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The judge is instructing jurors. They will also be given a copy of the instructions. 

Deputies are standing and watching people in the gallery. Jury instructions are expected to take an hour or more.

 

Perry: 1st degree state must prove: 1. Caylee is dead. 2. death caused by Casey Anthony 3. Premeditated

Everyone must agree state proved first degree.

All jurors are looking at Judge Perry. 

 

Will we get a verdict today? It's HIGHLY unlikely. Jury will have lunch and once deliberations start need to elect foreman

  • I'll post these instructions here and at OrlandoSentinel.com when we get them. #CaseyAnthony
    by oscaseyanthony via twitter at 4:38 PM
  • JUST got the entire jury instructions doc. Posting soon.
Ev (Peachy)

In this case, Casey Marie Anthony is accused of Murder in the First Degree, Aggravated
Child Abuse, Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child, and four counts of Providing False Information
to a Law Enforcement Officer.
Murder in the First Degree includes the lesser crimes of Murder in the Second Degree,
Manslaughter and Third Degree Felony Murder, all of which are unlawful.
A killing that is excusable or was committed by the use of justifiable deadly force is lawful.
If you find Caylee Marie Anthony was killed by Casey Marie Anthony, you will then
consider the circumstances surrounding the killing in deciding if the killing was Murder in the First
Degree or was Murder in the Second Degree or Manslaughter or Third Degree Felony Murder
whether the killing was excusable or resulted from justifiable use of deadly force
Ev (Peachy)
JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE
§ 782.02, Fla. Stat.
The killing of a human being is justifiable homicide and lawful if necessarily done while
resisting an attempt to murder or commit a felony upon the defendant, or to commit a felony in any
dwelling house in which the defendant was at the time of the killing.
EXCUSABLE HOMICIDE
§ 782.03, Fla. Stat.
The killing of a human being is excusable, and therefore lawful, under any one of the
following three circumstances:
1. When the killing is committed by accident and misfortune in doing any lawful act by
lawful means with usual ordinary caution and without any unlawful intent, or
2. When the killing occurs by accident and misfortune in the heat of passion, upon any
sudden and sufficient provocation, or
3. When the killing is committed by accident and misfortune resulting from a sudden
combat, if a dangerous weapon is not used and the killing is not done in a cruel or
unusual manner.
I now instruct you on the circumstances that must be proved before Casey Marie Anthony
may be found guilty of Murder in the First Degree, Aggravated Child Abuse, Aggravated
Manslaughter of a Child, and four counts of Providing False Information to a Law Enforcement
Officer or any lesser included crime.
Ev (Peachy)

MURDER - FIRST DEGREE
§ 782.04(1)(a), Fla. Stat.
There are two ways in which a person may be convicted of first degree murder. One is
known as premeditated murder and the other is known as felony murder. In order to find the
defendant guilty of murder in the first degree, the State must convince you beyond a reasonable
doubt of the defendant’s guilt of either premeditated murder or felony murder. While you must all
agree that the State has proven first degree murder beyond a reasonable doubt, you need not be
unanimous in your opinion as to whether that finding is based upon premeditated murder or felony
murder as I shall now define those terms.
To prove the crime of First Degree Premeditated Murder, the State must prove the following
three elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Caylee Marie Anthony is dead.
2. The death was caused by the criminal act of Casey Marie Anthony.
3. There was a premeditated killing of Caylee Marie Anthony.
An “act” includes a series of related actions arising from and performed pursuant to a single
design or purpose.
"Killing with premeditation" is killing after consciously deciding to do so. The decision must
be present in the mind at the time of the killing. The law does not fix the exact period of time that
must pass between the formation of the premeditated intent to kill and the killing. The period of
time must be long enough to allow reflection by the defendant. The premeditated intent to kill must
be formed before the killing.
The question of premeditation is a question of fact to be determined by you from the
evidence. It will be sufficient proof of premeditation if the circumstances of the killing and the
conduct of the accused convince you beyond a reasonable doubt of the existence of premeditation
at the time of the killin
Ev (Peachy)
FELONY MURDER - FIRST DEGREE

§ 782.04(1)(a), Fla. Stat.
To prove the crime of First Degree Felony Murder, the State must prove the following three
elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Caylee Marie Anthony is dead.
2. The death occurred as a consequence of and while Casey Marie Anthony was
engaged in the commission of Aggravated Child Abuse.
or
The death occurred as a consequence of and while Casey Marie Anthony was
attempting to commit Aggravated Child Abuse.
3. Casey Marie Anthony was the person who actually killed Caylee Marie Anthony.
In order to convict of First Degree Felony Murder, it is not necessary for the State to prove
that the defendant had a premeditated design or intent to kill.
Ev (Peachy)
AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE
§ 827.03(2), Fla. Stat.
To prove the crime of Aggravated Child Abuse, the State must prove the following two
elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Casey Marie Anthony knowingly or willfully committed child abuse upon Caylee
Marie Anthony and in so doing caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, or
permanent disfigurement.
2. Caylee Marie Anthony was under the age of eighteen years.
“Willfully” means intentionally, knowingly and purposely.
“Child abuse” means the intentional infliction of physical or mental injury upon a child or
an intentional act that could reasonably be expected to result in physical or mental injury to a child
or active encouragement of any person to commit an act that results or could reasonably be expected
to result in physical or mental injury to a child.
Ev (Peachy)
AGGRAVATED MANSLAUGHTER OF A CHILD
§ 782.07, Fla. Stat.
To prove the crime of Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child, the State must prove the following
two elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Caylee Marie Anthony is dead.
2. Casey Marie Anthony’s act(s) caused the death of Caylee Marie Anthony.
or
The death of Caylee Marie Anthony was caused by the culpable negligence of Casey
Marie Anthony.
I will now define "culpable negligence" for you. Each of us has a duty to act reasonably
toward others. If there is a violation of that duty, without any conscious intention to harm, that
violation is negligence. But culpable negligence is more than a failure to use ordinary care toward
others. In order for negligence to be culpable, it must be gross and flagrant. Culpable negligence is
a course of conduct showing reckless disregard of human life, or of the safety of persons exposed to
its dangerous effects, or such an entire want of care as to raise a presumption of a conscious
indifference to consequences, or which shows wantonness or recklessness, or a grossly careless
disregard of the safety and welfare of the public, or such an indifference to the rights of others as is
equivalent to an intentional violation of such rights.
The negligent act or omission must have been committed with an utter disregard for the safety
of others. Culpable negligence is consciously doing an act or following a course of conduct that the
defendant must have known, or reasonably should have known, was likely to cause death or great
bodily injury.
If you find the defendant guilty of Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child, you must then
determine whether the State has further proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Caylee Marie Anthony
was a child whose death was caused by the neglect of Casey Marie Anthony, a caregiver.
“Child” means any person under the age of 18 years.

“Caregiver” means a parent, adult household member, or other person responsible for a child’s

“Neglect of a child” means:
1. A caregiver’s failure or omission to provide a child with the care, supervision, and services
necessary to maintain a child’s physical and mental health, including, but not limited to, food

nutrition, clothing, shelter, supervision, medicine, and medical services that a prudent person would
consider essential for the well-being of the child;
Repeated conduct or a single incident or omission by a caregiver that results in, or could
reasonably be expected to result in, a substantial risk of death of a child may be considered in
determining neglect.
Ev (Peachy)

FALSE INFORMATION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT
§ 837.055, Fla. Stat.
To prove the crime of False Information to Law Enforcement, the State must prove the
following five elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Yuri Melich was conducting a missing person investigation.
2. Yuri Melich was a law enforcement officer.
3. Casey Marie Anthony knew that Yuri Melich was a law enforcement officer.
4. Casey Marie Anthony knowingly and willfully gave false information to Yuri Melich.
5. Casey Marie Anthony intended to mislead Yuri Melich or impede the investigation.
“Willfully” means intentionally, knowingly and purposely.
Ev (Peachy)
WHEN THERE ARE LESSER INCLUDED CRIMES
In considering the evidence, you should consider the possibility that although the evidence
may not convince you that the defendant committed the main crimes of which she is accused, there
may be evidence that she committed other acts that would constitute a lesser included crime.
Therefore, if you decide that the main accusation has not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, you
will next need to decide if the defendant is guilty of any lesser included crime. The lesser crimes
indicated in the definition of First Degree Murder are: Second Degree Murder, Manslaughter or
Third Degree Felony Murder. The lesser crime indicated in the definition of Aggravated Child
Abuse is Child Abuse.
Ev (Peachy)

MURDER - SECOND DEGREE
§ 782.04(2), Fla. Stat.
To prove the crime of Second Degree Murder, the State must prove the following three
elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Caylee Marie Anthony is dead.
2. The death was caused by the criminal act of Casey Marie Anthony.
3. There was an unlawful killing of Caylee Marie Anthony by an act imminently
dangerous to another and demonstrating a depraved mind without regard for human
life.
An “act” includes a series of related actions arising from and performed pursuant to a single
design or purpose.
An act is “imminently dangerous to another and demonstrating a depraved mind” if it is an
act or series of acts that:
1. a person of ordinary judgment would know is reasonably certain to kill or do serious
bodily injury to another, and
2. is done from ill will, hatred, spite or an evil intent, and
3. is of such a nature that the act itself indicates an indifference to human life.
In order to convict of Second Degree Murder, it is not necessary for the State to prove the
defendant had an intent to cause death
Ev (Peachy)
MANSLAUGHTER
§ 782.07, Fla. Stat.
To prove the crime of Manslaughter, the State must prove the following two elements beyond
a reasonable doubt:
1. Caylee Marie Anthony is dead.
2. (a) Casey Marie Anthony’s act(s) caused the death of Caylee Marie Anthony.
or
(b) The death of Caylee Marie Anthony was caused by the culpable negligence of
Casey Marie Anthony.
However, the defendant cannot be guilty of manslaughter if the killing was either justifiable
or excusable homicide:
The killing of a human being is justifiable homicide and lawful if necessarily done while
resisting an attempt to murder or commit a felony upon the defendant, or to commit a felony in any
dwelling house in which the defendant was at the time of the killing. § 782.02, Fla. Stat.
The killing of a human being is excusable, and therefore lawful, under any one of the
following three circumstances:
1. When the killing is committed by accident and misfortune in doing any lawful act by
lawful means with usual ordinary caution and without any unlawful intent, or
2. When the killing occurs by accident and misfortune in the heat of passion, upon any
sudden and sufficient provocation, or
3. When the killing is committed by accident and misfortune resulting from a sudden
combat, if a dangerous weapon is not used and the killing is not done in a cruel or
unusual manner.
In order to convict of manslaughter by act, it is not necessary for the State to prove that the
defendant had an intent to cause death, only an intent to commit an act that was not justified or
excusable and which caused death.
I will now define "culpable negligence" for you. Each of us has a duty to act reasonably
toward others. If there is a violation of that duty, without any conscious intention to harm, that
violation is negligence. But culpable negligence is more than a failure to use ordinary care toward
Ev (Peachy)
FELONY MURDER - THIRD DEGREE
§ 782.04(4), Fla. Stat.
To prove the crime of Third Degree Felony Murder, the State must prove the following three
elements beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Caylee Marie Anthony is dead.
2. The death occurred as a consequence of and while Casey Marie Anthony was engaged
in the commission of Child Abuse.
or
The death occurred as a consequence of and while Casey Marie Anthony was
attempting to commit Child Abuse.
3. Casey Marie Anthony was the person who actually killed Caylee Marie Anthony.
It is not necessary for the State to prove the killing was perpetrated with a design to effect
death.
Child Abuse means the intentional infliction of physical or mental injury upon a child; or an
intentional act that could reasonably be expected to result in physical or mental injury to a child, when
that person knowingly or willfully abused a child without causing great bodily harm, permanent
disability, or permanent disfigurement to the child.
“Willfully” means intentionally, knowingly and purposely

ATTEMPT TO COMMIT CRIME
§ 777.04(1), Fla. Stat.
In order to prove that the defendant attempted to commit the crime of Child Abuse, the State
must prove the following beyond a reasonable doubt:
1. Casey Marie Anthony did some act toward committing the crime of Child Abuse that
went beyond just thinking or talking about it.
2. She would have committed the crime except that someone prevented her from
committing the crime of Child Abuse or she failed.
It is not an attempt to commit Child Abuse if the defendant abandoned her attempt to commit
the offense or otherwise prevented its commission, under circumstances indicating a complete and
voluntary renunciation of her criminal purpose
Ev (Peachy)
CHILD ABUSE
§ 827.03(1), Fla. Stat.
To prove the crime of Child Abuse, the State must prove the following two elements beyond
a reasonable doubt:
1. Casey Marie Anthony
a. intentionally inflicted physical or mental injury upon Caylee Marie Anthony
or
b. committed an intentional act that could reasonably be expected to result in
physical or mental injury to Caylee Marie Anthony
2. The victim was under the age of eighteen years.
PLEA OF NOT GUILTY; REASONABLE DOUBT; AND BURDEN OF PROOF
The defendant has entered a plea of not guilty. This means you must presume or believe the
defendant is innocent. The presumption stays with the defendant as to each material allegation in the
indictment through each stage of the trial unless it has been overcome by the evidence to the
exclusion of and beyond a reasonable doubt.
To overcome the defendant's presumption of innocence, the State has the burden of proving
the crime with which the defendant is charged was committed and the defendant is the person who
committed the crime.
The defendant is not required to present evidence or prove anything.
Whenever the words "reasonable doubt" are used you must consider the following:
A reasonable doubt is not a mere possible doubt, a speculative, imaginary or forced doubt.
Such a doubt must not influence you to return a verdict of not guilty if you have an abiding conviction
of guilt. On the other hand, if, after carefully considering, comparing and weighing all the evidence,
there is not an abiding conviction of guilt, or, if, having a conviction, it is one which is not stable but
one which wavers and vacillates, then the charge is not proved beyond every reasonable doubt and
you must find the defendant not guilty because the doubt is reasonable.
It is to the evidence introduced in this trial, and to it alone, that you are to look for that proof.
A reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant may arise from the evidence, conflict in
the evidence or the lack of evidence.
If you have a reasonable doubt, you should find the defendant not guilty. If you have no
reasonable doubt, you should find the defendant guilty
Ev (Peachy)
WEIGHING THE EVIDENCE
It is up to you to decide what evidence is reliable. You should use your common sense in
deciding which is the best evidence, and which evidence should not be relied upon in considering
your verdict. You may find some of the evidence not reliable, or less reliable than other evidence.
You should consider how the witnesses acted, as well as what they said. Some things you
should consider are:
1. Did the witness seem to have an opportunity to see and know the things about which
the witness testified?
2. Did the witness seem to have an accurate memory?
3. Was the witness honest and straightforward in answering the attorneys' questions?
4. Did the witness have some interest in how the case should be decided?
5. Does the witness' testimony agree with the other testimony and other evidence in the
case?
6. Has the witness been offered or received any money, preferred treatment or other
benefit in order to get the witness to testify?
7. Had any pressure or threat been used against the witness that affected the truth of the
witness' testimony?
8. Did the witness at some other time make a statement that is inconsistent with the
testimony he or she gave in court?
You may rely upon your own conclusion about the witness. A juror may believe or disbelieve
all or any part of the evidence or the testimony of any witness
Ev (Peachy)
WEIGHING THE EVIDENCE CONCERNING CANINE SEARCHES
It is up to you to decide what evidence is reliable. You should use your common sense in
deciding which is the best evidence, and which evidence should not be relied upon in considering
your verdict. You may find some of the evidence not reliable, or less reliable than other evidence.
Some things you should consider in evaluating canine searches are:
1. The canine’s training and certification records, including an explanation of the
meaning of the particular training and certification.
2. The field performance records including any unverified alerts.
3. The experience and training of the officer handling the canine, as well as any other
objective evidence known to the officer about the canine’s reliability.
You may rely upon your own conclusions about this type of evidence. A juror may believe
or disbelieve all or any part of the evidence or the testimony
Ev (Peachy)
DEFENDANT NOT TESTIFYING
The constitution requires the State to prove its accusations against the defendant. It is not
necessary for the defendant to disprove anything. Nor is the defendant required to prove her
innocence. It is up to the State to prove the defendant's guilt by evidence.
The defendant exercised a fundamental right by choosing not to be a witness in this case. You
must not view this as an admission of guilt or be influenced in any way by her decision. No juror
should ever be concerned that the defendant did or did not take the witness stand to give testimony
in the case.

DEFENDANT'S STATEMENTS
A statement claimed to have been made by the defendant outside of court has been placed
before you. Such a statement should always be considered with caution and be weighed with
great care to make certain it was freely and voluntarily made.
Therefore, you must determine from the evidence that the defendant's alleged statement
was knowingly, voluntarily and freely made.
In making this determination, you should consider the total circumstances, including but
not limited to:
1. whether, when the defendant made the statement, she had been threatened in order
to get her to make it, and
2. whether anyone had promised her anything in order to get her to make it.
If you conclude the defendant's out of court statement was not freely and voluntarily made,
you should disregard it
Ev (Peachy)
RULES FOR DELIBERATION
These are some general rules that apply to your discussion. You must follow these rules in
order to return a lawful verdict:
1. You must follow the law as it is set out in these instructions. If you fail to follow
the law, your verdict will be a miscarriage of justice. There is no reason for failing
to follow the law in this case. All of us are depending upon you to make a wise
and legal decision in this matter.
2. This case must be decided only upon the evidence that you have heard from the
testimony of the witnesses and have seen in the form of the exhibits in evidence
and these instructions.
3. This case must not be decided for or against anyone because you feel sorry for
anyone, or are angry at anyone.
4. Remember, the lawyers are not on trial. Your feelings about them should not
influence your decision in this case.
5. Your duty is to determine if the defendant has been proven guilty or not, in accord
with the law.
6. Whatever verdict you render must be unanimous, that is, each juror must agree to
the same verdict.
7. It is entirely proper for a lawyer to talk to a witness about what testimony the
witness would give if called to the courtroom. The witness should not be
discredited by talking to a lawyer about his or her testimony.
8. Your verdict should not be influenced by feelings of prejudice, bias or sympathy.
Your verdict must be based on the evidence, and on the law contained in these
instructions.
Ev (Peachy)
VERDICT
You may find the defendant guilty as charged in the indictment or guilty of such lesser
included crime as the evidence may justify or not guilty.
If you return a verdict of guilty, it should be for the highest offense which has been proven
beyond a reasonable doubt. If you find that no offense has been proven beyond a reasonable
doubt, then, of course, your verdict must be not guilty.
Only one verdict may be returned as to each crime charged. This verdict must be
unanimous, that is, all of you must agree to the same verdict. The verdict must be in writing and
for your convenience the necessary forms of verdict have been prepared for you. They are as
follows:
SINGLE DEFENDANT, MULTIPLE COUNTS
A separate crime is charged in each count of the indictment and while they have been tried
together each crime and the evidence applicable to it must be considered separately and a separate
verdict returned as to each. A finding of guilty or not guilty as to one crime must not affect your
verdict as to the other crimes charged.
 SUBMITTING CASE TO JURY
In just a few moments you will be taken to the jury room by the court deputy. The first
thing you should do is elect a foreperson. The foreperson presides over your deliberations like a
chairperson of a meeting. It is the foreperson's job to sign and date the verdict form when all of
you have agreed on a verdict in this case. The foreperson will bring the verdict back to the
courtroom when you return.
Your verdict finding the defendant either guilty or not guilty must be unanimous. The
verdict must be the verdict of each juror, as well as of the jury as a whole.
During deliberations, jurors must communicate about the case only with one another and
only when all jurors are present in the jury room. You are not to communicate with any person
outside the jury about this case. Until you have reached a verdict, you must not talk about this case
in person or through the telephone, writing, or electronic communication, such as a blog, twitter, email,
 text message, or any other means.  Do not contact anyone to assist you during deliberations.
These communications rules apply until I discharge you at the end of the case. If you become
aware of any violation of these instructions or any other instruction I have given in this case, you
must tell me by giving a note to the court deputy.
In closing, let me remind you that it is important that you follow the law spelled out in
these instructions in deciding your verdict. There are no other laws that apply to this case. Even if
you do not like the laws that must be applied, you must use them. For two centuries we have
agreed to a constitution and to live by the law. No juror has the right to violate rules we all share
Ev (Peachy)

Casey Trial Jurors Begin Deliberations

Prosecutors Wrap Up Closings, Judge Instructs Jurors

 

UPDATED: 12:08 pm EDT July 4, 2011

Bookmark and Share
 

 

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jurors began deliberating Monday afternoon in Casey Anthony's first-degree murder case after lengthy instructions from Judge Belvin Perry.

 

READ: Jury Instructions

 

Anthony's actions, particularly those in the 31 days after her 2-year-old daughter went missing and before police were notified, speak volumes about her guilt, prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick told jurors at the conclusion of closing arguments Monday morning.

 

Burdick reminded the jury that she went through each one of those days in her opening argument as the trial began, asking "Where is Caylee?"

 

"The question is no longer 'Where is Caylee?' We know where Caylee Marie Anthony is," Burdick said. "The question is no longer 'What happened to Caylee Marie Anthony?' We know what happened to Caylee."

 

But Casey Anthony's actions and responses "answer for you the only real question left at this stage of the proceedings, and that is who killed Caylee Anthony," Burdick said.

 

Anthony is charged with seven counts, including aggravated child abuse and misleading police. If convicted of first-degree murder, she could receive the death penalty. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and denies harming her daughter.

 

Prosecutors allege she used chloroform to render her daughter unconscious before putting duct tape over her nose and mouth to suffocate her. She left Caylee's body in the trunk of her car for a few days before disposing of it, they allege. The little girl's skeletal remains were found in December 2008 near the Anthony home.

 

WATCH: State's Closing 
WATCH: Defense's Closing

 

Defense attorneys claim Caylee was not murdered at all, but drowned in the Anthonys' above-ground pool on June 16, 2008, the day she was last seen. Casey Anthony and her father, George Anthony, panicked upon finding the body, the defense claims, and covered up the death. George Anthony denied that in testimony.

 

"All you really have to do is ask yourself a simple question," Burdick told jurors. "Whose life was better without Caylee? ... That's the only question you need to answer in considering why Caylee Marie Anthony was left on the side of the road, dead."

 

"There's your answer," she said, as a photograph of the tattoo Casey Anthony got while her daughter was missing -- "Bella Vita," or Italian for "beautiful life" -- was shown.

 

Like prosecutor Jeff Ashton did before her, Burdick on Monday detailed the numerous stories Casey Anthony told her parents and others after Caylee was last seen on June 16, 2008, and the lies she told police after the girl's grandmother reported her missing 31 days later.

 

During those 31 days, Casey Anthony's friends and acquaintances testified she was shopping, hitting nightclubs and staying with her boyfriend, but did not tell them Caylee was missing. If they asked her daughter's whereabouts, they said, she often said Caylee was with her nanny, Zenaida Gonzalez.

 

 

Police were never able to find the nanny, and she along with several other people Casey Anthony spoke of are believed not to exist. Authorities did find a woman named Zenaida Gonzalez, but she denied ever meeting the Anthonys.

 

Burdick noted that Casey Anthony was the only person who had access to every piece of evidence found at the scene with Caylee's remains.

 

Earlier, Ashton told the panel Monday that some of the theories put forth by defense attorney Jose Baez do not make sense, particularly that George Anthony was somehow involved in covering up Caylee's accidental drowning.

 

It is nonsensical that George Anthony, as part of that cover-up, would have put duct tape on the child's mouth before placing her body in the woods, Ashton said. "People don't make accidents look like murder," he said. "That's absurd."

 

The defense has tried to connect the tape to George Anthony, showing he took the same roll of tape -- a relatively rare brand -- to a command center, where it was used to put up a poster of his missing granddaughter, Ashton said.

 

But defense attorneys also attempted to suggest that Roy Kronk, the former Orange County meter reader who discovered Caylee's skeletal remains in December 2008, knew the location of the child's remains earlier and hid the body, placing it in the location where it was found just before notifying authorities. A defense witness suggested the duct tape could have been put on the mouth portion of the remains later.

 

"So which is it?" Ashton asked. "Who put the duct tape there?"

 

STAY UPDATED: Casey iPhone App

 

Baez, however, told jurors on Sunday, "I probably think you have more questions than you have answers." The central one, he said, remains how Caylee died -- a question, he said, that is yet to be answered.

 

In his closing, Baez attacked the state's case, saying it does not constitute the kind of evidence that jurors need to make a decision in such a serious matter. Prosecutors' allegations are based on "fantasy (computer) searches, fantasy forensics, phantom stickers, phantom stains (in the trunk) ... and no real, hard evidence," he said.

 

The defense has alleged the scene where Caylee's remains were found was staged, Ashton said. He displayed photographs of the child's remains as Casey Anthony turned her head to avoid looking at them. Ashton pointed out the child's skull was surrounded by inches of "leaf litter" and that vines were growing over and in the skeletal remains.

 

"This scene is staged by Mother Nature and no one else," Ashton said.

 

He defended George Anthony, reading portions of his January 2009 note from his suicide attempt, telling jurors that he was "a man in pain" who had nothing to do with his beloved granddaughter's disappearance and death. He noted that in videos of jailhouse visits, Casey Anthony tells George Anthony what a good father he has been.

 

Speaking on Sunday, Ashton told the seven-woman, five-man jury that, "This case is about the clash between that responsibility, and the expectations that go with it, and the life that Casey Anthony wanted to have."

 

The defense is only allowed to speak to jurors once during closing arguments. Prosecutors, who have the burden of proving the case, are allowed to speak twice.

 

 

On Sunday, Ashton outlined the state's case against Casey Anthony, touching on her many lies to her parents and others, the smell in her car's trunk -- identified by several witnesses as the odor from human decomposition -- and the items found with Caylee's skeletal remains in December 2008.

 

The defense's arguments, Ashton told jurors, "require you to suspend your common sense," likening them to "a trip down a rabbit hole" into a world where loving grandfathers do nothing when they find their granddaughter dead; cover up an accident; and where "a man who buries his pets will take the granddaughter, who is the love of his life, and throw her in a swamp. This is the world the defense invites you to occupy."

 

Baez on Sunday said the drowning is "the only explanation that makes sense." He showed jurors a photograph of Caylee opening the home's sliding glass door by herself. There were, he said, no child safety locks in the home. Both of Casey Anthony's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, testified that Caylee could get out of the house easily, he said.

 

Although Cindy Anthony testified that Caylee could not put the ladder on the side of the pool and climb up, Baez alleged that Cindy Anthony may have left the ladder up the night before. She didn't admit to doing so in testimony, he said, but "how much guilt would she have knowing it was her that left the ladder up that day?"

 

Baez on Sunday told jurors his biggest fear is that they will base their verdict on emotions, not evidence.

 

Prosecutors "gave you two weeks of testimony that was irrelevant" in an attempt to make them hate Casey Anthony and play on their emotions, he said.

 

"The strategy behind that is, if you hate her, if you think she's a lying, no-good slut, then you'll start to look at this evidence in a different light," Baez said. "I told you at the very beginning of this case that this was an accident that snowballed out of control ... What made it unique is not what happened, but who it happened to."

 

Burdick told jurors Monday her biggest fear is that common sense will not prevail and they will fail to look at the big picture.

 

Baez blamed Casey Anthony's behavior on her dysfunctional family situation. "These people are different," Baez said of the Anthony family. "This girl is different. And this is why she behaved in this way."

 

He dismissed the state's alleged motive -- that Casey Anthony was tired of being a parent and wanted to be an independent 22-year-old -- as "nonsense."

 

"She had no motive," he said of his client. "Casey treated Caylee well. She loved that child." No witnesses, he reminded jurors, ever testified that Casey Anthony was anything other than a loving mother.

 

"We all know Casey acted inappropriately and made some mistakes and bad decisions," Baez said, noting Casey Anthony should have called the police and not attempted to "block this out." And if she committed a crime in doing so, he said, the state can charge her for it. But, he said, prosecutors have "overcharged" the case "... just because it's entertainment."

 

He said authorities focused on Casey Anthony from the beginning and "put square pegs in round holes," in an attempt to make the evidence fit their theory, rather than keep an open mind.

 

But the prosecution offered a very different story, trying to convince the jury -- who were picked in Pinellas County, Florida, due to publicity surrounding the case in Orange County -- that Casey Anthony killed her daughter because the conflict between the life she wanted and the life she had, according to Ashton, was "irreconcilable."

 

During deliberations, WESH-TV will provide live updates at the top of each hour. Sign up now for e-mail alerts from WESH.com to be notified when the jury has reached a verdict.



Read more: http://www.wesh.com/casey-anth...l.html#ixzz1R9jZ4Uut

Ev (Peachy)

Jury will not deliberate past 6 p.m. unless close to a verdict, court officials say. 

Jurors began deliberations at 12:09p. 

 

So far the mood around courthouse is pretty calm. People seem to assume there won't be a verdict today.

 

judgeperry just poked his head into the media room for two seconds. He didn't say a word...just looked at us.

 

I would give a month's salary to be a fly on the wall in the #CaseyAnthony jury room. No, I'd give three months' salary.
by stevehelling via twitter at 6:13 PM
CaseyAnthony is in a basement cell of the courthouse. She will remain there during the days until verdict. (back to the jail each nite.)
The number of media crews and "groupies'" is ever increasing at Camp Casey. Lots of people looking for photo ops, autographs

 

Ev (Peachy)
Originally Posted by Ev (Peachy):
Originally Posted by Yogi19:
Originally Posted by Ev (Peachy):

One verdict has come in !

 

Just in from OCSO: Once verdict returned, deputies cordoning off area for media along Suburban Drive east of Hopespring Drive #caseyAnthony

Ev, it says "once"  not one verdict returned.

Yes lol 

I misread it too, I was shouting to hubby, "there's one verdict in already!"

Yogi19
Originally Posted by Yogi19:
Originally Posted by Ev (Peachy):
Originally Posted by Yogi19:
Originally Posted by Ev (Peachy):

One verdict has come in !

 

Just in from OCSO: Once verdict returned, deputies cordoning off area for media along Suburban Drive east of Hopespring Drive #caseyAnthony

Ev, it says "once"  not one verdict returned.

Yes lol 

I misread it too, I was shouting to hubby, "there's one verdict in already!"

Someone shouted it to me that the verdicts were in  lol, i  looked, seen the picture  on the wesh news of the jury chairs, with the verdict guilty and not guilty with the x next to it and seen that tweet hahahaaa

 

At least once it does come in, we will be here in a flash

 

 

 

Ev (Peachy)
Originally Posted by Ev (Peachy):
Originally Posted by Yogi19:
Originally Posted by Ev (Peachy):
Originally Posted by Yogi19:
Originally Posted by Ev (Peachy):

One verdict has come in !

 

Just in from OCSO: Once verdict returned, deputies cordoning off area for media along Suburban Drive east of Hopespring Drive #caseyAnthony

Ev, it says "once"  not one verdict returned.

Yes lol 

I misread it too, I was shouting to hubby, "there's one verdict in already!"

Someone shouted it to me that the verdicts were in  lol, i  looked, seen the picture  on the wesh news of the jury chairs, with the verdict guilty and not guilty with the x next to it and seen that tweet hahahaaa

 

At least once it does come in, we will be here in a flash

 

 

 

Yogi19

As The Verdict Draws Near, Will Casey Anthony Dodge The Death Penalty?

Written by Michael Lambarde on Jul 04 2011 // CategoryCelebrity Tidbits

The jury in the Casey Anthony trial are set to deliberate later today on whether Anthony is guilty of first degree murder of her two-year-old daughter Caylee back in the summer of 2008, but according to a reporter, even if she is found guilty and given the death sentence, that doesn’t necessarily mean that she will actually get executed. This is according to Mike Thomas of the Orlando Sentinel, who weeks back gave an explosive and eye-opening report that suggested that even if the tot mom does make it to death row, there are also approximately 400 other inmates in front of her who would get excututed before here. The catch? Due to the costs of the death penalty to the tax payers in Florida, the last time someone got the death penalty was nearly a year-and-a-half ago.

“If she ever does make it to death row and gets in line behind the 399 inmates already there,” Thomas writes, “she would be killed sometime in the 23rd century. Our last execution was 16 months ago. Since then, we have added 11 more.” As reporters covering the case continue to insist that Anthony will get the death penalty if none of the jurors have no reasonable doubt, which is right to say, but it doesn’t mean that it’s true.

“The Palm Beach Post calculated in 2000 that the death penalty cost Florida $51 million a year, or about $24 million per execution. I hate to point out the obvious, but this isn’t working,” Thomas says. He added, “New Jersey eliminated its death penalty in 2007 after spending more than $250 million on death-penalty trials since the early 1980s and executing nobody.”

Instead, Thomas insists that she would probably be long dead of natural causes before she ever gets put “next in line” to be executed. Sure, others will insist that since Anthony is probably by far the most nationally known figure that will be put on death row in Florida if convicted, and thus should be fast tracked to the front of the line, but that is just not how it works.

Ev (Peachy)

Reports from court on the second day of jury deliberation

 


The prosecution and defence people are chatting to each other, taking breaks, drinking coffee together.

  • CheneyMason is chatting with prosecutors. You know when you finish a big project and can relax? That's what they all look like.
    by stevehelling via twitter 1:23 PM
  • Cheney Mason and Lizabeth Fryer have arrived. #CaseyAnthony #verdictwatch -jfell
    by cfnews13casey via twitter 1:22 PM
  • Linda Drane Burdick is conversing with Dorothy Sims. Some of those in the audience are filing into courtroom. #verdictwatch -jfell
    by cfnews13casey via twitte
     One note.. The Jury are dressed in formal business attire today.
    Juror #3 was wearing a business suit. Never seen that before. #9 had a tie, and #4 had a blazer. Hope that means something! 
    Casey in the court.
    Cindy and George are not. 
    Jeff Ashton won't take any guesses on length of deliberations. He says there's just no way of telling
    Did you guys catch this? Baez hams it up for the hall cam: on.wesh.com
    by Matt Lupoli/Staff 2:35 PM
Ev (Peachy)

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