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NOT GUILTY: Casey Anthony grins at most controversial verdict since OJ
Daily Mail ^ | 7/6/11 | John Stevens

Posted on 07/05/2011 5:08:33 PM PDT by Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears

Casey Anthony smiled with delight as she was today sensationally cleared of the murder of her two-year-old daughter Caylee in one of the most controversial verdicts since the OJ Simpson case.

Crowds gasped outside the courtroom as the 25-year-old mother was found not guilty of drugging her young daughter, suffocating her and dumping her body in overgrown woodland after a compelling six-week trial, which has seen a family torn apart by accusations of rape and incest.

Stunned Anthony hugged defence attorney Jose Baez when the jury's verdict was read after only ten hours of deliberation. As the jury left, a relieved Anthony, who had been facing the death penalty burst into tears of delight.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: anthony; caseyanthony; caylee; florida; murder
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To: Chaguito

We all understand that. Imagine that! Yet, legalese cannot escape the everyday reality. Not guilty means innocent, means falsely accused, like it or not. Otherwise, you are letting a murderer out on the street to murder again, because of your allegedly separate reality of the legal system. Sorry, it cannot work that way.


121 posted on 07/05/2011 9:35:19 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Let us prey!)
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To: a fool in paradise
There was a millionaire in Galveston some years back who got into an argument with his neighbor and killed him. He then chopped up the body and sank it in the ocean. He was only convicted of something like improper disposal or tampering with the body.

Interesting dude, Robert Durst. From the Wikipedia:

Fugitive

In 1973, Durst married Kathleen McCormack, who disappeared in 1982. On December 24, 2000, Durst's long-time friend, Susan Berman, was found murdered execution-style in her Benedict Canyon California house. Durst was questioned in both cases, but not charged in either one.[1]

In 2001, Durst was arrested in Galveston, Texas, shortly after body parts of his senior neighbor, Morris Black, were found floating in Galveston Bay, but he was released on bail. Durst missed his court hearing and was declared the nation's first billion-dollar fugitive. He was caught in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at a Wegmans Supermarket, after trying to steal a chicken sandwich and a Band-Aid, even though he had $500 cash in his pocket. A police search of his rented car yielded $37,000 in cash, two guns, marijuana, and Black's driver's license.[2]

These events inspired the 2010 film "All Good Things", the title of which is a reference to a health store of the same name set up by Durst and his wife in the 1970s.[3][4]

Trial

In 2003, Durst went on trial for the murder of Morris Black. He hired well-known defense attorney Dick DeGuerin and claimed self-defense. During cross-examination by Galveston District Attorney Kurt Sistrunk, Durst admitted to using a paring knife, two saws and an axe to dismember Black's body before dumping his remains in Galveston Bay.[5] The jury acquitted him of murder.[6]

In 2004, Durst pleaded guilty to two counts of bond jumping and one count of evidence tampering. As part of a plea bargain, he received a sentence of five years and was given credit for time served, requiring him to serve about three years in prison. [7][dead link]

Durst was paroled in 2005. The rules of his release required him to stay near his home; permission was required to travel.

Second arrest

In December 2005, Durst made an unauthorized trip to the boarding house where he killed Black and to a nearby shopping mall. At the mall, he ran into the presiding judge from his murder trial, Judge Susan Criss. Due to this incident, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles determined that Durst had violated the terms of his parole, and he was returned to jail.[8]. However he was released again from custody on March 1, 2006 [9].

Should have gone for the gold in Olympic skating.

122 posted on 07/05/2011 9:40:20 PM PDT by cynwoody
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To: jackv

Just because you “accidentally” kill someone does not mean that the charges got dropped from murder to involuntary manslaughter. If you can show that the victim was killed in the commission of an inherently dangerous felony (the definition of which various from state to state) you can get convicted of felony murder. If it is determined that defendant acted with such recklessness that the defendant shows a complete indifference to human life, you can be convicted of depraved heart murder, usually a second degree offense.


123 posted on 07/05/2011 9:53:59 PM PDT by ConservativeTeen (Proud Right Wing Extremist)
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To: When do we get liberated?
12 people sat through the entire case and agreed this woman, convicted in the media, was not guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt.

The verdicts are guilty beyond any reasonable doubt and not guilty. There is no not guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt. A verdict of not guilty simply means not proven. It does not mean innocent.

In Scotland, they have three verdicts: guilty, not proven, and not guilty. The latter two amount to acquittal. However, not guilty asserts that the jury believes the defendant is truly innocent (or that the law is unjust, and they do not deign to apply it). If this trial had been in Scotland, the verdict would presumably have been not proven.

124 posted on 07/05/2011 9:54:46 PM PDT by cynwoody
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To: Revolting cat!

“Not guilty means innocent, means falsely accused, like it or not.”

You are wrong.

And it’s not ‘my’ allegedly separate reality of the legal system. And it indeed does work out that way. Did you bother to check the link I provided?


125 posted on 07/05/2011 9:59:02 PM PDT by Chaguito
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To: Mr. Silverback

Excellent points all. And, had you or I been seated on the jury, we may have indeed made a different decision.


126 posted on 07/05/2011 10:07:22 PM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: garypolitze
The child fell in the pool and the family panicked for fear that they were negligent.

Their actions afterward then make no sense.

127 posted on 07/05/2011 11:43:30 PM PDT by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: jackv
No one can say she murdered that child for sure, even tho she was behaving despicable after the fact.

She acted just like she murdered her child.

128 posted on 07/05/2011 11:45:22 PM PDT by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: jackv
My guess is she died in the trunk of the car. A horrid accident that she could not admit, hence the drowning theory. Regardless it was accidental. They should have charged her with negligent homicide.

As was explained, that would still be felony murder. Killed during the act of child abuse. A reasonable person would know chloroform or locking in the trunk, not to mention duct taping, could cause death. Felony murder even if it was accidental.

129 posted on 07/05/2011 11:53:16 PM PDT by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: livius
We really don't need jury trials anymore. We just need cable TV to whip up sentiment and we can all vote a verdict like it's "American Idol."

Let's start with those posting on this site who are someday accused.

130 posted on 07/06/2011 3:11:37 AM PDT by NoControllingLegalAuthority (What this country needs is an enema.)
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To: Sam Clements

How do you prove “means” when you don’t know how the person was killed? How do you prove “opportunity” when you don’t know where the person was killed? How do you prove MURDER when you have no prove the death wasn’t from natural or accidental causes.

I hate this case, but you can put your emotional blubbering bs away with me. The prosecution had very little real proof that Casey Anthony was anything worse than a liar and a scumbag.


131 posted on 07/06/2011 3:15:45 AM PDT by politicalmerc (The whole earth may move, but God's throne is never shaken. I think I'll stand by Him..)
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To: garypolitze
It is truly a great day for justice.

Wow, even being aquitted for child endangerment ? You are a tool!!!!!! And maybe as sick as the Anthony family. Roe v. Wade was probably a great day for justice too huh?

132 posted on 07/06/2011 3:36:32 AM PDT by catfish1957 (Hey algore...You'll have to pry the steering wheel of my 317 HP V8 truck from my cold dead hands)
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To: reaganaut
Noob, you are an idiot. There was no proof that she died in the swimming pool, not even close.

While you are calling people noobs, consider this: There is no NEED to prove she died in a swimming pool. The important fact is that there is no PROOF she was murdered.

Look, I agree this "mother" is a pile of pond scum, and I agree she is very likely a murdering bitch, but unfortunately there is room for doubt because there is no proof SHE did it.

So before you start throwing around names, get it straight. The burden is on the prosecution. They can't even prove the girl was MURDERED, much less who did it.

133 posted on 07/06/2011 3:58:10 AM PDT by politicalmerc (The whole earth may move, but God's throne is never shaken. I think I'll stand by Him..)
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To: Repeal 16-17
I hope she didn’t do it, because I’d hate to think she got away with murder.

Have no fear. GOD keeps the books and He will meet out JUSTICE in His own time and His own way. The murderer will be punished.

134 posted on 07/06/2011 4:01:14 AM PDT by politicalmerc (The whole earth may move, but God's throne is never shaken. I think I'll stand by Him..)
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To: KevinB

The internet searches could not be tied to her. Many people had access to those computers.


135 posted on 07/06/2011 4:04:17 AM PDT by politicalmerc (The whole earth may move, but God's throne is never shaken. I think I'll stand by Him..)
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To: tennmountainman

No one but the biological father (whoever he is) has the standing to sue her for wrongful death. The grandparents really don’t have standing. And if they did they can’t prove a great deal of damages.


136 posted on 07/06/2011 4:07:37 AM PDT by politicalmerc (The whole earth may move, but God's throne is never shaken. I think I'll stand by Him..)
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To: piytar

Thank you.


137 posted on 07/06/2011 4:08:57 AM PDT by politicalmerc (The whole earth may move, but God's throne is never shaken. I think I'll stand by Him..)
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To: Mr. Silverback

She didn’t “admit anything under oath” because she didn’t testify. Her attorneys put her defense out, she didn’t.


138 posted on 07/06/2011 4:15:26 AM PDT by politicalmerc (The whole earth may move, but God's throne is never shaken. I think I'll stand by Him..)
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To: NorthStarStateConservative
it just means she was slimy enough to create enough reasonable doubt to confuse the jury.

I don't think it took much to confuse this jury, when you read the background on each one and thier statements when questioned. You'd think there would be certain qualifications for one to be even considered to serve which would eliminate those with criminal records, as an example. More than one seems to have had their own problems with the law.

139 posted on 07/06/2011 4:36:21 AM PDT by caww
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To: alice_in_bubbaland

The family was on self-destruct long before this trial. It couldn’t be any other way with Casey as a member and living there. George had already walked away before this and nobody would blame him for doing so now. I’d actually encourage him to do just that...the sooner the better.

I’m still trying to get my head around how this jury came to the conclusions they did in such a short time. There was so much evidence you’d think they would have asked some questions. Maybe they just all wanted to get home.


140 posted on 07/06/2011 4:42:22 AM PDT by caww
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