Chris's Crime Forum

Judge's Ruling Means Casey Anthony Must Attend Hearings

Thursday, January 29, 2009 – updated: 3:42 pm EST January 29, 2009

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Judge Stan Strickland overruled a motion Thursday afternoon filed by Casey Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, to keep her out of court. The judge's ruling means Casey will have to appear at a pretrial hearing Friday at 8:30am.Being duly advised in the premises, the defendant's Notice of Objection is overruled, and the defendant will be required to appear at each and every court hearing with the exception of those matters previously noted," Judge Stan Strickland wrote in an order issued Thursday afternoon (read order).

The Orange County Corrections Department had filed a motion Wednesday in the case against Casey Anthony that required the judge's immediate action due to Friday morning's scheduled hearing. Tthe corrections department wanted clarification about when Casey Anthony was required to attend court hearings (read Corrections' motion). Judge Stan Strickland had previously ordered Casey to show up for all hearings (read judge's ruling), including one Friday at 8:30am, but Baez had filed a motion (read motion) to keep her out of court.

The judge's ruling Thursday struck down Baez's motion and means Casey will be in court Friday morning and at all future pretrial hearings.

Friday morning's hearing will cover several topics and motions. Judge Stan Strickland will address the trial date status, the defense motion to inspect the crime scene, the defense amended application for subpoena duces tecum (requires a witness to bring to court or to a deposition any relevant documents under the witness's control), the state of Florida motion to strike defense witness list and the defense's emergency motion to recuse.

Attorney Jose Baez also requested (read motion) all fingerprint-related evidence, any DNA reports that show Casey's former fiancee Jesse Grund was not Caylee's father, and materials regarding the decomposing hair found in Casey's trunk. Now ruling has been made on that motion.

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I AGREE totally that Casey SHOULD be there to HEAR and SEE everything!

I agree too Doreen,no way should she be able to hide out in her cell.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A judge on Friday denied a motion from Casey Anthony's defense attorneys to remove prosecutors from her murder trial but ruled that the defense team can inspect woods where the remains of her slain toddler were found. Casey Anthony is charged with killing her daughter, Caylee, who was 2 when she disappeared last summer.

The motion alleged that someone in the prosecutor's office in Orlando filed a complaint with the Florida Bar against Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez, in an effort to interfere with her right to effective counsel. The motion also alleged that the complaint was an attempt to taint a potential jury pool and that the case should be taken from the State Attorney's Office in Orlando and given to the Office of State Attorney General.

Circuit Judge Stan Strickland ruled there was no evidence that Anthony's rights had been violated.

Casey Anthony attended the pretrial hearing in business attire rather than a jail jumpsuit after the judge this week ordered her to appear at all hearings dealing with evidence and witnesses.

Caylee Anthony's remains were found last December by a utility worker in woods near where the toddler lived with her mother and grandparents. Caylee Anthony disappeared last June but a month passed before she was reported missing to authorities. Casey Anthony has claimed that a baby sitter kidnapped Caylee.

Forensic experts on her defense team have been wanting to examine the woods where the remains were found for weeks but the property owner has been uncooperative, Baez said. The judge gave the defense team permission to examine the crime scene.

Baez told the judge that he intended to seek a change of venue because of the publicity the case has generated in Orlando. No formal request has been made yet, and both the defense attorney and prosecutor in the case said in court that the trial won't take place until later in the year.

"We want her to have her day in court," Baez said after the hearing. "She is innocent and wants her day in court."

The judge also heard a defense motion to force a search and recovery group to turn over records related to its search for Caylee's remains. Texas Equusearch organized hundreds of volunteers to search areas in Orlando, including an area near where Caylee's remains were eventually found. The defense request also seeks records on the volunteers.

An attorney for the search group, Mark NeJame, called the request a "fishing expedition" and told the judge he didn't have jurisdiction to issue a subpoena for the records because the search group was based in Texas, not Florida. None of the volunteer searchers were in the exact spot where Caylee's remains were found, NeJame said.

In a ruling issued several hours after the hearing, the judge denied the request.

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This picture makes me ill.Again I am getting that awful lump in my stomach,a mother on trial for the murder of her baby and here she is looking like she is going out to a party.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The duct tape wrapped around little Caylee Marie Anthony’s skull could have come from the Florida home she shared with her mother and grandparents — or from the homes of thousands of other people.

Investigators also found no fingerprints on the tape that would reveal who sealed the dead child’s mouth.

These details emerged from more than 500 pages of documents and hundreds of pictures released Wednesday by the Florida State Attorney’s Office.

The reports contained no apparent bombshells for Casey Anthony, the mother accused of killing 2-year-old Caylee. But they reveal more examples of Anthony’s emotional woes and family troubles.

The records also illustrate the tedious work involved in sifting through garbage, vegetation and other debris in the thick wooded lot off Suburban Drive in Orlando, Fla., where Caylee’s remains were found Dec. 11.

"Evidence on the body suggests that the child’s death was not accidental but an intentional act," Orange County Sheriff’s Detective Yuri Melich wrote on a Feb. 5 report included among the documents. "As of this writing, there is nothing to suggest that anyone but Casey Anthony is responsible for the death and disposal of Caylee Anthony."

Casey Anthony’s defense team released a statement later that attacked the forensic analysis that pointed out similarities in some of the evidence collected at the Suburban Drive lot and items found in the Anthony house — including the duct tape and a canvas laundry bag found with the remains. The team noted that no fingerprints were found on the duct tape.

"The state’s forensic report on duct tape, plastic bags and other items is a one-sided law enforcement-generated report and is biased and speculative," spokeswoman Marti Mackenzie said in an e-mail.

The documents show Anthony’s relationship with her family was strained long before Caylee was reported missing in July.

One friend told investigators that 22-year-old Anthony complained about having a bad relationship with her father, George Anthony. And her parents had considered getting custody of Caylee, the report said.

Anthony even considered herself a bad mother but didn’t explain why, the friend told authorities. Anthony told the same friend that she was feeling "crazy" and considered committing herself to an institution, the report said.

Another friend revealed something similar — Casey Anthony told her in 2006 or 2007 that she felt like she was having a breakdown.

In February 2007, Anthony told her friends she had a miscarriage. None believed it was true, according to the report.

After Caylee vanished and Anthony was initially released from jail, the family turmoil continued.

Anthony once caught her mother, Cindy Anthony, sending e-mails under her daughter’s name.

The two argued about it, but Cindy Anthony told her daughter, "if this can find us Caylee, then you know I’m going to do whatever I can."

Caylee’s remains were found blocks from the Anthony home by a meter reader.

Local, state and federal crime-scene investigators worked with a forensic anthropologist and a forensic entomologist as they scoured the scene for days. Evidence reports showed that Caylee’s remains were scattered among at least 40 spots on the property. Investigators marked her bones with flags — even her teeth were scattered.

The duct tape that wrapped the skull was examined by the FBI lab in Quantico, Va. While the FBI’s latent print unit was examining the duct tape, analysts found "residue in the perfect shape of a heart."

A picture of the crime scene showed a pink heart stuck to what appeared to be a cardboard mat.

After the toddler’s remains were found, investigators took dozens of items from the grandparents’ home, including Caylee’s shoes, clothes and two pairs of white children’s sunglasses.

Detectives removed a stained rug on the porch, along with a jug and bottles of pool chemicals. A gasoline can with a piece of duct tape stuck to it — the same brand as found on Caylee — also was seized. Tape by that manufacturer can be purchased at Wal-Mart or Ace Hardware stores.

They found a Whitney Design canvas laundry bag wrapped in a black plastic bag on the top shelf above the laundry machine in the Anthony home. That was the same kind recovered from the crime scene.

Various kinds of heart-shaped stickers were taken from Casey Anthony’s room.

The sheriff’s office asked the FBI to compare a number of items taken from the home — including material in vacuum cleaners — with evidence seized in the wood.

Anthony’s defense attorney Jose Baez said in a statement: "It is just as important to focus on the fact that there are no fingerprints on the duct tape and there never was any red sticker of any shape or size found on the tape."

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State Won't Seek Death Penalty For Casey Anthony

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Now that an October trial date has been for Casey Anthony, prosecutors said they are not reconsidering the death penalty.

On Tuesday morning, the state attorney's spokesman Randy Means told WESH 2 News, "We are preparing for trial as charged." Means also said that they can choose to pursue the death penalty at any time before trial.

Casey Anthony is facing the possibility of life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee Anthony.

Prosecutors said they expect the trial to last about four weeks.

Also, in accordance with a court ruling made Monday, Anthony's defense attorney received a copy of a controversial videotape Tuesday.

The tape, which shows Anthony's reaction to the news that remains were found near her family's East Orange County home, was the subject of a court hearing.

The remains were found Dec. 11; one week later, they were identified as Caylee.

Judge Stan Strickland ruled that the prosecution must release the tape to defense attorney Jose Baez.

Baez has 15 days to decide if he wants to object to the release of the tape. If he chooses not to, the tape will be made public.

Also a result of Monday's hearing, Strickland denied Baez's motion to prevent potentially embarrassing photos of his client from being released.

Baez filed a motion to block the public release of photos of Anthony posted to PhotoBucket.com, a photo hosting Web site. A search of public images on the site reveals several of Anthony -- some of her with Caylee, others show Anthony partying.

Meanwhile, bounty hunter Leonard Padilla will testify under oath on March 24.

Last week, Casey Anthony's brother, Lee, was questioned.

Zenaida Gonzalez is suing Casey Anthony for defamation.

Gonzalez claims Casey ruined her name when she told detectives a nanny by the same name took her daughter Caylee.

Brad Conway Files Motion To Block Release Of Information About George Anthony

The attorney for George and Cindy Anthony filed a motion Tuesday to block the release of information about George Anthony's attempted suicide.

In the motion, attorney Brad Conway said a copy of George Anthony's suicide note was handed over to police, who gave a copy to the State Attorney's Office.

Conway said the letter has no bearing on the criminal case against Casey Anthony and should not be released.

http://www.wesh.com/news/18846036/detail.html

New Anthony documents range from tips to wire taps

Over a thousand pages of evidence gathered by various police agencies in the case against Casey Anthony have been released.

The new documents show Casey Anthony's boyfriend at the time of her arrest in July worked closed with Orange County sheriff's investigators in an effort to break the case. Tony Lazzaro agreed to have his phone tapped as he had conversations with Casey's brother Lee Anthony. On July 29, about two weeks after Casey was first arrested Lazzaro wore a wire when he met Lee at Winter Park Subway. During the recording Lee says say he is worried about Casey's ex-fiance's involvement in Caylee's disappearance.

The documents also contain hundreds of pictures posted by Casey Anthony on the website photobucket.com around the time her daughter went missing. There are many pictures of skulls and skeletons. One picture of Caylee is stamped with the same kind of hear shaped sticker that was found with Caylee's remains. Another picture Casey posted says "I've been through a lot this year but going to hold my head up like my nose is bleeding." These are the same pictures Casey attorney attorney was trying to have blocked from being released, when he was in court earlier this week.

We've also learned, one of the Anthony family's private investigators indicates that there was trouble in the marriage of Cindy and George. Jim Hoover told detectives he talked to George Anthony the day a child's remains were found near the family home. He says George was distressed and talked about problems he was having with Cindy. Hoover said George felt like he and Cindy had thrown Casey under the bus by some of the comments they had made. The PI says George was so depressed he had contemplated taking his own life in September. In January, he did attempt suicide and was hospitalize for several weeks.

Some of the documents include an interview the accused child killer gave to the FBI. And it includes many of the tips, called into law enforcement. One of the more colorful tips came from Andrew Rossiter of West Palm Beach. In a letter he wrote "Caylee is still alive and is being subjected to DNA experiments that "involve cloning of animals and humans" and a cross between the two. He also included photos of "lawn ornaments which he claims are the creatures being bred through DNA experiments." Rossiter sent that letter to cable TV's Nancy Grace, Greta Van Sustern, the attorney general, and Governor Crist.

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[b]Casey Anthony to face trial in October in Caylee's death[/b
ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- An October trial date has been set for Casey Anthony, accused in the killing of her 2-year-old daughter, who was found stuffed in a plastic bag in a wooded area
The trial is scheduled to start October 12, a Florida judge decided during a court hearing Monday.

Anthony, 22, faces seven counts, including first-degree murder, in the death of her toddler daughter, Caylee.

The child was last seen in June. Casey Anthony reportedly waited about a month before telling her family the child was gone.

Cindy Anthony -- Caylee's grandmother -- called the Orange County sheriff July 15 after her daughter wouldn't or couldn't tell her where Caylee was.

Casey's brother, Lee Anthony, also pleaded with his sister to tell him where Caylee was. According to police documents, she replied that she hadn't seen Caylee in "31 days."

Pictures of Casey Anthony partying have added a sensational element to the case.
Caylee's remains were found in December in a wooded area about a half-mile from Anthony's Florida home.

Authorities said the child's remains were found in a laundry bag wrapped in a plastic trash bag, and her skull was wrapped in duct tape, according to police documents.


Police said they believe that the toddler was slain within days of the time she was last seen in June and that her body was in the trunk of her mother's car for "a period of time," according to documents released in February.

When she was notified at the Orange County Jail in December that the body had been discovered, Casey Anthony "allegedly had begun to hyperventilate and asked to be given some medication," a police report said.
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The Florida mother charged with murdering her toddler was back before a judge.

Casey Anthony returned to an Orlando courtroom, hoping a judge would force prosecutors to turn over evidence from the crime scene where the remains of her daughter, Caylee, were found.

The judge did not rule on the matter, but told Anthony's attorney to request the information from the FBI.

Anthony is facing first degree murder charges. Her trial date is tentatively set for October 12.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29681268/

State To Seek Death Penalty In Casey Anthony Case


yes they are going to do it!!

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Casey Anthony could be put to death for the murder of her daughter Caylee. Late Monday afternoon, Eyewitness News learned the State Attorney's Office will be pursuing the death penalty in the case against Casey.
Six days before Caylee's remains were found around the corner from family's house, prosecutors had decided not to seek the death penalty against her mother Casey (read that notice). But on December 11, all that changed and evidence found at the remains scene has convinced prosecutors Casey deserves to lose her life for what she did to her daughter.

Prosecutors say in their notice of intent (read Monday's notice), which was filed Monday, that since December 5 sufficient aggravating circumstances exist to justify seeking the death penalty against Casey Anthony for the premeditated murder of her daughter Caylee last June.

"Based upon additional information that has become available since the waiver of intent to seek the penalty of death filed on December 5, 2008, sufficient aggravating circumstances exist to justify the imposition of the Death Penalty," the filed letter states.

The legal aggravating circumstances that would apply in this case would be that the murder was cruel and atrocious and cold, calculated and premeditated.

Investigators found duct tape stretched over Caylee's mouth and a heart sticker had been stuck over that. Other aggravating circumstances that allow prosecutors to seek death include that Caylee's murder happened during aggravated child abuse, another charge Casey faces.

Prosecutors might also argue financial reasons were behind the murder, so Casey would not have to support Caylee. There is evidence showing Casey's mother was planning to kick her out of the house.

And, just last year, two new and relevant aggravators were added to the law. The victim is younger than 12 and the victim was particularly vulnerable because Casey had authority over Caylee.

Now defense attorney Jose Baez will have to add another lawyer to his team, one that is death-penalty qualified. Eyewitness News contacted Terence Lenamon from south Florida, who had tried to help Baez convince prosecutors not to seek death by claiming Casey has mental problems and that Caylee was killed possibly by an accidental drug overdose. He said he's talked with Baez on Monday and might be re-joining the team.

Casey Anthony's legal team, though, claims they already have lawyers who are qualified to defend death penalty cases and are prepared "for a vigorous defense," said Marti Mackenzie, a spokeswoman for Anthony's attorney, Jose Baez.

"This is not a death penalty case," Mackenzie said. "We will do whatever is necessary to defend Casey Anthony from the state trying to take her life."

Casey Anthony has claimed that Caylee was kidnapped and has pleaded not guilty. Her trial has been tentatively set for October.

more here
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I am thrilled to hear this news,no one deserves the death penalty more than this person.