Casey Anthony - guilty, or not?

[cinderella]

This case has gotton nationwide, if not worldwide attention. I have been following this case sporatically - both on Nancy Grace & Velez, as well as CNN. It is most purplexing, and distrubing to say the least. There are many arguments on both sides - for the defense, and for the prosecution.

I would like to know what you think, and why. Guilty or not?

[Queerasfck]

Guilt is written all over her face!

Judge McJudgerson here!

[Stitch]

Totally guilty!
Have her stoned to death in public. Then quartered!
They can sell tickets to that too!!!!

The amount of frenzy behind it and people wanting to be in the court room is crazy. This is not a celebrity anything. A very adorable innocent little girl died.

[scootebaby]

This has been discussed between Jo and I a few times,but ends quickly because i tend to look at it from the unpopular view.

I have been following this pretty closely since day 1 of court. I agree she is guilty,but i dont think it was premeditated. I also will be surprised if they find her guilty of 1st degree.

I also think her counsel did better when the prosecution was putting on their case than they did when it was their turn. Baez sounded like a rookie lawyer stumbling,sputtering all over himself during closing arguments.

My final vote--she will be a middle aged woman by time she gets out,but i dont see life or the death penalty.

p.s i see the appeals process being exhausted as well.

[Bella~Vita]

Originally Posted by scootebaby

This has been discussed between Jo and I a few times,but ends quickly because i tend to look at it from the unpopular view.

I have been following this pretty closely since day 1 of court. I agree she is guilty,but i dont think it was premeditated. I also will be surprised if they find her guilty of 1st degree.

I also think her counsel did better when the prosecution was putting on their case than they did when it was their turn. Baez sounded like a rookie lawyer stumbling,sputtering all over himself during closing arguments.

My final vote--she will be a middle aged woman by time she gets out,but i dont see life or the death penalty.

p.s i see the appeals process being exhausted as well.

Hey Scoote

I too fall in the same place you're in. I believe you're right. We have not seen the last of this case, I don't believe it was premeditated. There goes more taxpayers money .

[NJFemmie]

Yeah, Baez was too busy "cutting the cheese".
Mason made me feel as if I should stick pencils through my ears.

I don't know whether it was murder or an accident, but I do believe she's guilty.

[UofMfan]

In modern times and developed countries, "stoning" is not an accepted means of punishment, capital or otherwise.

I for one am happy about this. I am also glad I don't live in a country were this or any other form of capital punishment is inflicted.

As whether she is guilty or not, it is not for me to decide. The child is dead, nothing will change that now. Many a child have died, this feeding frenzy is, in my opinion, an indication of people showing poor social skills.

[Andrea]

She feels guilty to me.

I honestly don't know if I were on the jury if I would feel she was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt but there is definitely something wrong with her and her grip on reality.

[Blade]

I agree with Scoote. I do believe she is guilty, but I think it was an accident. She got caught up in the emotions of OMG what did I do and being the efficient liar she is, she just thought she could lie her way out of it.

Did the state actually prove she was guilty of murder 1. No not in my opinion. They did prove some of her other counts.

[JustJo]

I think she's guilty. She may not have intended to kill the child, but it certainly wasn't an "accident" in the sense of drowning in the pool, etc. I believe that 911 would have been called in the case of a true "accident."

Since she could never explain where her daughter was during all of her partying, then I tend to think she was knocking her out and leaving her in the car. Chances are, the poor child died there...and Casey, being who she is, thought it was better to try to lie her way out rather than admit what she had been doing.

It's sickening. Casey cries for herself, but not her child. The whole thing is a media circus. A family is destroyed. And how much money will be spent on this trial and the appeal that will no doubt follow....not to mention keeping her in prison for a good chunk of her life?

Meanwhile...an innocent, beautiful little girl is dead. I have known too many women who wanted a child, and couldn't have one, who would have gladly given everything they had to treasure and raise such an adorable little one. While Casey parties it up...knowing her daughter is at least missing and (I believe she knew) dead.

It's heartbreaking.

[cinderella]

I am reading all the posts with great interest. People have become very passionate about this. When the death of an innocent little child is involved, we tend to want to draw blood - at least I feel that way, so the 'frenzy' is well understood by me. I have always been passionate about injustice, and seeking revenge - an eye for an eye, has always been my motto. But as I get older - and hopefully wiser - I realize that an eye for an eye makes the world blind, and, as someone posted above, the child is dead. Further executions will not bring her back, but it rips me that Casey may walk - at the very least, she should spend the rest of her life in jail. What more punishment for someone who puts so much store by her freedom to party!!

When I first started to watch this case, I felt - without a shadow of a doubt - that she was guilty as sin. I looked at that expressionless face, and saw a parade of a multitude of criminals that have come & gone that have done horrific things without a grain of remorse. However, as time has gone by, and so many things have surfaced, ie, alleged sexual molestation of Casey by her father - I can now understand that stone face. Somehow, she had desensitized herself from all emotion. But how a woman can be so unemotional about her little girl, is way beyond my comprehension on all levels.

My personal opinion of her guilt? At this juncture, I think she is responsible for her daughter's death. But now I'm doubting that it was intentional, altho those searches online for making chlorophorm, is enough to create doubt...

[scootebaby]

before i make my post,i want to put a disclaimer out there...i in no way condone anything Casey may or may not have done. i am trying to think outside the box,and look at ALL angles. Do i think she was responsible for Caylees death--YES!! were there factors that came into play long before this beatiful childs death..Absolutely! with that said on to my post....

As for the cholorform--Somehow Casey found/heard that it was good for knocking people out...i think her purpose for searching was to see how much would be needed and where to find it. I think,as my sweetie said,that she used it to knock Caylee out when she didnt have a babysitter so she could go out and party.

1).IMHO, a liar as skilled as Casey (or any person for that matter) is NOT born that way. I strongly believe lying is a learned/taught behavior.

2). I do believe there is a lot that went on in that whole family dynamic that we will never know,but served as a catalyst that led her down the path she eventually ended up on.

3). Casey did not-for whatever reason-understand the extent of damage her actions leading up to Caylees death or the months leading up to the discovery. Again i think this is a direct result of something that happened to her--or something she was taught somehow.
i liken her behavior to that of a child who just broke his moms expensive,rare vase,and knows he will get in trouble if she finds out....im still not saying it is right,but it does explain somewhat her actions.

Personally,i can somewhat relate to what years of sexual,emotional,physical abuse can do to ones pysche..their outlook...without someone to talk to,and depending on severity of abuse i can only imagine how screwed up a person can become.

I could never imagine doing anything that could harm my child--especially cause his death but 1) as i look back over my life with him i now see that i probably have--driving too fast,being in wrong place with wrong people etc and 2) i cant go into since this isnt in the Red Zone and is open to the whole wide world to read,but suffice to say i can relate somewhat to rationalizing things that most ppl couldnt understand.

hopefully i made sense and didnt ramble too much

[Andrew, Jr.]

I think Casey is guilty of being negligent of Caylee and the other 5 counts against her dealing with lying to the police, FBI, and so on. As for murder, I am on the fence. I think Casey was using the Cloriform long before Caylee died. I think she od-ed Caylee on the Cloriform in order to go out with her b/f. Something happened this time, and she killed her child. She should have just gone right to the police, hospital, aunt, uncle, brother - Lee, just someone.

Casey threw her family under the tires of the industrial trucks. Her parents had no involvement with this.

I also think Casey needs some sort of mental health help. It will be interesting to listen to the 3 therapists tell the court how they found her sane.

I think the jury picked a foreperson, and made decisions on the first counts already. I am sure they are tired of the case already. I just cannot imagine being sequestered this long.

[Scorp]

GUILTY AS SIN AND A MANIPULATIVE LITTLE FUCKER. Cold fish and NO emotion trying to work the system. She needs to go to Hollywood because she's quite the performer.

For someone so distraught over this, she sure the fuck knew how to go out and party with her friends and celebrate. That alone is fucked up and has "guilt" written all over it.

Oh, and lets not forget about her reference to "Zanny" (aka Xanax) The Nanny. When asked by her mother where Cali was prior to her disappearance. God knows how many times she's drugged that kid because she was a nuisance (in her eyes).

So much shit is being covered up and everyone needs to pay the fuckin' price as far as I'm concerned. Moreso her...

I HOPE SHE ROTS AND BURNS IN HELL FOR AN ETERNITY....

[scootebaby]

Heres a question/thought....if there was no Zanny why did Caylee actually tell her grandma she went to Zannys? Does noone remember that little snippet? she was 2..unable to lie to that degree so there HAD to be someone she identified as Zanny.

i mean if u watch Cindy Anthonys testimony and earlier tv appearances she discusses the fact she talked to Caylee about this.

[little_ms_sunshyne]

I think that Casey Anthony's actions make it hard to not believe she is guilty. However, the state has to prove that she is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Much like many others, I do not believe the state has done a great job of doing so. Everthing is circumstantial.

In regards to this turning into a circus....One of my very best friends lost her grandparents a few years back. They were murdered. The media made a circus of that case as well. I remember how hard it was for her to even turn on the television. Channel after channel..that is all she saw. Images of her grandparents being taken away in body bags and detailed descriptions of how they were murdered. She felt as if though she could not escape from the nightmare, not even in her own home.

I am guilty of following the case and being interested legality and forensics aspect of it. But I do hope that these families are able to find closure and that they may be able to finally mourn the loss of this little girl.

Anyhow, that is my two cents worth of nothing.

[NJFemmie]

Originally Posted by scootebaby

Heres a question/thought....if there was no Zanny why did Caylee actually tell her grandma she went to Zannys? Does noone remember that little snippet? she was 2..unable to lie to that degree so there HAD to be someone she identified as Zanny.

i mean if u watch Cindy Anthonys testimony and earlier tv appearances she discusses the fact she talked to Caylee about this.

2 year olds can lie. 2 year olds can also be coached.
What was interesting in this case was that EVERYONE was found to be some sort of liar. Cindy may be up for perjury charges. I mean, it's hard to believe ANYONE in this case, including the guy who found the body.

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by little_ms_sunshyne

I think that Casey Anthony's actions make it hard to not believe she is guilty. However, the state has to prove that she is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Much like many others, I do not believe the state has done a great job of doing so. Everthing is circumstantial.

You're right...it is all circumstantial, but people are convicted on circumstantial evidence all the time.

I doubt that they'll recommend the death penalty. I think they would have wanted more hard evidence in order to do that.

My guess is that she'll get convicted, and a very long sentence. And I'd further guess that her life is not going to be easy in prison either.

I feel for your friend whose grandparents were murdered. I know that the media has the right (and even the responsibility) to report what's going on, but I often wonder if they even give a thought to the family of the victim in those situations. How horrible for your friend to be bombarded with those images of people she loved.

[AtLast]

I don't think her defense attorney represented her well overall. From the start, I have felt he was in it to make a name. A very arrogant person- which I think hurts in a jury believing she is not guilty. He did not pull together many of his opening argument "theories" well at all. And due to Casey's continued lying and bizarre stories and behavior, I don't think the jury will buy any of his assertions, mainly based on not liking him.

The feuding between her attorney and the lead prosecutor was shameful in terms of how it could influence a jury. Almost felt like mal-practice at time- for both of them. If she is convicted, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if she won a new trial on appeal because of some of the actions between attorneys during this trial. The judge seemed pretty disgusted with the lack of professionalism that went on at times. I don’t blame him- this is a capital murder case. And I do believe that all defendants deserve fair representation.

It is a circumstantial case but she is a very disturbed young woman and the whole Anthony family seems very dysfunctional. However, I do think she is responsible for her daughter's death. If it was accidental, my bet would be through Casey's negligence. If anyone was not ready to have a child, she wasn't- nor did she have good parenting herself. This family just strikes me as a mess in general.

It could have been an accidental death, but not as her lawyer proposed with her father as part of a cover-up. I think that if this were true, it would have come out in the investigation. I do not believe she was sexually abused by him or her brother and that is saying a lot because I spent a great many years working in child sexual abuse. Actually, I was angered by the defense's use of "planting" this as a way to demonstrate reasonable doubt.- this isn’t something to use as he did- far too many people are sexually abused. But, I can see that this child's death could have been accidental (unrelated to the pool drowning story and abuse allegations. and that Casey's dysfunctional and personality disorders prevented her from doing the rational thing- calling the authorities and explaining exactly what happened.

My guess is that she is convicted, but maybe not on first degree murder. The whole damn thing is just tragic.

[JustJo]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

It could have been an accidental death, but not as her lawyer proposed with her father as part of a cover-up. I think that if this were true, it would have come out in the investigation.

I agree. I can't see a retired police officer doing anything to cover up a truly accidental death. That doesn't make any kind of sense.

Even if Casey was negligent and it resulted in a truly accidental death, her father (as a retired cop) would know that people aren't generally held responsible for that...and I believe he would have reported it.

Yes, I think the whole family is an amazingly sad dysfunctional unit...with Casey a pathological liar, and her family enabling it for years...and, apparently, doing some lying of their own as well.

The critical piece for me, if I was sitting on that jury, is her actions in the 31 days when her child was "missing." For me, that spells guilt. Maybe I'm close-minded or whatever....but I once lost track of my son when he was 2-1/2, in the Borders bookstore at the mall (he liked to play hide and seek and I didn't realize he was "playing" with me at that moment)...and I was a screaming banshee of a wreck within about 2 minutes flat.

More importantly, when my son finally popped up and said "boo mommy" and laughed....and I started breathing normally again...I apologized to everyone I had alarmed in the immediate area of the store. And every single one of them reacted with something along the lines of "oh no, I would be freaked out too, you're fine."

Everyone understands a mom whose child is missing and who is freaked out, screaming for help, calling the cops, losing her mind.

How does a parent not report a missing 2 or 3 year old for over a month?

And how does that parent go party, dance, drink and get a tattoo that reads "Bella Vita" while they believe their toddler is missing?

I know that the defense tried to paint that as her dysfunctional form of grief....but I just don't buy it.