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luvthelighthouse
07-05-2011, 04:50 PM
One of those things that makes you go, hmmm... :-(

Freypower
07-05-2011, 05:33 PM
The details of this case are as follows:

http://www.theage.com.au/world/casey-anthony-found-not-guilty-of-killing-daughter-20110706-1h14z.html?from=age_sb

rcknalwys
07-05-2011, 07:55 PM
The sad truth is we still don't know how Caylee died and Casey's lawyer's words about finding justice for her because there was no false conviction are hollow comfort to those truly grieving for little Caylee. IMHO there has been no justice for this child. If Casey Anthony did kill this beautiful little girl, she will never be convicted because she cannot be tried again. I know many of us have strong feelings one way or the other but I can't help feeling there will never be justice for little Caylee. Casey's lawyer got one thing right, there are no winners here.

Brooke
07-05-2011, 09:46 PM
I figured she'd get off. Just not enough real evidence.

A very sad story.

TimothyBFan
07-06-2011, 08:01 AM
Don't even get me started!!!! I, for one, REFUSE to buy anything that that woman can financially benefit from. And I hope she has good security the rest of her life because I have a feeling she will be hunted down wherever she goes.

Annabel
07-06-2011, 08:41 AM
I figured she'd get off. Just not enough real evidence.

A very sad story.

My DH read this story when I mentioned it last night and said there was DNA evidence. He thought that what evidence they had would have been enough to convict her in the UK. Very sad for Caylee. :sad:

sodascouts
07-06-2011, 08:45 AM
I think the problem was that the jury couldn't decide whether the death was accidental like she claimed or deliberate homicide, so there was reasonable doubt about whether it was a capital offense and there you have your "not guilty." I think everyone agrees she behaved inappropriately after the death - discarding the child's body like garbage and then going out and partying, all the while lying about her kid being with a nanny or kidnapped - but they were unsure if she was a murderer. In American courts, all it takes is the introduction of reasonable doubt and you get off. "Better 10 guilty men go free than 1 innocent man be jailed" I think is the maxim, but it's cases like these when you wonder if there isn't a better way. They let her off for aggravated child abuse because you can't abuse a dead child, and the defense claimed that there is no proof Casey ever abused her child before the "accidental drowning" which of course they said was nobody's fault.

luvthelighthouse
07-06-2011, 10:05 AM
If I were on that Jury I can tell you one thing. I would have found reasonable evidence, not reasonable doubt.

I think too many people confuse doubt and reasonable doubt. Reasonable doubt is not 100% certainty.

No matter what the outcome, an innocent child is gone too soon and nothing will bring her back.

Victim of Love
07-06-2011, 10:42 AM
Bear in mind that under legal definition (Black's Law Dictionery), "a jury verdict of not guilty does not mean the jury found the accured innocent, but simply that the state failed to prove it's case beyond a reasonable doubt". Furthermore. "the term reasonable doubt does not signify a mere skeptical condition of the mind, nor does it request that the proof be so clear as to eliminate any possibility of error since under such a rule no criminal prosecution would prevail. It means, simply, that the proof must be so conclusive and complete that all reasonable doubts of the fact are removed from the mind of the ordinary person."

While there was DNA evidence that confirmed the identity of the remains, there was no 'smoking gun'. The decomp and months in the elements destroyed any chance of recovering definitive fingerprint evidence on the trash bag or duct tape to identify the perp.

I have felt from the beginning that the entire family knows far more than anyone is saying. The demeanor of ALL of them is suspect, beginning with Casey waiting 31 days to tell her parents...WHAT PARENT IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD DO THAT? I think George lied about his affair, Cindy was proven to have lied about the internet searches. Brother Lee was the most credible of the three and even some of his testimony sounded suspect to my ear.

The jury returned the correct verdict, given the evidence and absolute factual information they were presented. Unfortunately the Prosecution did NOT prove their case and under the law it lies on their shoulders to do so. Neither was the Defense a true winner here...they merely cast the shadow of doubt. But at the end of the day there was nothing the Prosecution could produce that placed Casey at the scene of crime or identify her as being the last one to have laid hands on her daughter. We still don't even know where the crime occurred and will probably never know if it was actually murder or, as the Defense hinted, an accident.

I have my own opinions and I do think she is guilty of SOMETHING as relates to the death, but I think George may have helped with the cover-up. I keep asking the six questions that drive lawyers and journalists: WHO? WHY? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? HOW? While SOME of those questions were answered, not ALL of them were and therein lies the foundation for doubt, reasonable or not. The fact that she lied to police during the investigate was a proven fact and that surely had a lot to do with her decision to not take the stand in her own defense. She wouldn't have been a credible witness and could have ultimately done more harm than good, depending on what she might have said.

There are a good many questions surrounding this case that will never be answered. What disturbs me the most is that there is NO justice for an innocent, beautiful little girl. Did her mother get away with murder? We'll never know for sure....even if more evidence comes to light, double jeopardy with ensure that Casey will never be tried for these same charges again. But as my Gramma used to say: 'We all have choices in life and we have to live with the consequences of the choices we make for ourself.' I wouldn't want to be carry the weight of Casey Anthony's conscience or the choices she has made!

Troubadour
07-06-2011, 01:53 PM
Great post, VOL.

This is an extremely sad and strange story. I, too, instinctively fail to see how Casey Anthony can be innocent of any wrongdoing or any involvement in her daughter's death . As one of my friends just wrote on Facebook "All I know is - if you let a month go by without reporting your missing child, then you are guilty of something." But, in court, fortunately or unfortunately, speculation and gut-feeling aren't enough. I guess there wasn't enough evidence to convict and, like Brooke, I am not entirely surprised at the verdict. The jury had a very tough job.

As VOL suggested, Casey Anthony is surely going to be targeted both in prison and once she gets out. Despite the fact that I think her actions were despicable - and it's possible that she is guilty of far worse than has actually been proven - this whole "trial by media" thing makes me feel very uncomfortable. I'm not only speaking about this case, but many other cases in recent years. Innocent people have been accused and then acquitted - but their name remains mud, and some people, who don't know the facts and who probably never even knew the victim, will decide that person is undoubtedly guilty and target that suspect for years. It leaves me feeling quite sick.

Anyway, I digress. At the heart of this case is Caylee - and, despite the fact that sadly her death remains a mystery, I know she will never be forgotten. Those persons responsible will have to live with the knowledge of what really happened for the rest of their lives. I just hope that the guilt they feel is proportionate to the crime they committed.

TimothyBFan
07-06-2011, 02:05 PM
I understand the whole "reasonable doubt" thing and I do believe that's why she will be roaming free, unfortunately. But I also think she's guilty as hell and even if she isn't, she sure as hell is guilty of being an unfit mother or human being for that matter. What kind of parent doesn't report their child missing, makes up lies about her being with a nanny and then proceeds to party with her friends the whole time? SICK, SICK, SICK....... The whole freaking family seems dysfunctional, in my opinion.



'We all have choices in life and we have to live with the consequences of the choices we make for ourself.' I wouldn't want to be carry the weight of Casey Anthony's conscience or the choices she has made!

The problem is, these kind of people don't seem to have a conscience so it doesn't really matter to them. I'm a firm believer in Karma and I do hope it bites her and anyone else connected to this child's death, square in the arse in the near future!

luvthelighthouse
07-06-2011, 02:53 PM
From what I've learned of this case, I do not see the "reasonable" doubt. Perhaps an tad of uncertainy, but not any "reasonable" doubt and the two are not the same. I spent some time looking up the legal definition of reasonable doubt and I fail to see it in this case. Not that my opinion matters as I was not on the jury.

I'm just bugged by the whole story. This poor little girl a victim ... breaks my heart.

sodascouts
07-06-2011, 04:27 PM
But at the end of the day there was nothing the Prosecution could produce that placed Casey at the scene of crime or identify her as being the last one to have laid hands on her daughter. We still don't even know where the crime occurred and will probably never know if it was actually murder or, as the Defense hinted, an accident.

Didn't the defense flat out state that Casey and her father found the little girl's dead body in the pool after she accidentally fell in, then decided to make it look like a homicide so that Casey wouldn't be accused of neglect? They claimed that the two of them put duct tape over Caylee's mouth after she died and thew her away in some garbage bags so that when she was found, everyone would think she was murdered, freeing Casey from looking like a neglectful mom. That was their explanation for her strange behavior. It doesn't add up to me but I guess the jury thought it was feasible enough to inject reasonable doubt.

It is interesting that all this was said by the attorney and that Casey herself never told this story in court. It gets around any perjury problems if the story isn't true...

TimothyBFan
07-06-2011, 04:31 PM
They claimed that the two of them put duct tape over Caylee's mouth after she died and thew her away in some garbage bags so that when she was found, everyone would think she was murdered, freeing Casey from looking like a neglectful mom.

This literally makes me feel ill when I read it! What the hell kind of parent OR grandparent, who is sane and HUMAN can do that to any child but especially their own flesh and blood?

She should be found guilty if for no other reason, than she is a poor example of a human being!!!

Ive always been a dreamer
07-06-2011, 06:37 PM
I have to agree with what VOL and Troub said in this case. However, in saying that, I too, think she is guilty as hell. However, that's what my gut tells me - but, I honestly don't believe the state proved it's case beyond a reasonable doubt. I can't tell you how thankful I am that I wasn't sitting on that jury because, in my mind if I had followed the letter of the law, I'm afraid that I would have probably had to vote to acquit her as well. And the fact that I would be forced to set a probable child killer free would probably eat at me forever. The fact that we are all viewing this so differently is probably exactly what happened with the jury in this case. The law says that a 'Guilty' verdict must be unaminous and they probably could have never gotten there no matter how long they deliberated.

I did hear today that there is a petition on the internet to try to lobby for something called "Caylee's Law". It would change our laws so that, at least, if a relative failed to report a missing child within a reasonable period of time, they could be charged with a felony instead of a misdemeanor. And yes - it's too late for this case, but at least it may be a start for the future. The only bright side of this is that normally whenever lots of people believe there has been a miscarriage of justice, usually some good will come out of it. Let's hope so because, as Willie said, Casey Anthony probably doesn't have a conscience. But I have to believe that one day she will get what's coming to her.

Victim of Love
07-06-2011, 06:41 PM
TBF, I don't disagree -- I believe she IS guilty but the real question is: GUILTY OF WHAT, EXACTLY? I don't believe for a minute that Casey and George found Caylee in the pool and 'disposed' of her to make it look like an abduction/murder in order to push authorities in a direction other than their own backyard. Dysfunctional doesn't being to describe this family, IMHO. I'm just pointing out that the testimony and evidence DID NOT put the duct tape and trash bags in the hands of Casey (or George). If you followed the testimony day-to-day, you can't discount the family history and method of dead pet disposal, EXACTLY the way Caylee's remains were discovered - in plastic with duct tape. COINCIDENCE? Not on a bet!

I believe the day will come when either Casey or George will slip up. Unfortunately, the double jeopary rule means Casey can't be brought up on these charges again. George is a different matter and I think he is just as guilty and culpable as Casey. His suicide attempt was just as much about guilt as it was about grief.

No - I wasn't surprised with the verdict but I WAS overwhelmingly disappointed that the best they could get her on was her lies to police.

NOTE: I didn't simply look up the legal definitions...I spent 15 years working for lawyers and have seen my share of criminal defense firsthand. And I find it extremely interesting that the lead prosecutor has announced his retirement...maybe he's afraid he'll be run out of town on a rail for failing to get a conviction.

As for their consciences...they won't lose any sleep over this and I think the entire family unit will self-destruct before too long. Too many secrets, too many lies, too many cover-ups.

Henley Honey
07-06-2011, 06:56 PM
I did hear today that there is a petition on the internet to try to lobby for something called "Caylee's Law". It would change our laws so that, at least, if a relative failed to report a missing child within a reasonable period of time, they could be charged with a felony instead of a misdemeanor. And yes - it's too late for this case, but at least it may be a start for the future. The only bright side of this is that normally whenever lots of people believe there has been a miscarriage of justice, usually some good will come out of it. Let's hope so because, as Willie said, Casey Anthony probably doesn't have a conscience. But I have to believe that one day she will get what's coming to her.

I would also like to see the "Son of Sam" law applied somehow. It states you can't profit from your crime -- i.e., selling the book or movie rights.
Again, it would be too late for this case but hopefully could be implemented if a felony charge was brought for failure to report a missing child. I'd be happy to sign the "Caylee's Law" petition. Anyone have link?

Found Link: http://www.change.org/petitions/create-caylees-law

EaglesKiwi
07-09-2011, 01:15 AM
I really hope Casey never has any more children. She is clearly an unfit parent, even if little Caylee DID drown accidentally.