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

[DDD]

Obviously, Ashton is the more experienced and sophisticated attorney. But to me the smirk and the chuckling demonstrates a serious disconnect with the occasion. The fact that he didn't "fall on the sword" didn't surprise me at all...I'd bet in his lifetime he never has. on the other hand I do think his co-counsel has done an outstanding job. No evidence of superiority issues and terrific delivery. Baez has floundered, miscued, shown lack of experience and "rough edges" but he's fighting a good fight and connects with people. Very interesting. DDD

 

[DammitJanet]

Star, I think George is the only one who has told the most truth about Casey in the trial. It has been Cindy and Lee who have huddled up with Baez to attempt to come up with a defense. I am now thinking there is a whole new under current to this thing where Cindy is a leading player, not George. If he went looking for a bit of affection in the arms of that other woman I am betting its because Cindy is not that nice to him. Listening to his suicide note left me with a very weird feeling about their relationship. It sounded like she had been the one who wore the pants and put him in his place often and severely over the years.

 

[Nancy]

Janet it left me with a weird feeling too. I do think she has been bossing George around for years and she took control of everything. It may just be her personality vs his but it doesn't seem like she has any compassion or feelings for him. His suicide note made me cry but she seems very disconnected to him

 

[Star*]

And no one seems to think that all of them are in on this with Baez to do anything they can to save Caseys life? - I think they (Anthony's) really have done an outstanding job allowing Mr. Baez to do whatever it took to cause reasonable doubt from molestation, affairs, suicide notes, the drowning theory, the brother is the baby's daddy - to save their daughter/sister. It's beyond ridiculous but then again so is this whole trial. No Grandparent would have a daughter like her and allow two months to go by with all those crazy stories being that close to their granddaughter and not be suspect of something foul. NO Grandparent - not as close as they originally portrayed THAT family. They knew about it, they've been close lipped, they don't want her to get the death penalty, Baez has cooked this up to save her life and it's costing them monitarily, socially, emotionally and the outcome is? She'll be spared her life if his gamble pays off.

 

[DammitJanet]

Star...number one, the immediate family is always going to be the first looked at and that meant Casey went first and someone tried to figure out who Caylee's dad was. Cindy immediately threw that grund guy out there but he wasnt the daddy, then Casey said it was someone who lived in NC but who had died earlier. Someone along the way said Caylee looked a bit like the Anthony Family which is like duh but they took his dna anyway. Personally I think Cindy leaked it. Lets stir up the whole family so they only think they can trust mommy...how wonderful for her.

Do remember who called the police to save George. It wasnt Cindy. It was the family attorney.

 

[Malika]

To retun to the contempt of court issue... forgive me for being slow, but I truly do not see how the barely visible action of a silly youngish man merits SIX DAYS IN PRISON while the repeated smirking and derision of the chief prosecutor, in full view of the jury, merited no more than an admonition. It is absurd because the latter really COULD prejudice the jury and warrant a mistrial. You who have sharper legal minds will doubtless explain this apparent anomaly to me...

 

[HaoZi]

Because if the judge did the same to Ashton, we'd end up doing the entire trial over. Looking at the videos from yesterday the judge himself looks bored.

 

[klmno]

And there's still a difference between a smirk and smile and a "F-you" being thrown out. And we don't know yet if any sanctions were given in chambers or will be given after the trial is over, at least that I heard.

 

[1905]

I think the jury likes George and feels sorry for Cindy and George. The jury knows the Anthony's did nothing Caylee, I think Casey 'll be found guilty. The doubt is too miniscule, not reasonable. I guess we'll see. I'm giving up a beach day, I've totally gone 'round the bend.

 

[HaoZi]

The simple fact that Baez has thrown up so many things instead of sticking to one story is a red flag to me. Prosecution doesn't necessarily have to prove cause of death, just that it was caused by Casey and was intentional or accidental. I'd like to see all the stuff that only the jury saw, but I think the duct tape shows intent and cause. I do believe it was over the mouth and nose and that what the defense is saying about it moving would have made it move a lot further if it was true.

 

[Nancy]

klmno is right, I'm sure those lawyers got a bigger earful in chambers, and there well may be some fines.

Star you know I love you but I think it is far fetched to think the entire Anthony family conspired with Baez to save Casey. That would mean disbarment for Baez and as stupid as he was I do not think he would risk that. Did you know that in Switzerland family members cannot be forced to testify against each other? I think it's very unreasonable to think this family could testify against their daughter, especially when she is facing the death penalty, and not try to word things so it wasn't so bad for her. I believe their testimony was honest in the big things, but they did lie about some details they thought may help her not be convicted for first degree murder.

Malika it is very unlikely thatyoung man will ever spend one night in jail. He is appealing and I am confident there will be a deal made. I believe the judge was trying to make an impression on him, that same tactic does not have the same impact on lawyers in the heat of battle. Like my husband said, it happens all the time, there are just no cameras to catch it.

Nancy

 

[Marcie Mac]

Baez still has not connected the dots for me and there are too many unanswered questions hanging out there-inferred guilt on George's part with the duct tape thing. He keeps going back to George, Duct Tape, Gas Can, Hanging posters and what is his point. I was getting exasperated yesterday with the inferences-if George was a part of the cover up just come out and say it - explain to me how that baby went from the pool to the swamp with George's help. Big old gap in information. At the end of the day, the baby is dead. HOW did she get that way. Casey had three years to concoct this story - I just don't "get" looking at the first jailhouse tapes where Casey was all "I love you guys" to where she is today with the relationship with her family. But I suppose you can't give a time line can you Baez??

I cannot blame Jeff Ashton for laughing yesterday, shoot, I was laughing over Baez getting so worked up in the middle of absolutely distorting every witness, every piece of evidence that went on for the past six weeks - he was almost to the point of hysteria. Jeff just seems, watching him for the past couple of weeks, natural facial expressions where i could see he would be read wrong - not that he wasn't laughing yesterday and doing his best to cover it. Really, who could keep a straight face with the load of BS that was rolling out of Jose's mouth. One thing to try and do it with each of the state's witness's one at a time, but when he put it all together, it just came out as absurd and outlandish.

And where was Lee yesterday - did he just say screw it - I am so done- did what I could and am not doing anymore? I really think Baez and Cindy were in cahoots. I loved her difficult child moment on the stand where she said something to the effect "go ahead and pull my records, they will show I wasn't at work at that time" thinking she was so believable they wouldn't go there. Oh pleezzze Cindy, who has not heard that from a difficult child at one time or another.

Well have been up since 4:00 trying to get housework done cause come 9:00 I know I will be sittin there mezmerized and will lose another couple hours of my life over someone elses difficult child

Marcie

 

[Nancy]

Marcie it starts at 8:30.

Baez is already shaking his head and rolling his eyes. He has been just as guilty during this trial as Ashton, except that he is usually off camera.

Nancy

 

[klmno]

LOL, Marcie!

All I know is that I was completely zoned out by the time Baez finished yesterday- his talk lasted, oh...., about 40 hours straight? I just hope this rebuttal sticks to the basic points and doesn't drag out so long and doesn't lose the jury.

 

[Malika]

Marcie - no offense, but I disagree that a trial, particularly one exposed to the public eye in the way this one is, can be run on the lines of "oh well, I understand if the prosecution lawyer couldn't control himself". That is not professional or acceptable behaviour. Not that I have anything against Ashton - he seems a very capable lawyer who has impressed me with his meticulous grasp of the facts. But you can't behave like that openly towards your adversary.

 

[Nancy]

And there Baez goes again, smiling and covering his mouth. They ALL do it.

Nancy

 

[klmno]

I saw that, too.

Ashton just answered the only remaining questions I had. I think it was felony murder, whether it was premeditated or not. I'm ready to go place my vote and get on with life now.

 

[klmno]

Star, I tend to think if George and Cindy had been assertive with an approach that Casey was guilty, it could have served to place reasonable doubt for the defense's position, I think. I think the parents did the best they could, given how dysfunctional they are and the mixed emotions they have to deal with. I think George's tears and emotional pain during his testimony was very real and credible.

 

[donna723]

To me, the whole emphasis on the duct tape as it relates to George and to try to implicate him because of it is absolutely ridiculous! Even if he was the one who bought it, if it was in their home any of them could have used it, including Casey! And when they showed the signs with the duct tape, George had no idea at that time that his granddaughter was dead and that the duct tape could have had anything to do with it.

To me, George and even Lee have been the most believable. About George's "affair", I'm not so sure but that is understandable and that River woman or whatever name she's using now is not believable at all! She's a con artist and an opportunist. And I don't think any of that is relevant to the case. It all revolves around a twist of the words, whether he "said" it was an accident or "thought" it must be an accident or "hoped" it was an accident and not foul play. Cindy obviously got up there and lied her head off about making those computer searches, but that's understandable too if you're trying to save your daughter's life. And we will probably never know if Baez put her up to it or if it was her idea but Baez obviously knew about it since he called her up there to testify about it. That was their "Hail Mary" pass and it didn't work.

Although I do think Baez is sleezy and sneaky and incompetent and a complete Bozo, I have no doubt that Casey has lied to them as much as she has everybody else! She's probably given her legal team a dozen different stories too and headed them off in different directions that they couldn't follow through on because the stories were lies. Baez probably has no more idea of what really happened than the rest of us do! She will be found guilty or not but we will probably never know what really happened ... only Casey knows and she will never tell.

 

[klmno]

She's probably given her legal team a dozen different stories too and headed them off in different directions that they couldn't follow through on because the stories were lies. Baez probably has no more idea of what really happened than the rest of us do!

I agree and I think that's part of the reason they asked for that competency evaluation.

Question: Is the jury allowed to see video replays of testimony, say of George or an expert or Baez's opening statements, if they request to?

I hope this ends soon.

in my humble opinion, she shouldd have said "people grieve differently...and some people don't grieve at all".

ETA: OMG- I'd never heard that one before and am surprised public tv allowed those words to go on air. More importantly, that tape is unbelievable! It might not take this jury very long at all. Any parent of an older difficult child (not young child) would know that's a difficult child who has done something really bad at that point.