FILICIDE (jury said not): Florida: Casey Anthony declared not guilty by jury

By John Stevens :  6th July 201

The sensational acquittal of Casey Anthony sparked outrage across the U.S. today with one legal expert comparing the trial’s outcome to the infamous verdict in the OJ Simpson case.With the 25-year-old defendant poised to sell her story for millions, commentators savaged the jury for failing to find her guilty of the murder of her daughter Caylee.
Former Michigan Prosecutor Carl Marlinga said the verdict was: 'Like the OJ Simpson case - a clear failure of the jury system.'
'Just because we say the jury system we have is the best, that doesn’t make it perfect.'
Meanwhile TV presenter and legal expert Nancy Grace said 'the devil was dancing' after the jury returned not guilty verdicts.

Cleared: Verdict: Casey Anthony stands with her lawyer Jose Baez as she is sensationally found not guilty of all but four lesser charges

Delighted: Casey Anthony shows her excitement as she is found not guilty

Relief: Casey Anthony celebrates with her defence lawyer after their victory, which has stunned America

Caylee Anthony: Her mother Casey has been acquitted of all charges except misleading the police investigation

No firm deals have been struck to tell Anthony's story, although talk shows, book publishers and film makers will be lining up to secure interviews and rights to a story that has gripped and fascinated a nation.
A jury of seven woman and five men took ten hours to clear her of charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Anthony smiled with delight as she was cleared of the murder of Caylee, after one of the most controversial verdicts in recent history.
Hundreds of people outside the Orange County Courtroom in Orlando, Florida, gasped yesterday as the verdict was made public.
Anthony had been accused of drugging her young daughter, suffocating her and dumping her body in overgrown woodland.
The verdict, which came as a surprise to many following the case, drew a dramatic line under a compelling trial, which has seen a family torn apart by accusations of rape and incest.
Speaking to the Detroit Free Press, former prosecutor Mr Marlinga said he was 'shocked.....stunned and a little bit sickened' by the jury's decision'.
He said: 'I’ve probably never seen a better circumstantial case.
'Juries have to find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.That doesn’t mean beyond all doubt.'
He added the prosecution overplayed Anthony as a party girl.

 

He said: 'A guilty person would have kept a low-profile, would have immediately reported the supposed kidnapping and immediately disposed of the body.

'They tried to pretend that the weakness was a strength. Sometimes the prosecution tries to whistle past the graveyard.
'They could have painted a more coherent case that the girl died as the result of child abuse.'
Anthony, who had been facing the death penalty, hugged defence attorney Jose Baez when the jury's verdict was revealed. As the jury left, she burst into tears.

Confident: Defence attorney Cheney Mason gestures toward reporters peering through a restaurant window across the street from the Orange County Courthouse

The jury accepted Anthony's account of events that Caylee drowned in the family pool on June 16.
She had initially claimed her daughter had been kidnapped, but on the opening day of the trial, the defence team made the surprise claim that the toddler had died in an accident.
The defence accused Anthony's father George Anthony of sexually abusing her as a child, and suggested the dysfunctional relationship explained Casey's behaviour after her own daughter's death. Mr Baez acknowledged Anthony's actions as 'bizarre' and 'inappropriate'.
Four days after the defence claim Caylee died, Anthonyparaded in a 'hot body' contest at a nightclub and friends said she showed no signs of distress, anxiety or depression.
Mr Baez had told the court that Mr Anthony had a role in disposing of the body and bullied his daughter into keeping it all secret.
On the final day of the trial, ABC news reported Anthony silently mouthing either 'it's not his fault' or 'because it's his fault' while prosecutors said she was trying to pin the death on her father.
After jurors heard Anthony's mother Cindy may have left a ladder in the pool where the child allegedly drowned, prosecutors said: 'Casey Anthony would have you believe that this is all her mother's fault anyway for leaving the ladder down, let's twist the knife in my mum a little bit more.'
Casey reportedly mouthed: 'I never said anything like that, it wouldn't have been my mum.'
After such a harrowing trial it has emerged that George and Cindy Anthony are not sure if they would welcome Casey back into the family. Following the surprise verdict, they walked out of the courtroom in silence.

THE VERDICT

Anthony faced seven charges
First-degree murder NOT GUILTY
Aggravated child abuse NOT GUILTY
Aggravated manslaughter of a child NOT GUILTY
Four counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer:
-That she worked at Universal Orlando in 2008 GUILTY
-That she left Caylee with a babysitter named Zenaida Fernandez Gonzalez GUILTY
-That she told Jeffrey Hopkins and Juliette Lewis that Caylee was missing GUILTY
-That she received a phone call from Caylee on July 15 2008 GUILTY

In a statement they said: 'While the family may never know what has happened to Caylee Marie Anthony, they now have closure for this chapter of their life. They will now begin the long process of rebuilding their lives.
'Despite the baseless defence chosen by Casey Anthony, the family believes that the jury made a fair decision based on the evidence presented, the testimony presented, the scientific information presented and the rules that were given to them by the Honourable Judge Perry to guide them.

'The family hopes that they will be given the time by the media to reflect on this verdict and decide the best way to move forward privately.'

Their lawyer said it was too early to say if they would welcome Casey back. The couple are reported to be in hiding after receiving death threats.
Dodging the larger charges of murder and child abuse, Casey was found guilty of four lesser counts of lying to investigators, which carry a maximum of one year per count.
As she has already served three years in jail, she is likely to walk free almost immediately. Last night she returned to Orange County jail, where she will wait for sentencing on Thursday at 9am.
As Casey walked into the courtroom to hear her fate at just after 2pm she looked very nervous. She bit her nails anxiously as she spoke to Mr Baez, while her parents watched quietly from the audience.
But as the clerk of the court read the verdicts, her eyes turned red as she tried to fight back the tears. Once all the verdicts were read out she hugged Mr Baez and began to cry.
Later, as the judge spoke to the jury, she could be seen mouthing 'Thank you' to Mr Baez and smiling, before the whole defence team hugged in tears as the session ended.
In a bizarre speech given after the verdict, Mr Baez appeared shaken with emotion as he shamelessly declared that his defence had 'saved a life'.

Approaching the judge: Casey and Mr Baez approach the podium to hear Judge Belvin Perry confirm that she is not guilty of murder charges

Group hug: Casey's defence team embrace each other and Casey after the tension of the six-week trial is dramatically lifted

Overwhelmed: Casey is overcome with emotion following her acquittal of murder charges. Smiling but also emotionally drained, she is helped by a member of the defence team

EVEN THE CLERK COULD NOT BELIEVE IT

The clerk who read the verdict in the Casey Anthony murder trial was left speechless today when she saw the 'not guilty' verdict.
Judge Belvin Perry handed the clerk the verdict to read to the Orlando court, saying: ‘Will the defendant rise along with counsel. Madame clerk you may publish the verdicts.’
The clerk, accepted the printed verdicts and began reading.
But she was immediately rendered speechless after seeing the jury’s verdict.
After an uncomfortable silence she appeared to regain her composure and declared Anthony not guilty.

He told the media he was 'very happy for Casey. I'm ecstatic for her and I want her to be able to grieve and grow and somehow get her life back together' but spent much of the speech focused on how the moment felt for him.
He used to opportunity to speak out against Casey's 'trial by media' and the death penalty, which he labelled 'disgusting', before saying: 'I want to thank everyone who stood behind me and supported me throughout this time.'

STATE PROSECUTOR QUITS AFTER CASE

Jeff Ashton, one of the three prosecutors who led the case against Anthony, announced tonight that he will retire at the end of the week.
Mr Ashton, 53, has prosecuted for the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office for 30 years.
His reputation and experience was in stark contrast to that of Jose Baez, Anthony's lead defence attorney, who was admitted to the Florida Bar only three years ago.

The speech then reached its climax as, holding back tears, Mr Baez declared that he was especially proud that when he went home that evening when his daughter 'will ask me what did you do today and I can say I saved a life'.
Prosecutors issued a pointed statement after the verdict, saying that despite the not guilty finding 'we kept our promise that we would be finding and proving the truth' about Caylee’s murder.
Appearing outside the courthouse, Lawson Lamar, state attorney in the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida, paid tribute to the 'precision case' compiled by his team and by investigators, but said that the six months it took to find Caylee’s remains, by which time they had decomposed, ultimately cost them the case.
He said: 'I never, ever criticise a jury. There is the task of deciding what to believe.
'Reasonable doubt goes to each and every element in a case, especially in a case like this, which is a mosaic to prove, with no smoking gun and a tiny victim who was reduced by time and the elements to skeletal remains.

Party time: Casey Anthony defence attorneys Jose Baez, left, and Cheney Mason, right, enjoy drinks with other members of the defence team

Stonefaced: Cindy and George Anthony were the first to leave the courtroom, with their attorney Mark Lippman, after their daughter was found not guilty of murder

'This was a "dry bones" case - very, very difficult to prove…The delay in recovering little Caylee’s remains worked to our considerable disadvantage.'
'We are disappointed with the verdict today and surprised, because we know the facts and we put in every piece of evidence that existed. Our team did an exemplary job.'
Despite Anthony’s claim that Caylee’s death was a pool drowning accident, Mr Lamar still referred to it as a 'homicide'.
He said: 'This case has never been about the defendant, particularly. It has always been about seeking justice for Caylee and speaking on her behalf… We kept our promise that we would be finding and proving the truth about this child homicide.'

Disbelief: Spectators react to the news that Casey Anthony is innocent

Shock: Disbelief can be seen on the faces of people in the crowd outside the Orange County Courthouse. One spectator held up a sign calling Casey a 'Baby Killer'

Aghast: Nancy Antolini looks overwhelmed after hearing the verdict as she stands outside the court house

Fascination: Crowds of hundreds gathered at the Orange County Courthouse to hear the verdict

Mr Lamarr said that lead prosecutor Linda Drane-Burdick put together a 'precision case' and colleague Jeff Ashton 'presented wonderful scientific evidence.'
He insisted that the state had 'gathered the facts' but adding nonetheless: 'I’d like to thank the jury for their contribution to justice. The task they were asked to complete was difficult.'
He said: 'We did our job. The jury did their job. This is justice in America. We go forward to fight again tomorrow with grateful thanks to all the people who have helped us do our duty.'
Jurors in the trial refused to account publicly for their verdict, leaving Orange County courthouse in a bus to head for home as the judge issued an order protecting their identities.
The members of the jury were asked by a court clerk whether they wished to speak, then left alone to decide their answer. 'When I came back, it was a universal ‘No’, the clerk explained.
A crowd of several hundred people, some carrying placards, rallied outside the courthouse chanting 'We want Casey', some expressing anger at the verdict and others relief.
As people surged forward police shouted at them to ‘back up’ and move away from the building. One young woman collapsed in the heat.
After the verdict became public, many in the crowd shouted 'Justice for Caylee' and 'Baby Killer'.
Mounted police and squad cars were also posted outside the Anthony's home as protesters gathered outside to demonstrate against the decision.

At the spot on Suburban Drive, Orlando, where Caylee’s remains were found on December 11, 2008, a stream of people arrived to lay flowers and soft toys in her memory.

Tributes: A shrine has started to be built at the place where Caylee's body was found

The verdict that shocked America: People stop to see the news announced in Times Square, New York

Some heard the verdict over the radio as they stood at the place where her skull and bones were found scattered. 'She got away with murder,' one woman said at the scene.
Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings issued an appeal for public calm. 'As a verdict has been rendered, we ask our community to respect the decision the jury and the court have made today. In doing so, we ask for your continued peaceful acknowledgement of that verdict,' he said.
'I ask this community that regardless of one’s personal beliefs about the innocence or guilt of Casey Marie Anthony, that you maintain peaceful resolve.'
The trial has captivated the country, producing some of the most sensational scenes inside and outside U.S. courts hearings in recent decades.

Fights broke out outside the court room as people queued to watch the case, and a court house spectator was jailed for six days for contempt of court after he gestured at the prosecution.

As tension built in the courtroom, both attorneys were threatened with being kicked off the case by the judge, and proceedings were stopped after the defence claimed that Casey was not mentally competent to continue.

Prosecutors claimed Casey spun an astonishingly complex web of lies to cover her tracks as she partied for a month after her daughter's disappearance.

LEGAL VIEW: HOW WAS SHOCK VERDICT REACHED?

By Professor Deborah Denno - Fordham University
Jurors are in the courtroom day after day and experience a trial in a way no other news commentator, etc can.
'Proof beyond a reasonable doubt' is a difficult standard to reach, particularly in a case that depends entirely on circumstantial evidence.
Although the news said that Casey Anthony was 'hated', the jurors of course looked at the facts differently.
The speed of their deliberation suggests that there was little if any disagreement among them.

They claimed Casey drove around for several days with Caylee's body in her car trunk and then dumped the remains in woods near the Anthony family home.
Caylee was last seen on June 16, 2008, when Casey left the family home with her, but it was not until a month later that police were notified that she was missing.
Prosecution evidence suggested Casey lied to friends and family about Caylee's whereabouts while she spent time hanging out with her boyfriend, dancing at nightclubs, shopping and getting tattoos.
The single mother gave her parents various excuses as to why they could they could not see Caylee, including: that the girl was with a nanny named Zanny; that she and her daughter were spending time in Jacksonville with a rich boyfriend; and that Zanny had been hospitalised after an out-of-town accident and they were spending time with her.
Finally on July 15 after hearing her daughter's car had been towed, Cindy Anthony confronted Casey and called 911 to report her daughter missing.
In in a distressed call she told the operator that her granddaughter had been missing for a month and that she had found her daughter's car that days and 'it smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car.'

When Casey got on the phone, she claimed that her nanny, Zenairda Fernandez-Gonazalez, who was later shown not to exist, had taken Caylee.
She said that she had not reported her missing sooner because she was trying to find her herself, which she admitted was 'stupid'.
The kidnap claim triggered a national search for the toddler and on October 14 2008 Anthony was indicted for murder.
Then on December 11, 2008, the search for Caylee ended when her skeletal remains were found in woods with duct tape hanging from her skull.

Throughout the trial, the public had become fascinated by every move of Casey as they tried to decide could this woman have killed her own two-year-old daughter.
They wanted to hear her testimony but, on day 32 of the trial - as the defence team rested its case - Casey told the judge that she would not be taking to the witness stand.

MEET THE JURY: THE TWELVE PEOPLE WHO CLEARED ANTHONY

The jurors' identities have been protected and they have been sequestered in an Orlando hotel because of the profile of the case, but there are some details to who are these men and women who ultimately decided if Casey Anthony lived or dead.
Juror 1: A female retired nurse who is married with two children
Juror 2: A male information technology worker who is married with two children
Juror 3: A female nursing school student who is single and has no children
Juror 4: A single woman with no children whose occupation is unknown
Juror 5: A female retired hospital nurse's aide who is divorced with three children
Juror 6: A male chef and restaurant equipment company representative who is married with two children
Juror 7: A female child welfare administration assistant who is divorce and has no children
Juror 8: A female Verizon service representative who is married with two children
Juror 9: A male unemployed former logger who is single and has no children
Juror 10: A male Verizon retention specialist who has no children. It is not known if he is married
Juror 11: A male high school PE teacher who is single and has no children
Juror 12: A female Publix cook who is married with two children

Ripped apart: What next for the Anthonys?

Torn apart: The family of George and Cindy Anthony has been torn by the accusations

At the centre of the trial has been a family ripped apart by accusations of incest, rape, adultery and murder. George and Cindy Anthony have always been torn by their roles as both family members of the victim and the parents of the accused, but the shock allegations made during the opening of the trial have completely rocked the family.
Casey's parents, who have been married for 30 years, publicly supported their daughter from her initial arrest in 2008, as they continued to lead the search for their missing granddaughter, to the start of the murder trial.
They have funded Casey's defence lawyers, despite facing threats of foreclosure on their Orlando home - where they have lived since 1989. The couple have sold home videos and photographs of Caylee, which reportedly sold for around $200,000, to organisations including ABC News to help pay for fees.
But the defence accused George Anthony of sexually abusing his daughter from the age of eight, a claim he has strenuously denied.
Defence lawyer Jose Baez also suggested Mr Anthony had a role in disposing the body of little Caylee, aclaim Mr Anthony also denies.
During the trial, the defence also questioned whether tests had been conducted to determine whether Casey Anthony's brother Lee was in fact the father of Caylee.
The judge ruled that no evidence of sexual abuse was presented and prohibited both sides from mentioning the issue in their closing arguments.
The family have denied the defence's account of events that Caylee drowned in their pool.

Cindy Anthony was accused of lying under oath to protect her daughter from the death penalty, when she testified that it was her who had made repeated Google searches for chloroform and neck injuries on the home computer not daughter Casey.
Prosecutors rebutted the claims, citing testimony from Casey's employer, which they claimed she logged on to her computer at work at the time of the searches.


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