Casey Anthony - Not Guilty

[luvthelighthouse]

One of those things that makes you go, hmmm...

[Freypower]

The details of this case are as follows:

http://www.theage.com.au/world/casey...ml?from=age_sb

[rcknalwys]

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]

I figured she'd get off. Just not enough real evidence.

A very sad story.

[TimothyBFan]

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]

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.

[sodascouts]

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]

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]

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]

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.