objection today. Hair analysis of samples that came from Caylee’s remains had been photographed and a powerpoint presentation was to be introduced into evidence. However, the prosecution failed to give this to the defense and the judge ruled that because of the late introduction, he ruled in favor of keeping it out.

The judge did make a surprising announcement today. He informed the jury that he expects deliberations in this case to begin sometime around June 25^th to the 27^th. 

The prosecution’s next witnesses had not yet arrived in town so court was adjourned early for the day. Court will resume tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1:00 in order to give enough time for the prosecutions witnesses to arrive.

After that, the judge expects the defense to present their case next week. There will be time for the state to redirect and then final statements will be given.

It is hard to believe that the prosecution is almost done with their case.

View highlights of today's testimony here

So what do you think? With the prosecution almost done presenting their case against Casey Anthony, do you think they have proved this death penalty case?

Defendant's Rights Vs. Witnesses Rights

Cindy and George Anthony were not in the courtroom yesterday nor are they today as testimony continues regarding the remains of their granddaughter. No one would expect them to be there. The pictures shown to those in the courtroom and jury are graphic. Sitting at home listening to the description is horrible enough.

Casey Anthony did not even look at the pictures that showed Caylee's skull and became so overwhelmed/ill that the judge recessed early. The judge really had no choice because had he told her to "suck it up" he would have been violating her rights to medical attention.

Meanwhile when Cindy Anthony was on the stand while they played the first 911 calls that she made, she was visibly sobbing and at times, put her head down on the stand. No one was concerned about the fact that this grieving grandmother appeared to be ill over listening to her calls. It was Cindy Anthony who turned to the judge and asked him for a break. The judge did allow a break so that she could compose herself.

Whatever you want to say about Cindy Anthony, she is not on trial here. Why was there no compassion shown to her when she had to testify to finding out that her precious granddaughter was missing?

I get that we have the ACLU that protects us but sometimes I wonder about the justice system.

The Anthony family is not done testifying. The prosecution will be calling them back to the stand. More torture is in store for this grieving family. Meanwhile Casey Anthony can sit and shed her fake tears. I believe that she should be forced to view the pictures of Caylee's remains. Maybe it will be enough to finally break her and make her tell the truth.

Telling the truth may not even be possible for Casey Anthony but it sure would give justice to Caylee. Ultimately, this is about the death of a little girl. It is not about Casey. Somehow, because of the way our justice system works, Casey can manipulate it to be about her by being too ill to sit in court.

Judge Recesses for the Day After Casey Falls "Ill"

After the afternoon break, the judge announced that Casey Anthony was ill and ended court for the day. This was after graphic pictures of Caylee's remains were shown all morning long.

Casey watched as different crime scene photos were shown. When the photos of Caylee's skull were shown, Casey Anthony put her head down and looked visibly upset. As the pictures continued with scenes of the duct tape that was wrapped on the mouth and nose area of the skull, Casey continued to not look at the photos, occasionally dabbing at her eyes.

(Cindy and George Anthony were not in the courtroom for this testimony when it was announced that the crime scene photos would be discussed.)

How does this play to the jury? Will the jurors feel sympathy for poor Casey the mother who was forced to sit and listen to the description of her daughter's remains while graphic photos were shown? Or will jurors feel that Casey's "illness" was due to her own guilt slapping her in her face over what she did to poor little Caylee?

The testimony (photos were not shown on television) was graphic. The discussion of how plants were growing into the remains, the clothing Caylee wore which had been disintegrated due to the elements, the description of the duct tape found covering what was Caylee's face and the other items found at the scene painted a picture of how this child was disposed of like trash.

Since we have already seen and heard Casey's lack of emotion, was her sudden illness just a ploy to win sympathy from the jury or was it because she may feel real guilt over what she did? What do you think?