My Visit To The Casey Anthony Murder Trial On June 8, 2011- Part 1

Will this trial  be the final chapter in the Quest for Justice for Caylee Marie Anthony?

 Mr. Katfish and I are here in Florida to visit family in Tampa for a couple weeks. We have been having a nice visit, but for me, the trip wouldn't be complete without a stop at one of the hottest Summer attractions (obsession?) in FL.....no....not Disney World or Universal  Amusement Parks, Busch Gardens or even the Kennedy space Center....my "hotspot" is the Casey Anthony capital murder trial taking place in Orlando. Most people reading here at Katfish....Ponders already know that I'm a trial junkie and this blog is devoted to cases of true crime and missing people, most of which eventually end up working their way through the American criminal justice system, my true "passion".

I intend for this post to be an in-depth account of my visit to the Casey Anthony murder trial in Orlando, FL on Wednesday, June, 8, 2011. I don't plan on giving an "entire account" of the testimony given today because there has already been so much reported (by people more qualified than I ); however, if you have any questions just ask, I took copious notes. The entire day was also streamed online, by various outlets as well as televised by HLN and TruTv's " InSession" and at least one local station, all live.  I'll be sure to include links to the coverage at the end of the post. What I really want to share with you is my personal experience...so here we go......

My husband and I are staying at The DoubleTree Hotel (very nice) on Ivanhoe and Orange Avenue, approximately a mile north of the Orange County Courthouse....My Mr. has little interest in trials so he plans on doing some "sightseeing" around downtown Orlando and hanging out at the hotel while I attend court. I hope to be able to get into the trial on Wednesday for the whole day and Thursday for a half day so our reservations are for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We decided to stay over in Orlando because the court is allowing people to start lining up at 5:30 am to get the coveted 50 seats available to the public. Tickets are handed out between 8 and 8:30. I'm not even going to drive 1.5 hours to get in line at 5 am. LOL

Our plan is for Mr. Katfish to drop me off in front of the courthouse a little after 5, maybe come back and meet me for lunch, and then come and pick me up when court was over for the day. We planned it this way so that he would have a vehicle if he decided to get out in Orlando. After seeing there was plenty to do right at the hotel and realizing that DoubleTree by Hilton has some of the most comfortable beds we've ever encountered at a hotel, at about 4 am on Wed, Mr. Katfish decided he really didn't need the truck (LOL), so I drove myself that .8 mile South on Orange Avenue to the Orange County Courthouse ;)

Casey Town

As I enter the block in front of the courthouse, I can see "Casey Town" on my right, a mass of tents and awnings (I learned there were over 700 requests for media credentials and about 600 were issued). Across the street from Casey Town and directly in front of the courthouse building is a large media truck marked with COURT TV on the side. There doesn't seem to be a lot of activity yet in the media areas so I turn my attention to finding a spot to park and notice all of the parking meters on the block are covered to prevent parking.


L-R  parking garage, administrative building, 23 floor Orange County Courthouse, and another administrative building with a courtyard in front of the OCC and in between the 2 administrative buildings .

  Immediately on my left is the parking garage that I used when I attended a pretrial hearing on December 20, 2010 (We were in FL for Christmas with family). I see some lights are on in the parking garage and there are a few cars already parked....there is also a car at the entrance that I assume is stopped to grab his parking ticket ( I think it's $15 max for the day) just as I pull in I notice a line of about 20 people are standing on the Orange St. sidewalk in front of the administrative building (between the parking garage and the courthouse).

Orange Ave sidewalk where the early birds gather

I'd heard the court had allowed the lineup to move from across the street to this spot on the sidewalk that passes the courthouse complex at the street. (I assume to eliminate some of the stampede at 5:30) I'm starting to feel pretty excited about being here.....that and the caffeine is starting to kick in. WooHoo!

I pulled right behind the car entering the garage and notice out of the corner of my eye some more people are being dropped off to join the line. I'm regretting not having Mr. Katfish drop me off and the car ahead of me isn't moving....WTH? I honk my horn and immediately I regret my impatience...not my normal MO....so I get out and approach the car. I smiled at the man in the car to soften the sting of my horn and ask if he plans on parking. I notice the man has on a uniform and realize he is some type of courthouse employee, thankfully, he smiles back at me before pointing out the cone blocking his entry....he tells me the garage opens at 5:30 (it's about 5:15 now) and then asks if I'm here to get a ticket for the trial. When I tell him yes, he suggests I go ahead and park on the street behind the courthouse so I can get in line, adding the meter maids don't start patrolling until 9am. I thank him for his kindness and get back in my truck and back out to go around the block. I find a parking spot with no problem, feed the meter for the maximum allowed, 2 hours (I don't want to chance our only transportation being towed off. LOL) and cut through the back of the courthouse entry/courtyard.

~Time to get in line ~

When I get to the front of the courthouse there is a OCSO deputy/bailiff standing in the courtyard near the corner of the administration building, I smile and tell him I'm here to get a ticket for a seat, the officer points to a roped off area under the awning on the administrative building and I see the people from the line are being allowed to come on the courthouse property now (Basically just turning the corner of the building and the line begins at the opposite end up near where the bailif was standing.). To my relief there is no running or inappropriate behavior that I can see so I take my place in line. It looks like 30-40 people in front of me...drats...I hope I get a seat!

One thing I notice right off is the number of young people around me in line. Directly behind me is a group of 3 girls who appear to be early to mid twenties. In line in front of me are 2 guys in their early twenties, and in front of them are 3 more girls in their very early twenties. The first  30 or so people in line ahead of us look to be in their 40's and 50's for the most part, and there he is....right at the front of the line, neck brace guy. LOL! Most of the people who show up in the next 15 minutes or so are older women, hopefully they will get in. By about 6 am it's obvious there are way more people here than will be able to get in, regardless, everyone stays in line and remains pretty civil, some young adults at the end are getting a little loud but really they are just acting goofy, not belligerent.

The guys in front of me (since we end up sitting with each other all day, at the risk of sounding like Casey Anthony, I'll call them "my boys" from here on out.) have attended the trial another day so they are "sharing their knowledge" about the workings of this ticket system with the pretty young girls ahead of us and behind me. Of course, I'm all ears and learn after a while, that when everyone is pretty well established in line, people can step out and use the restroom (located in the building we are lined in front of) or move their cars. I'm relieved to hear this...I was just thinking about calling Mr Katfish and ask him to either ride his electric wheelchair here or get a ride from the hotel shuttle to pick up the truck. I wait until some around me have ran their "errands" and then go move my truck into the parking garage at about 7 am. Good! Now I don't have to worry about that.

All morning there have been camera crews taking still shots and video up and down the line. A few of them are taking head counts too, after several tell me I'm number 40-42 I feel comfortable I'll get a seat. My boys tell me the first 20 are seated on the main floor in the courtroom and the rest are seated in the balcony with the media.

Jim Lichtenstein, a producer for the Today show is trying to find who in line has traveled the farthest to be here. Everyone near me was from FL. I'm not sure who Lichtenstein came up with...perhaps he should have checked among his colleagues....there was a reporter from Japan trying to interview people in line. A reporter I spoke with from the Miami Herald told me the Japanese reporter doesn't speak English but his camera girl does, so she is pulling double duty. Can you believe with everything going on in Japan, they would send someone here to report this case? I suppose it's a diversion.

I found the reporter from the Miami Herald, Audra D.S.Burch, to be a very interesting person. After I told her I have a true crime blog and have occasionally written about this case she asked me to leave the line for a few minutes and sit down on a nearby bench to talk. (A welcome break after standing for hours, many have sat on the sidewalk but I was afraid if I got down there I would have trouble getting up with these knees ~ o ~ mine. LOL) Here is a link to the story Audra wrote about the trial and those attending for the Miami Herald. It's very interesting, she was here all week and interviewed a lot of people...I also did a search on Ms. Burch and linked (with her name above) the results, she has written some very interesting pieces and won some prestigious rewards. I'm glad I had the chance to meet her.

At about 8 am , staff from the court comes and hands out laminated sheets with rules of conduct for the courtroom. The energy is increasing in the line now, those who didn't receive a sheet will not get in this morning, but most stay anyway. My boys tell me there are usually a few people who get kicked out for sleeping or some other infraction and some people don't come back for the afternoon session so it's possible these people could get those seats. At 8:15 the court personnel take back the laminated rules sheets and at 8:30 return to hand out the actual seat tickets. Here is my ticket:

Once the tickets are handed out people disperse from the line. I head straight over to the main entrance of the courthouse and get in line again. This line is for everyone coming to the courthouse (for whatever reason) to go through a security checkpoint.Surprisingly, this only takes a few minutes so I make a "pit stop" up on 23 before I go into the courtroom. In the ladies room I speak with a woman who also has her husband stashed at their hotel....they are from Tennessee and came specifically for her to attend the trial. She said her husband had retired recently and hadn't been able to pry her from the TV watching the trial so he finally told her, "Let's just go to Orlando!" I thought that was a hoot!

~ Let's head into the courtroom ~

I make my way into Judge Perry's courtroom on 23 and a bailiff checks my ticket and directs me to a stair well on my left to go into the balcony. When I get up to the balcony another bailiff tells me which row to go to....I'm kind of bummed when I realize my seat is smack dab in the middle of the row. Once everyone is seated I look around and realize my whole row is made up of the same people I was right in line with. The 3 girls behind me and another woman have the 4 seats behind me and my boys are right next to me with the 3 girls ahead of them seated before them at the beginning of the row. There are 5 rows of seats, the first 2.5 rows are media seats. There are monitors across the front row that are showing split shots from various cameras throughout the courtroom being manned by people who aren't familiar.

The first person I recognize in the media section is Dave Knechel aka Marinade Dave. Dave is a blogger from Orlando that has been closely following this case and was hired by the Orlando Magazine to cover the trial for them. He is seated in the row in front of me at the far end. I'm happy for Dave to have received the media credentials so he can attend daily. Once Dave sees me he smiles and indicates we will meet in the hall at the morning break. I have followed Dave's blog for a long time but had the opportunity to meet him in person last December when I attended a hearing in this case.....it's funny how you can meet someone on the internet and become friends but not even know what each other looks like and then when you do meet feel like you have known them forever. It's like that with Dave and me but I have also had the same experience with others. I met another "trial buddy", Karental, for lunch in Tampa and it felt the same...like I had known her forever. Life is good :) I look forward to meeting up with many more of my online friends in the years to come!

~ A Little "Starstruck" ~
 Back to the trial....court will start in a few minutes so I look around to see if I see any "big names". Throughout the day I saw,  Jean Casarez  InSession Correspondent / Attorney sits in the front row keeping an eye on one of the monitors and a producer from InSession named Mike who does some on air reports sits right behind her. Ashleigh Banfield is here, now a reporter for ABC,  formerly of CTV / In session. Judge Jeanine Pirro,  former District Attorney and County Court Judge who now hosts a tv "court show" with her name, is here and seated with a couple people. Aphrodite Jones, Author and TV host of "True Crime with Aphrodite Jones" on Investigation Discovery, came in and takes a seat that in a few minutes turns out is Natisha Lance's seat, Nancy Grace Producer. The first witness was on the stand when Natisha entered the balcony so she tells Aphrodite to stay in her seat and takes an empty seat next to Dave; however, Natisha immediately reclaims her seat when Aphrodite leaves later in the day. I thought Aphrodite looked a little tired when she came in this morning but much more so now as she leaves, hope she's not sick that's all everyone squished in this balcony needs◔_◔ . Another woman takes the seat that Natisha just left next to Dave and stays there for the remainder of the day. (I assumed she was a reporter, but later learn her name is Susan Constantine, after seeing her make a couple appearances on HLN to speak as a body language specialist.) I should note that the bailiff is very strict about people remaining in their seats assigned by the court seat ticket for media and public....I'll talk about this more in a bit. I didn't note when Beth came in; however, Beth Karas, InSession Correspondent / Attorney comes in later in the afternoon and replaces Jean Casarez in the front row.

Here are a few  pictures I grabbed off the internet of Baez and the Anthonys. I can't really say I'm starstruck by any of the Anthony family but without a doubt they are the "stars" of this case. I barely caught a glimpse of George and Cindy when coming into the entry of the courtroom to reach the balcony. The lower gallery is dismissed before the balcony is allowed to disperse when court breaks so the Anthonys and other people in the gallery are gone before I reach the hallway or the elevator. Casey and her defense team are in full view from the balcony 
and her "mug" is plastered all over the media's monitors in front of us.


 ~ Order is the rule of the day ~

The bailiff get's everyone's attention in the balcony and reminds everyone of court decorum. He says anyone caught sleeping or being disruptive (chewing gum, talking, etc) will be asked to leave and not allowed back in the courtroom for the day. He reminds everyone to silence their cellphones and says that nobody can have out their cellphone, IPad, etc unless they are wearing media credentials. I already turned my phone off before I came up the elevator....I do not want to risk the ire of Judge Perry. The bailiff also reminds the accredited media they are restricted to texting on their devices. This is definitely Judge Parry's court nothing is left to chance.

All day the bailiff on the balcony kept a very close eye on everyone in the balcony and the gallery downstairs. I noticed that a bailiff downstairs also monitored the balcony and the gallery, it seemed like a very structured procedure. I'll talk about this more in a bit, but the Honorable Judge Belvin Perry has entered the courtroom and things get underway for day 13 of the trial.

After the court officially recognizes both parties. (I count 3 attorneys at the state table adjacent to the jury box and facing the court and 6 attorneys at the defense table directly across and facing the jury box, there is someone sitting at the table the defense would have normally been seated at that I think might be an investigator for the state or possibly another attorney.) Jose Baez is on his feet. The defense wants to renew their previous objections on the record about evidence coming in pertaining to the cadaver dogs. Judge Perry says," As for the video training, the trier of fact can determine the credibility but they must know the training.Objections denied." The videos weren't shown today, maybe yesterday(?), at any rate, the videos are part of the evidence so the jury will have access to them. Being on vacation I've missed a lot of the trial so far....I try and hit some blogs and news outlets to keep up as much as I can but I'm sure I've missed some things.

~ The State's Case in Chief continues Day 13 ~
     First Witness - Sargent Kristin Brewer

Sgt Brewer's mark

Assistant State's Attorney Linda Drane Burdick (LDB) calls the state's first witness for the day, Kristen Brewer of the Osceola County Sheriff Department. Sgt. Brewer reported her own work history and background with search dogs before she testified to the training and history of her cadaver dog, Bones, as well as the logistics and results of Bone's search of the backyard at George and Cindy Anthony's home ,on Hopespring Dr., on July 17, 2008. LDB showed Brewer a photo of Caylee Anthony's playhouse in her grandparents' backyard, Brewer circles the area indicating where her dog was in the yard when he alerted.

Deputy Forgey's mark

Brewer's testimony follows up yesterday's testimony of Deputy Jason Forgey of the Orange County Sheriff's Office about his dog, Gerus, who searched and alerted on both the Anthony's backyard and Casey's Pontiac Sunfire. Brewer told LDB that after Bone's first search and alert, Deputy Forgey told her "Gerus" had alerted "within" 6 - 8 feet of "Bone's" alert in the back yard. Here is the picture Forgey circled of the same area of the backyard in previous testimony....looks pretty close to me. Hopefully the jury will have access to both pictures.

Jose Baez arrows on Brewer's mark

 During his cross examination of Sgt. Brewer, Jose Baez went to great lengths to get her to admit that 6 - 8' from where she had circled was over by the pool which is out of range in these pictures the red arrows are Baez artwork. (You can see the direct and the cross of Sgt. Brewer in parts 1 and 2 below.) 

 

I finally found a picture of the Anthony's yard.....check out the distance from the playhouse to the pool....wayyy more than 6-8' for sure,
they are on total opposite ends of the house! The arrow in this particular
picture is pointing at the shed but you can see the roof of the playhouse
at the corner of the house.

I've noticed the prosecution team has worked their way through the specific timeline of this case when presenting their case in chief, down to presenting this testimony in the same order as their dog's searched the Anthony home. Hopefully the state presenting their case in this manner will make it easier for the jury to focus on the timeline when they deliberate as well as go through the evidence.


I'm going to break right here because this is the point in the testimony that I had to leave my seat and go to the ladies room and take a pain pill. I have bad knees and while the seats themselves are padded and comfortable I have long legs and there is NO room to move my legs....to even attempt to cross them creates a hazard of kicking someone in the head. I'll be back with part 2.


Links to YouTube Video of day 13 of the testimony. 
Thanks to Sierra for posting these!

June 8, Day 13 - Part1
                            Part 2
                            Part 3
                            Part 4
                            Part 5
                          Part 6
                           Part 7
                          Part 8
                          Part 9
                          Part 10 
                          Part 11        Sphere: Related Content

A Visit to Orlando For A Hearing In The Casey Anthony Murder Case

I was fortunate to be able to spend 10 days in Tampa (Brandon), FL with family over the Christmas holiday. It was a fantastic trip....a lot of wonderful family memories were made :) However, one memory is not of time spent with my family, but a little side trip I made to Orlando, on December 20, to attend a hearing in the Casey Anthony case. Although the experience was interesting for me, the hearing ended up being pretty short and uneventful, so I decided not to take more time from my family to write about it.

Casey Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie. She has pleaded not guilty, claiming a babysitter kidnapped her toddler. Caylee was last seen in June of 2008, but she was not reported missing until a month later. Her remains were found in woods near the family's home in December 2008.

Now that we've been home a few weeks and I'm caught up on some other cases I've been following, it seems like a good time to share my Orlando experience. Before leaving IL, I had printed up directions on Mapquest with directions from my nieces home to the Orange County courthouse in Orlando. The route was a pretty direct shot, but I'd be remiss if I didn't give kudos to Mapquest for their helpful directions... for example step #10. Take the 2nd LEFT onto E LIVINGSTON ST. If you are on N ORANGE AVE and reach E ROBINSON ST you've gone about 0.1 miles too far. (When you've never been to a location before, those extra details really help and Mapquest offers them through-out :)

Even though I drove between 70-80 mph (keeping up with traffic....honestly) most of way, the 90 mile trip took about 1 1/2 hours. Once I completed step 10 on my directions I noticed a sign that said "Juror Parking" leading into a parking garage, I took the turn and found a spot to park.

Orange County Courthouse complex  Orlando, FL

Coming out of the parking garage(building on left in picture) on ground level, I notice the courthouse is right in front of me (it's huge). I follow signs directing to the main entrance, right before entering, I pass Jose Baez heading in the other direction. I assume the attorneys have a different access but make a mental note that Baez has that "Dennis the Menace" type smile on his face that many (including me) have referred to as a "smirk".....seems that's his regular look. LOL, I bet he was an ornery kid.

I head on into the courthouse through the main entrance and see a long line of people going through security. Before taking my place in line, I ask at the information desk, "Where is Judge Belvin Perry's courtroom?" Without even looking up, the employee tells me, "Up on 23".  It took just a few minutes to go through the security line and then I head for the far bank of elevators that will go up to 23. Once on the 23rd floor I see Judge Perry's chamber on one side and the courtroom is on the other side of a waiting area. There are several people sitting and standing around. No one looks familiar until I notice the back of Dave Knechel (aka Marinade Dave) speaking to someone behind a pillar. I stand back until I have a chance to catch Dave's eye so that I can introduce myself to him. I then notice the person Dave was speaking with is Casey's attorney for the penalty phase, Ann Finnell. She appears to be looking for something in her briefcase so I'm not really interrupting. Right after we shook hands, a man with a walker called Dave over to him and introduced himself and his wife to Dave. Evidently a fan of Dave's blog. That's nice :).

There were a dozen or so people standing and sitting around the waiting area when Jose Baez got off the elevator and says hello to Ann Finnell and Dave. Baez says the hearing is down on the 19th floor and heads back to the elevator, everyone in the waiting area follows him. Dave and I end up on the same elevator as Ann Finnell and Jose Baez, there were others but I can't tell you who because no one is familiar. From the conversation, I learned one was local media and another was Cindy Anthony's current attorney, Mark Lippman. I don't remember who said it ( probably JB ) but there was work being done on Judge Perry's courtroom so the hearing will be held downstairs. Dave told me the courtroom on 19 is the smaller courtroom where Judge Strickland presided over the hearings in this case before he recused himself. (I guess I should have asked the information guy where Casey Anthony's hearing was instead of Judge Perry's court. Oh well, it was an interesting ride down.)

When we get off the elevator, Jose Baez, Ann Finnell and Mark Lippman  head on into the courtroom.
Evidently the rest of us have to wait :(  Moments later Cindy Anthony appears, peaks into the courtroom and is allowed in. Cindy is alone today. I wonder to myself if Cindy isn't single these days....pure speculation of course.....but the way she is dressed seems to be trying to lean towards a " younger, sexy ? " look and she may just be trying to hook up with a biker dude.. She is wearing gray jeans that are "muffin top tight". The legs of her jeans are tucked into boots that have buttons or buckles on the side. I remember them as a charcoal color with a felt or knit shaft, but have heard them referred to as black leather.(I could be wrong) She also has on a gray sweater with an black and purple argyle print on the front  and a purple knit shirt underneath. It seems she has toned down the jewelry a bit, but just an FYI from one 50ish gal to another....too tight boot cut jeans do not take the place of the current trend to wear skinny jeans tucked in boots and matchy matchy gives our age away every time.he..he... I don't want to seem too harsh on Cindy because I doubt she has money to keep up with the clothing trends, just saying.... If ya can't do it right......

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone to speculate that Cindy's attempt at a "tight younger look" and George's repeated absence from court  may be an indicator of trouble in Anthonyland. I noticed after the hearing that George Anthony authorized Lippman Law Offices, P.A. to issue a media statement on December 17, 2010  rebutting statements George's "alleged" girlfriend, Krystal Holloway (aka River Kruz) made to the Sheriff department, in a February 2010 interview. The interview was released as a  2 part audio as part of a document dump on December 17. Who knows?  The state of the Anthony's marriage really isn't relevant to the criminal case...personally, given what we know about their "history" I  would have dumped him long ago.

When we (the public) are allowed into the courtroom Casey has already been brought in. The prosecution side (on the right) is pretty empty but behind the defense in the front row is Kathy Belich from WFTV, at the end of her row is a huge television camera. There are people from various media working with electronics in each row on that side as well. In the second row behind KB is Cindy and her attorney. There was another couple behind them......until they moved over to my row.....later I read the couple came down from NY for the hearing and she is a regular over at The Hinky Meter. I'm disappointed I didn't know who they were. (Waving at Kathy now!)

There is a tall bald man (accompanied by a short blond woman), that Dave had spoke with earlier out in the hall, sitting in the second row behind the state. I assume he is with the media because he got into the courtroom ahead of us. Later I learn he is Jim Lichtenstein, a producer from NBC for the Today show. I've had heard this guy usually sits with Cindy Anthony in the courtroom, but not today. Dave K. took the aisle seat in the third row behind them. I take a seat in the back row (after checking to make sure I have a good view of Casey if she turns to the side).

December 10

For the most part, I can only see Casey Anthony from behind, but I noticed at the hearing a week or so ago, Dec 10, that Casey seems to have lost the weight she gained during her first year or so in jail. Wonder if this is a factor in her weight loss? (I came across that article looking for a photo online of the courthouse. ew!) I've never followed much on Casey's commissary purchases, beyond her own account in her letters to Robyn Adams, but it seems she has options beyond the meals served to prisoners at the jail, so the weight loss must be intentional.

December 20

Right away, I notice Casey has on the same shirt she wore at the last hearing, a long sleeve blue and white pinstripe oxford with ruffles along the buttons. Honestly, it looks like she has been sleeping in it for the past 10 days. Today Casey has a multi-level ponytail that looks thrown together. Did she even plan on attending court today? Within minutes the gallery is filled behind the state and the hearing is ready to get under way. Judge Perry calls the case at 1:31 p.m. Jeff Ashton is the only representative for the state today (He looks very tired). . The attorney for the Orlando Sentinel, Rachel Fugate is sitting in the well behind the state's table.

This hearing was scheduled to hear a motion filed by Ann Finnell on November 23, seeking to seal the defense witness list for the penalty phase from public and media view. The motion couldn't be heard on the 10th because the media hadn't been noticed in the original motion.(oops Annie, don't let Jose rub off on ya) Judge Perry agreed to put a temporary seal on the list until the media had an opportunity to respond on sealing any part of the record.....and that brings us to today.

This is a video of the hearing:

Casey Anthony returns to court: MyFoxORLANDO.com

Since I included the video of the hearing and it has already been heavily covered, I won't go through a play by play of the hearing but rather just provide a summary and some highlights.

Ann Finnell gave a 10 minute presentation to the court of her "MOTION TO SEAL PENALTY PHASE DISCOVERY RESPONSE" . Basically the defense stance is that with the excessive publicity making these witness' names public would impede Ms. Anthony's right to a fair trial and furthermore would result in a chilling effect with some witnesses being unwilling to come forward with information for fear of harassment and stalking. When Ms. Finnell  was finished Judge Perry asked if there was a response from the state. Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton said no.(The state already has access to the witness list so they have no stance on the sealing of the penalty phase witness list)

Rachel Fugate came to the podium to argue the Orlando Sentinel's motion to intervene. Fugate argued that there should not be a blanket seal, but that the defense should argue to have certain witness's information sealed on a case-by-case basis adding the burden to prove a predjudice exists is the defense burden, not the court's.

Oops...no talking out of turn Jose

 Just One and a half  minutes into Ms. Fugate's argument, Jose Baez rose from his seat to object to the still photographer zooming in on notes his client was writing. (20.33 on the video above). Immediately Judge Perry stopped Baez and reminded him court procedures 101....by pointing out that only one lawyer has the floor....and it wasn't him.! Ann Finnell quickly stood and objected. “Well,” the judge added, “unfortunately, the objection will be noted and overruled.” Ms. Fugate not only picked up her argument where she left off, she also made statements in defense of the court photographer who is a seasoned pro and challenged the defense to find an example where something like that has been published. Judge Perry gave Ann Finnell the opportunity to rebut Ms. Fugate's argument, particularly the part of her argument that the claims the defense motion is too broad.

After Ms. Finnell's short rebuttal, Judge Perry says he will reserve ruling on the motion to seal penalty phase witnesses, adding the list will remain temporarily sealed until his ruling is made .

Perry also reminded defense attorney Jose Baez that he has until Thursday (December 23) to file a motion to pursue meter reader Roy Kronk as a possible suspect in Caylee's death. Kronk found Caylee's body in a wooded area on Suburban Drive near the Anthony home. Perry said he assumed Baez had given up on that defense strategy, but Baez said he misunderstood his deadline and thought he has until December 31 to file.  Judge Perry makes it clear that deadline was for motions to be heard not filed.

Jose Baez was on his feet again about an issue regarding a previous sidebar ruling. Perry called the attorneys up for a short sidebar. I'm not certain, but I think the sidebar had something to do with Dr. Henry Lee. The judge told Baez to supply him with some info he needs re Dr. Lee and the hearing was over.....all 26 minutes of it. :)

I almost forgot to mention....the guy sitting next to me had a small camera/video recorder in his hand throughout the hearing. Several times I thought he was going to sneak a picture of Casey, when the defense went to the stand for the sidebar he made his move. I don't know if he got the shot, but a bailiff came over and told him to knock it off.

I rode down in the elevator and walked out in front of the courthouse with Dave Knechel. I met Dave for the first time in person today, but as a long time reader of his blog, I feel like I have known him for a long time so I felt comfortable enough to give him a big ole hug before I left the courthouse. Just for the record, Dave doesn't smell like dirty laundry, but very much like Polo cologne.Nice! LOL

On January 7, 2011 Judge Perry issued a ruling that denied the defense motion to seal that was argued on December 20th. The order states that arguments made by Casey Anthony's attorneys fell short of the standards required to seal the list of witnesses who will be called if Casey is convicted and there is a sentencing phase.I couldn't find the order itself but here is the article that appeared in the Orlando Sentinel.

This case is expected to go to trial on May 9, 2011. If convicted of 1st degree murder of her daughter Caylee, Casey Anthony may face the death penalty.
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Will 2010 Be the Year Of Reality Checks For Casey Anthony And Her Family?

It has been a while since Katfishponders posted anything related to Caylee Marie Anthony, her mother Casey, or grandparents George and Cindy. It’s not that I haven’t been following the case, it’s just there hasn’t been anything “new” in the many discovery documents released since last June that have motivated me to write beyond commenting at other blogs and forums.

There were a lot of motions filed and hearings held in the fraud and murder trials, but honestly there are other bloggers “better equipped” to break-down the legal issues. My “go to” people are Ritanita at “Trials and Tribulations” and Dave Knechel at “Marinade Dave’s“. If you aren’t familiar with them, I recommend you check them out. They both offer informative, factual and often witty interpretations of the legal issues in a way that anyone can understand…..BUT DON'T GO YET…..I have a few thoughts I would like to share about recent events in the lives of the Anthony clan.

Before I get to my thoughts about recent events, I want to clarify my feelings about this case. If you don’t agree with me, that’s fine. I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything. If you have read my earlier posts about Caylee’s life and death, and the people she loved, you know that I think the evidence released in the discovery combined with her actions indicates that Casey is responsible for Caylee’s death. I don’t think anyone but Casey is responsible for what happened to Caylee; however, I do think her family bears some responsibility for the media mess this case has become. Here is why I feel this way…

When the story broke that Caylee was missing it didn’t take long to realize Cindy is a forceful personality….the “Queen of her Castle” so to speak and Casey was the “Princess of Anthonyland“. As the details ( i.e. Casey fables) came out about the circumstances surrounding Caylee’s disappearance, it became apparent that the fairytale world that Casey had concocted was a grim tale.

Despite Cindy’s efforts to portray Casey as a “fair maiden” whose daughter had been stolen by the “evil nanny”, the reality was that Casey was an accomplished liar, a thief and Caylee was most likely dead. George and Cindy “seemed” to refuse to accept reality until Caylee’s skeletal remains were discovered December 11, 2008, six months after she disappeared. The toddler’s remains were bagged and partially buried in a swampy, vacant lot near Anthonyland. When the State announced they were seeking the death penalty for Casey, the Anthony’s went into “battle mode“ and in my opinion, just made things worse. Thankfully, they have quieted down a bit for the most part.

Never fear….Casey’s “knight in shining armor“, Jose Baez, and the rest of the princess’s “army of minions” have taken over the spinning of the tale, and spin they have, in an effort to cast blame on anyone but Casey. I won’t even go into that, they are doing whatever they can to create doubt for their client…the problem they seem to have is one word, “reasonable” that needs to fit in front of doubt.

In recent months reality “seems” to be breaking through the various chapters of this fractured fairytale….notice I emphasize “seems”….I’ll get to that. A few of the reality break-throughs so far this year are: Casey is now a convicted felon. George and Cindy are possibly going to lose the whole damn castle. Casey is reportedly out of money for her defense with the clock ticking as a date has finally been set for the murder trial and the judge has set deadlines for witness lists, depositions, etc.

Reality Check #1- Casey is now a convicted felon.
On January 25, 2010, Casey Anthony pleaded guilty to check fraud and sentenced to time served. Anthony has been held without bond since she was indicted for first degree murder in October 2008. The guilty plea means Anthony now has six felony convictions on her record.
Anthony admitted stealing a checkbook from a friend, Amy Huizenga, and writing four checks worth nearly $650. She wiped tears from her eyes as she spoke briefly in court.
"I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm sorry for what I did," she said. "I take complete and full responsibility for my actions, and I'd like to apologize to Amy. I wish I'd been a better friend.

In my opinion, the most notable thing about this hearing is that Casey actually broke down and cried after she spoke in court. (See picture) Now we know what Casey looks like when she is truly crying, versus what we have seen before where she tries to squeeze out tears but ends up hiding behind her hair, dabbing her eyes. The question is…..was she crying because she is now a convicted felon….or was it because she felt bad that she had stolen from her friend Amy? I really don’t know, but things are never what they seem with this family.....the thought that occurred to me when I saw her crying, is she crying because this the first time she has ever REALLY been held accountable for her actions?
CNN

Reality Check#2- George and Cindy are possibly going to lose the whole damn castle.

George and Cindy Anthony said they did not know that Bank of America had
Filed Foreclosure papers on their home until WKMG Local 6 News reporter Mike DeForest brought it to their attention on February 22 .

The Anthonys have owned the Hopespring Drive property since 1989, but four years ago they refinanced their home for $121,000. According to the filing, they still owe nearly all of that money. Bank of America said that since June 2009, the Anthonys have failed to make their $785 monthly payments.

The Anthonys' attorney, Brad Conway, said his clients' granddaughter's death contributed to them losing the house. Conway attributed the couple's latest financial problems to the notoriety of the case and the emotional toll caused by their granddaughter's slaying.
Cindy had to leave her job because of stress-related medical problems and has been on disability for more than a year. George -- like many others in this economy -- is having difficulty finding work, said Conway, who added that George Anthony has an added difficulty because he is instantly recognized and rejected by most employers either because of who he is or because companies fear he may bring unwanted media attention.

Many had speculated that the Anthonys were profiting off book and movie deals, but Conway said this foreclosure proves that never occurred.

My first thought when hearing about this is how awful for the Anthonys. I do feel bad for them to lose their home after everything they have been through since June 2008. But I remind myself that things are not always what they “seem” with the Anthonys.

On October 17, 2009, while Cindy and George Anthony set sail with son Lee and his girlfriend Mallory for a 4-day Bahamian cruise on the Monarch of the Seas, CBS aired a 48 Hours Mystery episode featuring The Anthonys and some of the defense and others involved in the case.
That came after George told prosecutors under oath that no one will hire them and, just to make ends meet, they had to accept a few thousand dollars from the CBS network for the exclusive interview. Cindy told prosecutors it was more like $20,000. Brad Conway, told Eyewitness News that the Anthonys deserved the short break and that it's not newsworthy. At the time I agreed with Conway…they have been through hell.

Looking back now, I don’t imagine Bank of America was very thrilled with the idea of this cruise when they hadn’t received a mortgage payment for 5 months.

On Friday, March 12, it was reported by WKMG that George and Cindy Anthony have hired real estate attorney Mark Lippman to assist them in saving their home from foreclosure. The couple claims Bank of America failed to notify them of their delinquency as required by federal regulation.

OMG! Reality check! If you don’t pay your mortgage for 9 months the bank has every right to foreclose your home. A few questions come to mind….how is it that WKMG Local 6 knew on Monday, February 22 that the bank was foreclosing, the same day the foreclosure papers were filed? I suppose that can be explained because the foreclosure was filed with the Circuit Court so is part of the public record. The other question is why does WKMG know that the Anthonys hired Mark Lippman? That is not public record, so they had to be notified by someone….but why? Are the Anthonys living in a fairytale world where the king and queen are entitled to priviledges the rest of us aren't....or is it something else?
WFTV
WKMG

Reality Check # 3- Casey is out of money for her defense.

How Casey Anthony can afford to pay for her defense has long been a topic of debate. She had no assets when she was arrested on check-fraud charges in 2008, before Jose Baez joined the case. Despite this lack of funds her defense grew to include several nationally recognized expert witnesses and attorneys Linda Kenney-Baden and death penalty expert Andrea Lyons, none of whom live in Florida.

Prosecutors have speculated Anthony's "seeming conversion from pauper to princess" could be based on the sale of her photos and videos to media companies. TV networks often pay "licensing fees" for videos and photos. Baez has refused to say how Anthony is paying her attorneys. In March of 2009, there was a hearing based on a motion filed by the state before Judge Stan Strickland concerning the funding of Casey Anthony's defense. The State was concerned about possible conflict of interest between attorney Jose Baez and business deals relating to Casey Anthony's then-current riches. After an in-camera meeting with the defense, Judge Strickland stated he was satisfied with the defense's explanation and the motion went no further.

On March 8, 2010, Casey's defense filed a Defendant's Motion For Determination Of Indigency For Costs. The motion included an affidavit from the defendant indicating fees of $89,454.83 and $22,500 have been paid or will be paid to defense attorneys Jose Baez and Andrea Lyon, respectively. Baez and Lyon are not seeking public funds for attorney fees, and their motion stated that Lyon, is working pro bono. No mention was made of Linda Kenney-Baden in the motion. When Anthony filled out her affidavit, she said the fees paid or to be paid to the attorneys were or are being paid by herself.

Based on the information provided in the affidavit, the Orange County Clerk of Courts found Anthony indigent on March 9. In Florida, judges have to give approval for the various costs when defendants are found indigent. There will be a hearing before Judge Stan Strickland on March 18 on the motion for costs / “pauper to princess and back to pauper” motion?

The bottom line is if the state pays for costs the defense must make full disclosure of the sources of the money paid to date for the defense and anything paid will be at a pre-determined fee.

Orlando sentinel.com

Reality Check #4- The clock ticking as a date has finally been set for the murder trial and the judge has set deadlines for discovery, witness lists, depositions, etc...

This reality check may be as much a reality check for the attorneys as it is for the princess. On March 8 there was a hearing that set May 9, 2011 as the date this case will go to trial. While that may seem a long way off to us, the attorney’s from both sides will be very busy. Judge Strickland also set up a schedule of deadlines to ensure this trial stays on track, you can see his order here.

In a case that things are not always what they seem, things are a changing and the reality is those involved should be more accountable from here on out.

The saddest part of this story is no matter how things work out in the end there will be no "happy ending" because beautiful little Caylee is gone forever.....

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Giving Conflicting Statements and Depositions, It's an Anthony dilemma

George and Cindy Anthony's lawyer, Brad Conway filed a motion Tuesday, Feb.24 with Judge Jose Rodriguez who is presiding over the civil suit filed by Zenaida Fernandez- Gonzales and counter suit filed by Casey Anthony. The Motion For Protective Order was filed to prevent the Anthonys from giving sworn depositions on Thursday as scheduled in the Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez civil law suit. Conway said in the motion, that forcing them to give depositions in the suit is nothing more than an attempt to annoy and embarrass them.

Gonzalez is suing their daughter for defamation after Casey Anthony claimed a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzalez kidnapped her daughter Caylee. Casey Anthony eventually was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Caylee's death. She is in Orange County Jail awaiting trial later this year.

Gonzalez's lawyer, John Morgan, has indeed said he planned to invite the media in and videotape the Anthony's deposition. Morgan is also reported to have said he would have some surprise questions for the Anthonys during the deposition. (This does seem to be somewhat of a taunt, and would have been best left unsaid.)

A hearing was held today to decide the motion filed by Conway. In his motion, Conway said George and Cindy Anthony have been under emotional stress since Caylee's death and their daughter's arrest, and have sought counseling."They should not be subjected to additional publication of personal information while they are still grieving deeply," he wrote.

In response Keith Mitnik, of Morgan and Morgan, agreed that George, having recently attempted suicide could wait. He stated that Cindy Anthony's deposition was more important and should go on. Gonzalez's attorney said the rights of his client and damages she's faced are lost in all this.

In his decision, Judge Rodriguez addressed the admission of media during the depositions. He allowed the media (television, print, etc.) 20 days to go back to their legal departments to have them prepare amicus briefs for the court as to why they should be allowed in the depositions. The judge also ruled to delay the depositions for 20 days to give Conway a chance to present evidence of the psychological problems the Anthonys are experiencing that Conway claimed in his motion.

While few would disagree that the Anthony's have been through a terrible loss and great emotional stress, Katfishponders wonders if their stated reasons for not complying with the deposition really holds water. George had no problem jumping in front of the cameras and involving himself in the Haleigh Cummings case and Cindy was well enough to plan a huge public memorial for Caylee.

It seems the desire to avoid being pinned down under oath is the more prevalent reason to avoid this deposition. Everyone in the Anthony family has been giving inconsistent statements to LE and the media since last July when Caylee was first reported missing. A company called Nifter Media put together a 4 part series of videos that illustrate this very well. These videos have been out there for a while, but I will post them here as a reminder of the wide range of inconsistent statements the Anthonys have put out there.

3/17/2010- for some reason the embed codes are broken...here are links to the video at YouTube:

part 1 0f 4

part 2 of 4

part 3 of 4

part 4 of 4


This is the description of the videos given by Nifter Media on YouTube:
This series of videos focuses on the 'Anthony family perspective,' so to speak; therefore most of the clips presented are of Anthony family members directly, or, about a specific family member. The song 'You Are My Sunshine' is used as a theme for these videos for a variety of reasons, foremost because videos of both Caylee and her grandfather singing this song have been released to the public, but also because the world has become so attached to this little girl and the song fits well within this context. There are also other reasons.These videos do not represent a timeline of the case, rather, they were picked randomly and pieced together in a way that we thought fit what we were trying to present. Additionally, this video is not intended to make anyone appear guilty of any wrong-doing. Editing that leaves the viewer with the impression of unlawful activity by an Anthony family member is purely coincidental and unintended.

orlandosentinel
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The Grim Reality Of Caylee Anthony's Life And Death

There was once a sweet little two year old girl named Caylee Marie Anthony living in Orlando, FL. with her 22 year old single mother, Casey, and her grandparents, George and Cindy Anthony. Like many other children born to an unwed mother, with no father in her life, her entrance into this world wasn’t under ideal circumstances, but from all reports she seemed to thrive and her family doted on her. At some point things went horribly wrong and before Caylee could turn three she went missing.

I’ll provide a summary, but unless you never turn on the television or read magazines at the grocery store check-out you know the basics of Caylee’s story. ATTENTION: If you don’t know the story and you live in Florida, STOP READING this blog and contact attorney Jose Baez, they need you for jury duty.

The world came to know of little Caylee on July 16, 2008 when Caylee’s grandmother started a media blitz telling the world that Caylee had been stolen from her loving mother by the babysitter….and had already been gone for more than a month by the time it was reported to police. At first the Anthony’s reported Caylee had been gone since June 9, until the police found a video of Caylee on their home computer that showed Caylee singing “You’ll never know dear, how much I love you…“ to her great-grandfather during a Fathers Day visit…“please don’t take my sunshine away…“ It was then decided the last day Caylee was seen was June 16.
As odd as this sounded, we were supposed to understand that Casey had been looking for Caylee on her own and the police were jumping to conclusions about Casey instead of looking for Caylee like any other missing child.

When the police released information that Casey had lied about everything she had told them, had led them on wild goose chases looking for Caylee and the sitter, and her car that she had abandoned, smelled of human decomposition, as well as the fact no one had ever seen this sitter, Cindy and George would have us believe the police were wrong to think that Casey could ever do anything to harm Caylee. If Casey was out of jail she would help them find Caylee. Attorney Jose Baez takes Casey’s case and he joins the media blitz.

I and many others thought these people were in denial. It soon became apparent that Cindy was an overbearing person as well and the thought crossed my mind that this was a power struggle between mother and daughter. Cindy was very much the “queen of her castle” and it became apparent that Casey had long been the “princess“ in Anthonyland. Had Casey hidden Caylee somewhere to teach her parents who was boss? It seemed plausible. After a little time in jail she would crack. Wrong!

Within the first week police were digging in the Anthony’s backyard but found nothing. Then the cadaver dogs were brought in and “hit” on several places in the Anthony backyard and the trunk of Casey’s car. The Anthony’s insisted the dogs were wrong and the smell in the car was rotten pizza although it has now been confirmed there was no food in the trunk. You can see a list of the inventory of the trunk here on page 23 and 24. About this time the Anthonys started plastering themselves, their cars and house with Find Caylee paraphernalia as well as insisting that people should be looking for Caylee, not pointing a finger at Casey.

After a few weeks Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla of California announces he has convinced his bail bondsman nephew to put up Casey’s $500,000 bond. Casey was released from jail on house arrest on August 20. Padilla predicts that after Casey washes her hair and does her nails she will tell where Caylee is. Casey is bailed out and the circus is on!

By now the public is engaged in this story in a way never seen before and rather than supporting the babysitter took Caylee story, strangers started protesting at the Anthony home trying to pressure Casey into telling the truth about what had happened to Caylee. Queen Cindy’s and George’s reaction to this was to personally build a “moat” around the castle made of yellow tape and no trespassing signs to keep the media and protestors at bay. Leonard Padilla brought his motor home and parked it right in front of Anthonyland…center ring.

After a week or so, law enforcement started receiving preliminary test results back from the car. Because of Florida’s Sunshine Laws the media was able to get access to the test results and we learned the evidence showed there was a decompositional event in the car, including hair that belonged to either Casey or Caylee that showed signs of decomposition. Reports also showed evidence of residues of chloroform in the trunk of Casey's car.

When Casey was arrested on economics charges (stealing from her friend Amy) on August 29, Leonard Padilla decided because of the test results and Casey’s unwillingness to assist in finding Caylee, to revoke her bond. Casey was bonded out again by other resources on Sept. 5, rearrested on Sept.15 on more economics charges and released again on house arrest the next day until October 14 when the Grand Jury returned with an indictment on Casey Anthony for the 1st degree murder of Caylee Marie Anthony. She has been held without bond since then.

Through out the next several weeks the Anthony’s released an increasing number of tips from all over the country of Caylee sightings…some even provided half assed photos of “Caylee”. What I wanted to know is if these sightings were to be believed, why hadn’t one of these “concerned citizens” actually approached the child and said, “Are you Caylee” or “Where is your Mother?” It was all bull.During this same time, documents were released that showed internet searches conducted on the computer seized from the home of Casey Anthony's parents included "how to make chloroform" and "neck breaking", the documents also showed timesheets of George and Cindy showing they were at work when these computer searches were made in March of 2008.

Then 179 days after Caylee sang her little song to her papa, a child’s skeletal remains were found dumped in the woods less than 3/10ths of a mile from Anthonyland. That moat that the Anthony’s had created around their home was then replaced by crime scene tape and squad cars, declaring Anthonyland a crime scene.

On December 19th , the FBI notified the Orange County Sheriff’s Office that the remains of the child were positively identified as that of Caylee Marie Anthony. Another search warrant was issued and executed for the Anthony home. Law enforcement wouldn’t release any information about the crime scene where Caylee’s remains were found or what they looked for during their searches of Anthonyland but Sheriff Beary did say they definitely found items that would tie the remains to the Anthony home.

On January 20th another 311 discovery documents were turned over to Casey Anthony's defense. According to Florida law they then become public record, therefore upon request from the media, on Wed. the 22nd the prosecutors released the records to the media. From the documents released has come some very disturbing information about things that were found with Caylee's remains.


According to the search warrant affidavit, Caylee's skeletal remains had been placed in a cloth laundry hamper bag, prior to being placed inside the black plastic garbage bag. The documents further reveal that a backpack with the word 'adorable' on it, a Winnie the Pooh blanket, a plastic toy horse, a size 3T shirt, a kid's pair of striped white shorts and small cloth-type iron on letters were also found inside the bag.


Perhaps most unsettling are paragraphs within a search-warrant affidavit, which detail the discovery of the remains and also the discovery of a "heart shaped" sticker that had been placed on duct tape that was found wrapped around the child's skull over the mouth area. wtf?


The search warrants released also gave a list of items that were looked for at the Anthony home shortly after the child's remains were found that included arts and crafts material, stickers, scrap booking material, all shoes belonging to Casey Anthony, the original clothing George Anthony last saw Caylee Anthony wearing on June 16th (pink colored top, blue jean skirt or skort, white shoes, small child's backpack with monkey design and white rimmed sunglasses), any doll clothing that would fit the doll recovered from Casey's vehicle on July 15th, small plastic toy horses similar to one found at the crime scene, and a black or brown backpack/shoulder bag similar to the one George Anthony saw Casey Anthony with on June 16th. The affiant also requests the authority to observe and note any prescriptions that may be on the property.

There have been many characters who have come and gone from this story and bizarre reports that have been disclosed....too many to touch on here without negating the fact that this story was and is about Caylee Marie Anthony and finding justice for this little girl.


George and Cindy have rarely been seen in public since Caylee’s body was found but Cindy has sent e-mails proclaiming her faith in her daughter’s innocence. The Anthony’s lawyers have also made it known that they will seek immunity for their clients, George, Cindy and Lee. They said that despite previous conflicting statements to law enforcement any future statements they make will be consistent. Law enforcement has not implyed that they will seek any charges against the Anthonys.

As I have been working on this entry, news has been breaking that George Anthony is undergoing psychiatric evaluation after he was reported missing late Thursday night from his Orange County home but was located a few hours later at a motel in Daytona Beach. He had text-messaged family members that he wanted to end his life," Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood said. Local 6 News reported that a suicide note was also found in George Anthony's car. The note is in the possession of the Orange County Sheriff's Office. "I'm being told by sources close to the investigation that the note included wording like "I want to go be with Caylee," Local 6 News reporter Jessica D'Onofrio said.

My message to George would be that Caylee needs him to be here, to stand for her and make sure that justice is done in her case. While all indicators are that Casey is responsible for Caylee's death, the only way Caylee will truely receive justice is when the person responsible is convicted in a court of law. I have and will continue to include him and his family in my prayers as this story unfolds.

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The grim reality of Casey Anthony's fairytale world

When I left off with my impressions of this fairytale world that Cindy and Casey Anthony have been living, it was August 29. I haven't blogged about this case since then (too frustrating!). I have been following the story and have read or watched the evidence that LE has released, much of it confirms the hypothesis posed in "The queen, the princess and the pawn", the first chapter of "The Caylee Anthony Saga".

This is a story about a struggle for control and little Caylee was often the pawn used to gain control.

Casey created the illusion that she was in control by pretending to have a job and a nanny, and"she has got it together". Cindy created the illusion of her successful mothering by accepting and perpetuating Casey's lies and explanations thereby looking like she was in control, and "she has got it together". *

In Cindy's case, she covered for Casey's behavior, because if the truth came to light, it would reflect poorly on her. While in Casey's case, Caylee was becoming incompatible with the image that she wanted to project in a culture of friends and acquaintances that hadn't yet matured to the level of placing anything or anyone above the goal of going out and partying. Add to that the directive Cindy gave her to take responsibility for her child, and you have someone that is not only angry for Caylee hindering her desired lifestyle and status, but also for being a symbol of Cindy's direct control over her decision making.*

The statements made to police by those involved in Casey's life have given a lot more insight to the whole Anthony clan and the dynamics at work in Anthonyland. While I don't believe anyone other than the princess is responsible for whatever has happened to Caylee, it seems they all know more than they would have us think. The question that Cindy asked Casey on July 15 remains unanswered...... What have you done?

On October 14, an Orange County Grand Jury determined that it's more likely than not, that 2 year old Caylee was killed by her mother, of course an indictment isn't proof that Casey killed Caylee, but at least the wheels of justice have started to turn. There seems no doubt that Casey is guilty of the four counts of lying to the police, she admits as much in her statement given to police at Universal. She is pretty well busted on the theft, fraud and child neglect charges as well.

Right now the walls of Anthonyland seem to be holding up against the siege they have endured...web cams running 24/7, reporters on their door step, and angry protesters who seem ready to kick their ass, they are sticking together but the cracks are definitely starting to show.

The Anthony clan, mostly the queen, created a moat around the castle with no trespassing signs and yellow tape in an effort to keep everyone off of their land and out of their lives. Alas, this may have been effective but for their insistence on hammering in those signs themselves. It only invited confrontation. It seems that most of the negative attention they have received, they have brought on themselves. Casey's lies and efforts to mislead the police and inconsistent statements by the family and the defense team, including some that defy logic, are the fuel that drives the public interest.

Having said that, it also seems wrong to camp on the curb waiting for news to happen, especially at a private residence, it gives the press a stalkerazi image and the protesters (many of whom I think had good intentions in the beginning) are looking like try-outs for Jerry Springer show. Perhaps now that the princess is incarcerated with no bail they will back off ! Law enforcement is doing their job.

The " Caylee was kidnapped" rhetoric seems to be the mortar that is keeping the walls from tumbling down in Anthonyland. Even as George Anthony arrived to testify against Casey to the grand jury, he carried a binder with a "Find Caylee" flier on the front. George spoke about the family’s latest efforts to find his granddaughter, adding they are disturbed by the fact the Sheriff’s Office shut down the tip line in mid-august.The family’s private investigator is looking into multiple potential sightings of Caylee, around the country, including New York and South Carolina, Anthony said.“We’ve been getting info out about Puerto Rico, because we believe that’s where she is, but the info I’ve gotten over the last three months is that my granddaughter has been to nine different locations,” Anthony said his family has been cleared by a judge to access all 5,000 tips recorded by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office tip line. Remember this is mortar. If they let go of this "Caylee was kidnapped" the walls of Anthonyland will come tumbling down.

According to Cindy Anthony and Jose Baez, we will all "understand" Casey's actions once the truth is told at trial. What are we going to understand about a mother not reporting her child missing for 31 days. ( Would we even know Caylee is missing if not for Cindy hunting Casey down?) What's to understand about all the lies and efforts to mislead the police when they are trying to help find her daughter? And the most disgusting aspect of this case....computer searches for chloroform and missing children before her daughter goes missing and chloroform is found in her trunk along with signs of human decomposition? Last but not least, let's hear the explanation for dancing and partying at the clubs while her daughter was "missing".

Cindy said on the Today Show that there is nothing in this world that would convince her Casey has killed Caylee. Does that mean if her body is found....then someone else did it? Trying to create some doubt are we?? It's obvious the queen is pretty heavily medicated and she would be well advised to stay off of national TV. These appearances don't help the princess's case and may well hurt.

It doesn't help either when the spokesman for Casey's defense, Todd Black, calls into CNN Headline News and says,"This is a very serious case involving not just the loss of the life of this little girl, but the loss of whatever is going to happen with Casey Anthony." He has issued several press releases since making the statement, the latest release states, CNN released a “complete fraud and stooped to the lowest low, shamefully toying with the life of Casey Anthony, who sits falsely accused of murder." Whatever! Whether you meant it or not Mr. Black, you said it. You guys just need to shut up! Save it for court.

On Friday, October 17 Casey entered a plea of not guilty to charges that she killed her daughter, Caylee..

On Tuesday October 28, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. Anthony will appear before Circuit Judge Stan Strickland for arraignment in the First Degree Murder Case.

She will return to court on Wednesday November 5, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. for the child neglect and check fraud cases. Circuit Judge Stan Strickland will also handle that appearance.

Texas EquuSearch has announced that they will resume the search for Casey Anthony’s missing 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Anthony, on Saturday November 8. According to Tim Miller, founder and director of the organization, it will be the “biggest search in history.”

In related news, Leonard Padilla has sought out the aide of bounty hunters from around the United States, who are now planning on coming to Orlando to help out in the search effort and have also raised money to finance it. Equusearch is going to train the bounty hunters to be search team leaders.

None too soon, the grim reality of Casey's fairytale world will come to light in the woods around the airport, and even if Caylee isn't found, the grim evidence of what happened to Caylee will be presented in a court of law.


CNN


*excerpts from post by cb (great post) on The Criminal Report Daily on ID

FOX Orlando

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The queen,the princess and the pawn- The Caylee Anthony Saga

I remember the first time I saw Cindy Anthony on Nancy Grace. She said her granddaughter Caylee was missing but she knew Caylee was still alive because Caylee was so special that no one could look in her eyes and do anything to harm her. My heart sank right then. I knew she believed every word she said, but I also knew that "special" doesn't provide an armor for children. We have seen it time and again. Was Adam Walsh, Polly Klass, or Dylan and Shasta Groene not special? Yes, of course they were special! It became apparent then that Cindy Anthony was living in some fairy-tale land.

As she spoke it also became apparent that Cindy was very much the "queen of her castle". Some have criticised her for her attitude with the press and her unwavering public display of support for her daughter in the face of some pretty distressing evidence. Casey's friends told the police that Casey said she was overbearing. Stubborn could probably be added as well.

For the record I don't fault Cindy for her, queen of the castle status. I would like to think I'm the queen of my castle. This is a woman who has been married many years, she has raised two children, works as a registered nurse and keeps a tidy home. FGS, even with the crush of media in front of her house Cindy and George are out there piddling in their yard. The queen refuses to surrender her castle!

When the Princess Casey came home with a "bun in her oven", the queen said, " it will be OK ". In Cindy's fairy-tale when the princess was older she would be thankful that the queen discouraged adoption and they would all live happily ever after. The problem here is Princess Casey lives in her own fairy-tale world and doesn't want to live under King George and Queen Cindy's rule.

The "bun in the oven" was a beautiful baby girl named Caylee. For a time it looked like all was well in Anthonyland and they would live happily ever after! But this was not to be. Little Caylee was soon to become a pawn in a struggle for power in Anthonyland. King George and Queen Cindy doted on little Caylee, probably much as they did Princess Casey and her brother Lee long ago. Because the king and queen loved Caylee and the princess so much , they made them very comfortable in the castle hoping the princess would stay with her daughter. The princess not only stayed, but by her own admission to police, she took more than fair advantage of the situation.

As time wore on and the novelty of a baby began to wear off, the princess began to formulate a new fairy-tale world. A world where she can do what she wants, when she wants, and she will be the best at everything she does!

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In Anthonyland the princess began having trouble living her fairy-tale life. As the baby gets older, the king and queen expect her to be responsible for her daughter and hold down a job. Lucky for the princess she was a master tale spinner. How many times did she leave the castle, pretending to go to work at Universal (In her dream job as an event planner with her own office, none the less).

Was she pretending the whole 1 1/2 to 2 years that "Zanie the Nanny" took care of Caylee?

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This is where the fairy-tale takes a darker turn.....only the Anthony clan knows for sure what happened in early June that prompted the princess to flee the castle with her little pawn. Did they find out she was lying about her job? Did they complain she was spending to many "all nighters" with the boyfriends to properly care for Caylee? Had they caught her stealing?Who knows, but one thing is for sure. By all accounts she left with Caylee on June 9. We have learned from statements to the police by Casey's friends that she and Caylee stayed at random places with friends and took Caylee with her to parties.

We also know that the princess returned her little pawn to Anthonyland sometime father's day weekend. The neighbors reported there was arguing in Anthonyland that Sunday night of June 15th. The next day was the last time that Caylee was ever seen.

I don't pretend to know what happened to Caylee from here on out. We do know that Casey went on a lying and stealing spree. Her fairy-tale world expanded to include a lot of vacations at the beach for Caylee and her nanny. She also told friends that her parents were splitting up and she would buy their house. (I assume with the money that she makes at that dream job.)

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NOT!

I wanted to believe this fairy-tale, that Caylee was alive. I never believed there was a Zenadia caring for Caylee, but I did think it was possible that the princess was so determined to rule the kingdom she had hid her pawn from the king and queen. As the forensic results have been leaking out the past few days, it has become clear that little Caylee is no longer alive. Something we all really knew after the cadaver dogs had "hit" in the backyard and in the trunk of the car....but I admit I still wanted to believe it was a mistake.

I just saw a news report from today, Cindy still thinks that Caylee is alive and is working on starting a new search for her. Until Cindy and George accept the reality that Caylee is gone, we can expect Casey to continue with her fairy-tale world. Perhaps if she sees that no one in Anthonyland believes her anymore and that they are grieving for Caylee she will tell the truth. Sphere: Related Content