By KYLE HIGHTOWER, Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. — Casey Anthony was found not guilty today of killing her 2-year-old daughter in a case that captivated the nation as it played out on national television from the moment the toddler was reported missing three years ago.
Anthony, 25, wept after the clerk read the verdict, which jurors reached after less than 11 hours of deliberation over two days. She was charged with first-degree murder, which could have brought the death penalty if she had been convicted.
Instead, she was convicted of only four counts of lying to investigators looking into the June 2008 disappearance of her daughter Caylee. Her body was found in the woods six months later and a medical examiner was never able to determine how she died.
She will be sentenced by the judge on Thursday and could receive up to a year in jail for each lying count.
After the verdict was read, Casey Anthony hugged her attorney Jose Baez and later mouthed the words “thank you” to him. Prosecutor Jeff Ashton, meanwhile, shook his head in disbelief.
Anthony’s parents left the courtroom without speaking to her as the judge thanked the jury.
“While we’re happy for Casey, there are no winners in this case,” Baez said at a news conference after the hearing. “Caylee has passed on far, far too soon and what my driving force has been for the last three years has been always to make sure that there has been justice for Caylee and Casey because Casey did not murder Caylee. It’s that simple. And today our system of justice has not dishonored her memory by a false conviction.”
Anthony’s attorneys claimed that the toddler drowned accidentally in the family swimming pool, and that her seemingly carefree mother in fact was hiding emotional distress caused by sexual abuse from her father.
Prosecutors contended that Caylee was suffocated with duct tape by a mother who loved to party, tattooed herself with the Italian words for “beautiful life” in the month her daughter was missing and crafted elaborate lies to mislead everyone from investigators to her own parents.
Captivated observers camped outside the courthouse to jockey for coveted seats in the courtroom gallery, which occasionally led to fights among those desperate to watch the drama unfold.
Anthony did not take the stand during the trial, which started in mid-May. Because the case got so much media attention in Orlando, jurors were brought in from the Tampa Bay area and sequestered for the entire trial.
Baez conceded that his client had told elaborate lies and invented imaginary friends and even a fake father for Caylee, but he said that doesn’t mean she killed her daughter.
“They throw enough against the wall and see what sticks,” Baez said of prosecutors during closing arugments. “That is what they’re doing ... right down to the cause of death.”
He tried to convince jurors that the toddler accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool and that when Anthony panicked, her father, a former police officer, decided to make the death look like a murder by putting duct tape on the girl’s mouth and dumping the body in woods about a quarter-mile away.
Her father firmly denied both the cover-up and abuse claims. The prosecution called those claims “absurd,” saying that no one makes an accident look like a murder.
Lead prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick concluded the state’s case by showing the jury two side-by-side images. One showed Casey Anthony smiling and partying in a nightclub during the month Caylee was missing. The other was the tattoo she got a day before her family and law enforcement first learned of the child’s disappearance.
“At the end of this case, all you have to ask yourself is whose life was better without Caylee?” Burdick asked. “This is your answer.”
Prosecutors hammered on the lies Anthony, then 22, told from June 16, 2008, when her daughter was last seen, and a month later when sheriff’s investigators were notified. Those include the single mother telling her parents she couldn’t produce Caylee because the girl was with a nanny named Zanny — a woman who doesn’t exist; that she and her daughter were spending time in Jacksonville, Fla., with a rich boyfriend who doesn’t exist; and that Zanny had been hospitalized after an out-of-town traffic crash and that they were spending time with her.
It's not what you know, it's what you can prove!
Don't forget Caylee.
I know she got away with murder. RIP Caylee.
We have a new OJ
They proved the child was dead, they proved the mother was a chronic liar. They didn't prove mom did it, how she died, where she died. Maybe mom did it, maybe she didn't. First time a common person (non-celebrity) tried by Nancy Grace and her talking heads on TV before the trial got off.
LISTEN TO LIBERTARIAN4FREEDOM...WHAT BS...HES FULL OF DID...THE BEAUTY OF DEMOCRACY....THINK I'M GOING TO THROW UP LOL LOL LOL..GLAD A PERSON CAN BE FOUND NOT GUILTY WHEN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION THINK YOU DID IT....LOL LOL LOL
FOLKS THIS WHY I MOCK LIBERTARIAN...AND THERE ARE MANY MORE LIKE HIM....SEE WHATSNOTTAKEN HAVE FALLIN FOR THE SAME BULL...LOL LOL LOL...GOD HELP AMERICA!!....THE MAN CANT STOP LYING LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
HEY LIBERTARIAN4FREEDOM....REMEMBER OJ!!!! LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
ESALETNIK...YOU ARE VERY SMART...ITS A GAME..SEE YOU GET IT!!!!
GOD HAVE MERCY ON LIBERTARIAN4FREEDOM AND WHATSNOTTAKEN...STILL BELEIVE IN SANTA CLAUS AND EASTER BUNNY.LOL LOL LOL
Regardless of whether she killed her daughter or not, this girl is one sick puppy. She needs to be locked up in a psychiatric hospital where she can possibly get some help.
Apparently they did not prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the baby was murdered. If you can't prove that the child was murdered, than you have no case for murder.
Like it or not, there was reasonable doubt that she killed that baby.
YOU ARE PRO BS TOO......YOU LOVES TO USE LABELS....YOU DIDNT SAY THAT ON OJ VERDICT...AND YOU KNOW YOU DIDNT..SO STOP LYING FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE...I KNOW I GET UNDER YOUR SKIN BUT YOU ARE SUCH A PHONY!!
LIBERTARIAN4FREEDOM...YOU WOULD USE FOX AS YOUR EXAMPLE LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL...WHAT A BIRD BRAIN!...FOX HAVE A COMMONALITY...AND THIS IS NOT COINCIDENTAL....LOOK AT FOX HISTORY...99% OF THE TIME...FOX WILL RULE AGAINST A BLACK....LOL LOL LOL
I KNEW THE HOCKEY PLAYER WAS INNOCENT...BUT ALSO KNEW THEY WOULD HAVE ALOT OF PEOPLE COMING TO THEIR RESCURE...I REMEMBER TELLING MY CLOSE FRIEND WHO IS WHITE THAT THE HOCKEY PLAYER WERE BEING SET-UP
IT TRY TO BE CONSISTENT ...I'M NOT LIKE LIBERTARIAN...CHANGE WITH GENDER, RACE, POLITICAL PARTY, INCOME BRACKET...
I WILL LET YOU IN ON SOMETHING....YOUR VERDICT RELYS ON JURY SELECTION........99% OF THE TIME....JUST LIKE OJ....THE SYSTEMS IS RIGGED...DO YOU STILL WANT TO BELIEVE IN EASTER BUNNY
"This is the beauty of living in a real Democracy unlike Mexico where you're guilty until proven innocent."
Lib4, being guilty until proven innocent happens all the time in America's judicial system. It still boils down to class and race. Then the fact that Casey's dad is a retired cop surely played a role too. Based on your past posts, if this had been the case where a person of color was charged, you'd been the first to declare them guilty and cry why waste the taxpayers money on a trial. Just take'em out and SHOOT'EM!
If it don't fit you must acquitted..... Get the HE// over it.
Beyond a reasonable doubt is the LAW
The news media cares, webman. Big time. Big bucks in accusing an innocent person of killing her ba-a-aby...now if she had just aborted, there wouldn't be any of this media-fed controversy.
As the prosecutor said afterwards; he did his job, the defense did their job, and the jury did theirs. The system functioned as designed.
What happened to webman's post? Someone's feeling get hurt?
Prosecution over-reached on this case, it was never a death penalty case. CMA was guilty of having a role in what was most likely an accidental/negligent death in which she played a role, then participated in a cover up. There was no way to prove premedication in a death where this is no cause of death, or irrefutable evidence.
The real problem with our judicial system is the role of the jury. It is difficult, if not impossible, to get 12 intelligent people seated on a jury. Juries these days are often the worst of us, lawyers don't want people who can think on the jury. Also you must remember, they draw jurists from the voting lists and look what we have allowed to happen to our society through the people we have elected.
WHERE ARE THE SO-CALL PRO-LIFERS.LOL LOL LOL...THIS IS WHY I REJECT BULL S.....
OH WHERE OH WHERE ARE THE PRO-LIFERS....SOMEWHERE HIDING....THE CHILD LIFE HAVE NO VALUE....ONLY A EGG AND SPERM...THEN ALL HELL WILL BREAK-OUT
iF THIS NOT A DEATH PENALTY CASE...THEN HALF THE GUYS ON DEATH ROW NEED TO BE LET OUT...
CONGRAULATION CASEY! YOUR TACTIC WORKED...YOU CAN PARTY NOW GIRL AND HOOK UP WITH A NEW BOY FRIEND....NO ATTACHMENTS BABE!...NO BABY IN THE WAY OF YOUR GOOD TIME....BECAUSE ITS ALL ABOUT ME..ME..ME..ME..ME!
THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD GET A JURY OF YOUR PEERS(SOMEONE WHO SEE THEMSELVES WHEN LOOKING AT YOU
PROSECUTION OVER REACTED...Hmmmm ITS THE PROSECUTION FAULT!!! I DONT THINK SO...NO MORE THAN IT WAS THE PROSECUTION FAULT WITH OJ...ITS YOUR JURY...OJ ATTORNEY WAS SMART ENOGH TO REALIZE IT....YOU WILL WIN OR LOSE WITH THE CHOOSING OF YOUR JURY..
With a father as a retired police officer, why go to such extremes to cover up an accidental drowning by tossing your baby away like disposable garbage? Then proceed to blame it on some mystery woman with a Hispanic sounding name? Sounds like another case like Charles Stewart(murdered his pregnant wife), Susan Smith(murdered her two children)and tried to pin it all on someone of another race. Did she learn that cover up technique from her police dad?
chetchet123 said...+"iF THIS NOT A DEATH PENALTY CASE...THEN HALF THE GUYS ON DEATH ROW NEED TO BE LET OUT..._+
I completely agree, chet. Unfortunately, too many sitting on deathrow aren't middle classed white with a father as a cop. Most on deathrow are poor white and even poorer minority.
America will never sentence as cute little white middle-classed chic to death, even if one had gotten caught red-handed running down the street with a bloodied head dangling from their hands.
We are all forgetting that this is a tradgey and NONE of US will ever know what really went down.
Being accused of something you did not do is one of the worst things in the world to happen to a person. IDK if she did it or not but I do know how it feels to be accused of something you did not do and be treated as if you were guilty. We must have faith that there is a higher power that will deal with the truth and pass out punishment to the ones that are truely guilty. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes for anything and those of you pointing the fingers need to turn the darn thing in a 180 degree turn and take a good look in the mirror. Who are you to judge?
Less than 11 hours to deliberate seems like a very short period of time considering the length of the trial. Nancy Grace, who hounded the mother almost to death, is quoted as saying, "...the devil is dancing..." All I know is a darling little toddler is dead.
What Mother does nothing for 31 days while her child is missing? If grandmother had not inquired then called 911, it would have gone on further. But Mom was doing something... she was living the beautiful life. Bella Vita. Free of child, at last, to live her 20s as she wanted.
Folks, we've lost all common sense and common decency.
AKLASHLEE...DONT MAKE YOURSELF SOUND LIKE THE CHAMPION OF JUSTICE BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT...IN FACT YOU DONT GET IT .....THERE HUNDREDS OF MEN SENTENCE AND EXECUTED IN ELECTRIC CHAIR, HANGING, FIRING SQUARD ECT....THAT DIDNT HAVE THE RESOURCES AS CASEY OR OJ TO DEFEND THEM..MANY DEATH SENTENCES BEEN HANDED DOWN ON THE BASIS OF SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE..THE SYSTEMS IS BENT AGAINST POOR MALES....NO CAMERAS...NO LARGE DEFENSE TEAM...NO HIGH PROFILE LAWYERS....SO GET OFF YOUR SOAP-BOX TRYING TO LEASURE UNLESS YOU CAN BE CONSISTENT...IF CALLING YOU OR ANYBODY OUT FOR BEING DOUBLE STANDARDED OR A HYPOCRITE...THEN SO BE IT..
Missed your post first time through, wildman. It was buried amongst that blathering idiot chet-boyz multi-postings and I inadvertently skipped over it.
I have tried our legal system, wildman, and experienced it more times than that. And having seen and experienced various legal systems used around the world, this one is far and away the best system going.
"Innocent until proven guilty."
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
"The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Congress may by Law have directed."
To my knowledge, nowhere else in the world has all of our guarantees and protections for its citizens in preference to those of the State. Everywhere in the world the people and individuals thereof are subordinate to and must pay obeisance to the state. They have liege lords, for all intents and purposes. Simply put, we don't -- unless we give up that right.
Brokentoe...you think as a real adult....the justice systems like everything else...sadly to say its all about money...i'm supprise so many people who are adults ..think as children....so easy to be bamboozle...see why corporate have such an advantage....people are like hamsters in a cage....easy to fool for manipulation
Chet123, I am a poor single mother that was caught in the system for several years. I am not a hypocrite, I know many are out there in the system that should not be, that was my point! Only fools believe the media and the hype that comes with it! There is more money in saddness and misery than in happiness and success! WTF is your deal YELLING at me anyway? You one of the finger pointers? To all others you make good points and I appreciate your views.
She is a poor mother, bookieT, and demonstrates disgusting moral habits, on that we agree.
But that doesn't make her a filicide.
The prosecution had either a poor case or poor prosecutors...perhaps both. They did not remove all "reasonable doubt" from the jury's mind.
However, maybe the judge will sentence her to the maximum of four years for the misdemeanors [which I doubt].
I expect the parents to do an OJ and file a "wrongful death" lawsuit in civil court where only the preponderance of evidence is need to prove guilt or innocence.
You are wise to the world's ways, aklashlee. Good post.
The media's bread and butter is hardtimes, misery, mayhem, death and destruction. They know little else. Unfortunately, they play their audience like a violin.
I've known innocent people to be convicted and sentenced to deathrow on far less than the evidence against Casey Anthony, even if the police, prosecutors had to make the stuff up to get a conviction. So here this "thing"(sorry I can't call her a human being and certainly not a mother)knowing her daughter is dead for several weeks? Months? Goes on a partying party girl spree as if nothing has taken place? While she knowingly is aware the child she gave birth to is rotting away in some wooded area, tossed like garbage on the side of the road. And someone comments that the rest of us should look in the mirror before pointing fingers? This isn't about a wrongful accusation against someone who may have been innocent. This is about a "thing" who knew her child was dead. Proceeded to toss that child out like someone tossing out garbage. Lie over and over again. The go on partying like its 1999!! Please! Even the deaf and blind wouldn't fall for la la.
"Not guilty" is not quite the same as "innocent," but it comes with the same vacation package.
AKLASHLEE...YOU SAID YOU WERE A POOR SINGLE MOTHER...AKLASHLEE THE SYSTEMS WOULD HAVE HUNG YOU OUT TO DRY...WHY YOU ARE SIDING WITH CASEY ITS AGAINST YOUR INTEREST...CANT YOU SEE THAT! MOST DEATH CONVICTION DONT HAVE VIDEO TAPE OF THE CRIME...AND A LOT LESS EVIDENCE THAN PROSECUTOR HAD AGIANST CASEY....AND THEY DONT HAVE PEOPLE LIKE ROLANDO DEFENDING THEM.....LET ME GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE...THINK, THINK,THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX YOUNG LADY...YOU WOULD BE A DEAD MAN/WOMAN WALKING
There are those that have tried and convicted CMA in the media. There are members of the public who have listened only to the talking heads of the media such as Nancy Grace blabber about her guilt. But those who have had enough self control to put themselves in the mindset of a juror and only see the evidence presented by the state, this is a correct verdict. The state presented a case full of guess work and assumtions that was just not beleiveable.
THATS WHY THIS CRIME WAS COMMITTED..CASEY KNEW SHE WOULD GET AWAY WITH IT...I PLACED A BET...50 DOLLARS TO A DOUNUT THAT SHE WOULD WALK...DIDNT SUPPRISE ME AT ALL.....TIME FOR YOU TO GROW UP AND SEE HOW TWISTED THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS....ROLANDO IS A BIG LAIR...HE SAID CASEY WAS A POOR MOTHER...WHAT POOR MOTHER CAN HAVE A TEAM OF LAWYERS LOL LOL LOL...BELEIVE ME SHE HAS LITTLE IN COMMON WITH YOU
ROLANDO AND HAMBONE SWEARS UP AND DOWN THAT THEY ARE PRO-LIFE...PRO-CAPITAL PUNISHMENT...UNTIL IT LOOK LIKE SOMEONE THEY KNOW OR LIKE...LOL LOL LOL...WHAT A PARODOX LOL LOL LOL LOL
IN OUR SOCIETY...MEN KILL WIVES AND GIRL-FRIEND...MOTHER KILLS BABIES TO BE WITH BOY-FRIENDS....AND IF THEY HAVE MONEY THEY WILL WALK LOL LOL LOL...THATS REALITY.
Hambone, when we agree it is with a vengeance. Excellent last post.
Sangaree -- Your last is an excellent example of why pre-trial jury selection is necessary.
You have no concept of justice under the law, the rules of evidence, the elements of a crime, or the burden of proof under our system of law [the best in the world].
I might suggest you try googling those...
That's where you're completely wrong, rolando. I have an extreme "concept of justice under the law, elements of crime, and burden of proof." As for as the "system" being the "best in the world." That concept is misguided and a farse. It's the best money can buy. Throw in up-middle classed, white and cute and you walk. Anything less, and you're doomed!
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