For those watching the Casey A. trial.....

[DDD]

Maybe she had a major meltdown and/or threatened suicide. I am sure they had psychologicals done by the Defense and avoided having those reports open for Court cross examination by the S.A. Sounds like these evaluations are being held by the Judge. The strain on all the participants has to be extreme. DDD

 

[Marcie Mac]

Here we go with Kronk stuff again. Bet that meter reader wishes he never found the body now LOL

 

[DDD]

I'm eager to hear why the State gave Krunk $15,000 or more. I don't believe he was the killer but he sure is proven to have said many off the wall things to a number of people. His testimony should be very interesting. DDD

 

[klmno]

The timing of the competency issue- to get Sat off.

But why was it such a big secret?

 

[Nancy]

I think Finnell is there to ease Mason out. Judge probably wouldn't let him out of case unless another death penaly attorney joined. That would explain friction between Baez and Mason because I still think Mason asked to be released.

Nancy

 

[klmno]

I agree.

 

[donna723]

Well, Casey is certainly all smiles today, isn't she!

 

[klmno]

Who testified before this last guy this morning?

 

[DammitJanet]

I wanna know why anyone is surprised that Casey has psychological problems? And I will not believe that she had a psychotic break, no way.

And exactly why if she had psychiatric reports done why cant the prosecution have psychiatric exams done also? I have seen that done in books and tv? I realize my law experience coming from those sources isnt exactly going to be real but I would think that makes sense so I just figured it was true.

 

[klmno]

As long as the only things a psychiatric report could prove would be 1) she's incompetent to stand trial or 2) she's innocent by reason of insanity, then the prosecution wouldn't care to bring them in - it's up to the defense to bring them in if they think they could prove one of those two things. The defense had psychiatric evaluation(s) done on her to see if she was legally sane (I suppose) and to see if she exhibited signs of sexaul trauma that could cause her behavior after Caylee's death. The defense decided not to put them on as evidence. If they had put them on as evidence, they would have had to open the entire psychiatric evaluation up for Ashotn's cross and Ashton could have probably had a state's psychiatric evaluation her to see if the state's psychiatric was in agreement.

 

[DammitJanet]

Ohhhhhhh boooyyyyyyyy! I just read the motion for the competency hearing!!!! It is a doozy too! She wasnt happy to have it happen to her but it explains why she was all grins and giggles this morning.

The motion specifically asked for the psychs to look to see if she was competent to tell the truth to her lawyers! LOL.

 

[DammitJanet]

Who in heavens name is this older grey haired lawyer for the defense? That makes six lawyers now!

 

[Malika]

Come on, Janet, keep up Ann Finnell, the DP-qualified attorney (I speak American now).

 

[DammitJanet]

I must have missed her coming aboard. She looks like my dead mother.

If you think we talk a lot about this, you should see websleuths. We are nothing compared to them! They are a whole website just for crimes...lol.

 

[klmno]

The motion specifically asked for the psychs to look to see if she was competent to tell the truth to her lawyers! LOL.

Well, put that together with the fact that the defense decided not to put her psychiatric evaluation up because the judge said they'd have to open the whole evaluation for the state to cross on .....well......maybe the problem isn't Baez, except for his fruatration and challengin the court orders.....it sounds like they are trying to win her case in spite of Casey!

I shouldn't laugh- my son could end up a huge compulsice liar ,too.

 

[Nancy]

It appears that the gray haired woan has taken over for Mason who I think has been released. This is what I am guessing happened. Mason requested the sidebar saturday and brought up statements Casey said to him that caused him to question whether she was no longer able to aid in her defense. That caused the motion for competence hearing which they had over the weekend. I believe Casey got very upset that Mason both repeated what she said to him and also that he was questioning her competency, that's why we saw her crying in the court room Saturday. She has already been declared sane to stand trial so the issue was whether she has deteriorated to no longer help with her defense. This usually happens when a client has dementia and has gotten worse during the trial.

We won't find out what the reason was for the competence hearing or why Mason asked for it because those records are sealed, unless someone leaks it of course.

I think either Mason requested off the case or Casey fired him and that's why Finell is here. She is the attorney who won the case in south florida declaring florida death penaly unconstitutional and she has filed a motion to have a mistrial since this jury is death penalty qualified. I believe the judge will hear arguments regarding this later today or tomorrow. He shoud deny the motion because that court does not have jurisdiction, it would have to go to the florida supreme court for a ruling to affect this case. Finell is death penalty qualified and very good in those cases so her addition is a good one for the defense, and also makes it more obvious that she is replacing Mason since the reason he was there is because of the death penalty.

Nancy

 

[donna723]

You know, up until a few days ago, I figured that sympathy for Cindy Anthony might just be what could save Casey from the death penalty if she's found guilty. But then she got up there and obviously lied her head off about the computer searches, etc., and now I'm not so sure. I haven't heard anybody yet that believed her. She might have done more harm than good with that one!

 

[Nancy]

"The motion specifically asked for the psychs to look to see if she was competent to tell the truth to her lawyers!" ...where does it say that

Janet, most attorneys do not expect that their criminal clients are necessarily telling them the truth. Often they do not ask questions that they don't want the answer to. Not being told the truth by your client is not cause for competency hearings.

Nancy

 

[klmno]

Nancy, I'm interesting in your and your husband's opinion on what could have lead to that request, after reading the link to the order for the competency evaluation that DJ posted. What sorts of things could Casey have done or said that could lead to that? Could it be as simple as her wanting to take the stand and her defense strongly suggesting that she doesn't?

I agree, Donna.

DJ, I would never doubt that Casey meets our definition of a person with mental illness. But meeting that legal definition...well, you know how that goes. I was told when difficult child was going theu his trial period that it isn't even so much that the people in the courtroom don't think he has "issues"" that caused him to do what he did, it's that they think they have no better way to address it and keep the "community safe from him". That's from a prosecution's standpoint, he was never deemed a danger to society. But again, that's where you find that huge gap between the judicial system and mental health issues and it will probabl;y always be that way because people put money into politicians who make the laws and the people with that money usually don't get it or don't care.

 

[HaoZi]

I hope the judge tosses the competency papers out the window. Considering FL has found people with IQs under 70 to be "competent to stand trial" AND get the death penalty, I'll puke if the judge agrees that she's incompetent. How many Baez=Incompetent jokes are making the rounds now?

ETA: My gut on this is that it's a last ditch effort by Baez to save her because he feels it going south, and maybe that's why Mason left. I'm surprised this wasn't among the first motions filed before the trial started.