How Will Casey Anthony Defend Herself?

How Will Casey Anthony Defend Herself?

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Now that Caylee's body has been found, will her mother's defense team explore different strategies?

December was a landmark month in the case of Caylee Anthony and the fate of her mother Casey Anthony. The prosecution -- with no recovery of a body, despite exhaustive searches -- faced an uphill battle to convict Casey. They took the death penalty off the table on December 5th. Then six days later, a breakthrough -- the remains of a body presumed to be Caylee's was found, and by December 19 they were positively ID'd. Now, a new chapter unfolds in the gripping story. Will Casey's lawyer Jose Baez and his team change their strategy now that Caylee is no longer missing?

The good news for the defense, says Judge Jeanine Pirro, is they don't have to pick one defense. "If they are saying that she did not do it, the babysitter could have done it, or it could have been some other person who took her from the babysitter."

The Anthony family may have been laying the groundwork for that defense strategy for months, employing a private investigator to follow up on various "sightings" of their granddaughter allegedly kidnapped by an ever-illusive nanny. But pinning the blame on some unknown culprit might be extremely difficult because of one piece of evidence that, says experts, collects evidence: duct tape.

"The beauty of duct tape -- no matter rain, snow, sleet -- that fingerprint will stay there," says Michael Baden, a FOX news contributor. DNA evidence can also show up if the tape was ripped using teeth.

In that case, would the defense opt for an insanity plea? That's tricky says Pirro. "Casey has no history of mental illness. You don't turn on an insanity plea on like a light bulb -- insanity isn't something you reach for when all else fails." Another reason to not opt for an insanity plea, says Pirro, is because the ploy is only successful in about "2% of the cases that it's used."

New York-based defense attorney Sanford Rubenstein said he would focus his efforts on analyzing the prosecution's evidence."You attack the evidence," Rubenstein told FOXNews.com. "You attack the DNA experts and you scrutinize the manner in which the bones were identified -- that would be the avenue of defense in my mind."

What has changed significantly for the defense, says Pirro, is the introduction of Roy Kronk, the meter reader who discovered the Caylee's remains. "The defense can claim that Kronk knows something and is trying to cover it up."

Do you think the defense will be able to convince a jury Casey Anthony is innocent?

36 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

Anonymous, that’s ridiculous that the whole case hinges on the fingerprint on the duct tape. Where do you people get your ridiculous ideas? She will be convicted on all the circumstantial evidence from her computer searches for neckbreaking, household weapons, missing child sites and chloroform to her not reporting her child missing, partying for 30 days until her mother called 911, lying to the police, not caring about her child being found, cadaver dogs and FBI tests confirming a dead body being in the trunk and the back yard of the Anthony home and that dead body identified as Caylee’s found behind her parents home. Casey’s fingerprint would seal the deal but if it is not on the plastic bag or duct tape she would never be set free unless 12 members of a jury are brain dead.

- Sally

Posted 01/09/09 01:09 PM

If they do not have a smoking gun, such as a fingerprint on the duct tape, they still have a very powerful circumstantial case. In the fingerprint scenario, Casey’s only chance, slim as it is, is to “come clean” and say it was an “accident” and one she is very sorry for and takes a plea deal. If she continues to insist the invisible, imaginary “Zanny” did it, she may find herself on death row. If I were Baez, I’d push for a lesser plea deal.

- Marcie

Posted 01/11/09 09:15 AM

Marcie, now they’ve got a body and strong evidence that Casey murdered Caylee in cold blood, I don’t think the prosecution would go for a plea unless she got life without the possibility of parole. They wouldn’t give her life for an accident. Why would anyone believe anything a pathological liar says at this point? Of course, Casey may claim it is an accident to save her own sorry behind. If they have evidence she pre-meditated the murder of her helpless toddler it would be a miscarriage of justice to go for anything less than first degree murder. Felons who have been in jail may feel sorry for her because she got caught but no juror is going to give her any sympathy with a skull found with duct tape on her mouth and chloroform saturating the trunk. It is not an accident to chloroform a baby and put duct tape on her mouth so she can’t scream if she wakes up before she dies. She killed her baby in cold blood and it was no accident.

- Sally

Posted 01/11/09 11:08 AM

I think Baez will use incest as part of his defense. I also think Baez will announce paternity & will set the court room abuzz to also establish incest. Baez is sneaky & can’t be trusted. Mark my words, he will try to frame Caylee’s murder on Cindy or Lee and say that Casey was innocent because of the psychological abuse suffered by incest. Baez will say that Cindy/Lee set up Casey by dumping the body in her favorite childhood hideaway - thus leading the police to Casey. Then Baez will say that Cindy/Lee had their private detective find someone to “locate” the body. The video leaked of the private detective in the spot where Caylee’s body was eventually found will be enough to establish credibility. This is why Cindy wants immunity & Lee disappeared for some time before moving back home with Mom & Dad so Cindy could control him. I think Cindy’s lawyer knows Baez will try to pin this on them - they don’t visit Casey & will maintain distance until they get immunity. If they aren’t granted immunity, Cindy/Lee/George will hang Casey out to dry to save themselves. One last note, I personally hope Cindy & Lee do jail time & I hope Casey spends life in prision mixed in with the general population - not protected like she is now. I think Cindy is incredibly evil - if she would have allowed Casey to give up Caylee to a normal, loving family - that little girl would still be here today. Cindy is sick, twisted and in need of a mental institution STAT. Cindy made Casey into the horrific person she is today.

- Jenna

Posted 01/13/09 11:11 AM

Baez does not decide the defense. His client does. Casey will never take responsibility for Caylee’s death. She will blame it on the fictitious nanny, not Lee or her parents. She needs them to testify for her. I don’t believe Cindy was a perfect mother but Casey is a sociopath and that is why Casey killed Caylee. Sociopaths don’t bond with family so they can kill them if they get in their way. Caylee was killed because she got in the way of Casey’s freedom and Casey knew killing Caylee would destroy Cindy. Casey told friends George and Cindy were giving her their house so she may have been intending to kill them also to get their house. Cindy did not force Casey to keep Caylee. Casey was 19 and she made her own choice.

- Sally

Posted 01/13/09 03:58 PM

I think her defense is going to trick Casey right to life in prison instead of the death penalty. It’s gonna come down to accidental death by overdose of cloroform which is a felony 1st degree death penalty with a plea bargain for a statement by Casey how the death occured. Baez can brag how he got her off on the death penalty for his own gain in fame. Casey is being told to shut-up & don’t request any visitation even by family. The only way I see a win for Casey is no death penalty.

- Emory Demech

Posted 01/18/09 03:40 PM

There isn’t gonna be a insanity plea or bargain for it because it doesn’t fit the defintion of what Casey is. What she is, is in personality defects which alot of inmates doing life in prison are in the category of Casey’s defects which I know of 4 defects all in the personality of one person,no empathy,narcissist,habitual liar,fibber,a wanting to belong to a group or crowd ,but be the center of attraction to do so and me,myself & I. These types of people are capable of murder. This isn’t insanity or prison inmates would be put in prison hospitals for the criminally insane. Casey has what many prison inmates have that are doing life without parole or death row.Casey belongs in death row. I hate to see these lawyers get $$$$$ for representing a murderer that was responsible for killing her 3 yr old. It makes me sick to see Baez smirk just like Casey smirks.

- Emory Demech

Posted 01/18/09 04:10 PM

Of course it’s clear that evil Casey murdered her daughter in premeditated fashion. But the thing many people are missing (spread the word if you agree!) I feel is how she did all she could to divert the investigation and search long enough that the evidence of how Caylee died would be long gone. Indeed, it is not unlikely that Casey is so stupid that she thought the duct tape would have turned into dust by now. But if you watch the interviews of Casey by her mother you will see that exactly when Casey gets upset and loses her temper is when her mom is at the verge of getting dumb Casey to accidentally blurting out some clue as to the whereabouts of the body. Death Penalty for Casey! She has no compunction for her atrocious deed, she will only be sad when she sees her own death staring her in the face!!!

- Scott

Posted 01/20/09 01:51 AM

So, if a client is obviously guilty the attorney just attacks the evidence to try to get the client off. Like OJ? Pathetic.

- Linda From New York

Posted 01/22/09 08:58 PM

Yes, …exactly…Casey can walk…literally walk with just one shadow of a doubt placed in just one juror’s mind… In our judicial system a good lawyer can be defined by how they can get a murderer off with a shadow of a doubt…not by getting to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth ..so help me God… If it were me…I WOULD BEG….BEG …for lawyers, police…to give me an injection of truth serum…sodium pentithol….and let it be video taped….and ask me all the questions….and post it all over the internet to prove my innocence….

- Grammy and Mommy

Posted 02/11/09 07:53 AM

She’ll be convicted. People want justice for this little girl, and I highly doubt there is really anyone who would have the guts to hang the jury. In this day and age everyone will find out who they are, where they live, what their phone number is, etc. They’d have the notoriety of siding with a monstrous child killer. And hard for them to try to pin it on Kronk - Casey and the defense have gone so far down the rabbit hole with the whole Zenaida Gonzalez nanny thing that they can’t suddenly turn tail and claim it’s now Kronk.

- c

Posted 02/12/09 12:11 PM

If anybody didn’t catch this lets look at things better. George Anthony supposedly “attempted suicide” two EMPTY bottles of prescriptions were found in the room where he ANSWERED the door. Something wrong here people he answered the door yet two bottles of prescriptions were found, he should have at least been passed out or dead at that point he even had an intellectual conversation on the way to the hospital. This was nothing more than another act from the Anthony’s to try and prevent the death penalty for Casey. Just like Cindy telling the detectives that the reason that she did not bring in the credit card statements was because SHE looked through them and found nothing strange. Are we hiding something Cindy? As far as I am concerned the whole family is just as guilty and all of them should be brought up on trail and give them life sentences except Casey, she gets the death penalty. Oh yeah I forgot to mention Zenaida Gonzales planted the finger prints or maybe her friend or maybe the ex who possibly kidnapped Caylee or maybe some other crazy story her or her mother will concoct. This family has more stories than the Empire State building and Disney put together.

- Doc

Posted 02/13/09 12:26 PM

All of these loving ‘perfect’ moms can take time away from their children to comment. They’re neglecting their children just as much as Casey neglected Caylee (in their eyes, at least). Why are you on a computer if you have children, eh women????

- A SMART woman, unlike the rest.

Posted 04/03/09 03:04 AM

I believe Casey did indeed murder her daughter and the motive? This intelligent little girl was beginning to articulate words and sentences and soon would be able to let grandma and grandpa know what was happening to her when she was with Casey. Casey knew the clock was ticking and had to do something to stop it.

- lucy

Posted 04/18/09 10:07 PM

They have mountains of circumstantial evidence pointing directly at Casey. She is going to be convicted, but I can’t wait to see what kind of defense they come up with in this case.

- Jennie

Posted 04/23/09 08:50 PM

I think the duct tape will play a huge part in proving Casey Anthony guilty…if her finger prints are on it. Along with the fact that she didn’t report her own little daughter not missing…for a month? The fact that she took the police on a wild goose chase and continually lied to them instead of honestly trying to help find her missing child…so many things point to her guilt…I don’t believe she will be found not guilty. I believe the prosecution has more evidence also that we don’t even know about. That’s why they have put the death penalty back on the table. Casey had never acted like a mother that was scared that her daughter was really snatched by a nannie…and really wanted the police to find her no matter what…this is a strange case…and also I think the belongings that were found with little Caylee, even the trash bags she was wrapped in will be linked to the Anthony home…with Caysey’s fingerprints…

- Kay

Posted 04/24/09 08:50 PM

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