Pinellas County, FL– Throughout the first week of jury selection, we got our first glimpse of Casey Anthony’s new mitigation specialist and BFF, Rosalie Bolin.  She is the wife of convicted killer and rapist Oscar Bolin, currently awaiting execution on death row. 

I could not think of a better way to sum up Ms. Bolin’s background, than to let her own daughter tell you. Katherine Martinez, one of four of Rosalie’s daughters she relinquished custody of to marry Oscar Bolin, made a documentary about it, while attending FSU. 

Oscar Bolin, in eight seperate trials, has been convicted of the rapes and vicious murders of Natalie Holley, Lyn Matthews, and Stephanie Collins.

While Ms. Bolin through tears, tells her adult daughter that she “started something and you have to finish what you started”, it appears that concept did not apply to her parenting of 4 small children because she thought “they had people around that love them.”

That’s not all.  Rosalie Bolin is the owner of Criminal Specialist Investigations, Inc, and is currently suing the State of Florida to get paid in a case where the judge called her work as a mitigation coordinator “overpaid”.  She recently won an appeal to quash that order, and is seeking funding from the JAC.

That would be the same JAC distributing the state’s funds for the defense of Casey Anthony.

Defending the State’s position on the issue, is none other than Terence M. Lenamon, former counsel to Casey Marie Anthony.

The irony is rich, once again.

Again tomorrow, we have the continuation of the continuations from last week of the defense team for Casey Anthony's outstanding motions, with any luck, to fete de compli.

For those whose headache has since left them, a review-  For the full clickety goodness, click the pic of the bic.

BYODS

Bring Your Own Dryer Sheet.   Seriously, now she put them there, now she didn't.  Depends on the meds that day she says. Cindy Anthony, a surprise witness to us, and likely herself, now says SHE put dryer sheets all over the Pontiac Sunfire after it was returned from the tow yard.  As Jeff Ashton pointed out during cross-examination, this is in stark contrast to her state deposition where she denied putting any dryer sheets in the unlicensed hearse.

She blames this nearly 3-year-in-the-making epiphany on the fact that one night she was sleepwalking while giving a bamboo splitting tutorial with the neighbors shovel and she accidentally fell into the shed, breaking the lock, and all 100 of George's red gas cans not covered with sloppy duct tape hit her in the head.

Ok, that part, I made up.

She also claims to have emptied a can of Febreeze throughout the vehicle, left the vehicle trunk, sunroof, hood and all windows open within the garage and returned to work. That could definitely explain the terpenes found in the air sample of the trunk, but certainly not the chloroform.

As Dr. Vass astutely pointed out during his deposition:

" Well sure, I mean if there was a bottle of chloroform in the trunk and it was half gone, I mean, Duh."

Mrs. Anthony informs us this has been a traumatic experience for her, and that she is still remembering things to this day.  I will just bet she is.  I know of one; for another article, another day.

What I found very interesting, is at no time did the prosecution object to her change in testimony, or question her comments about her claim she was on new medications that affected her memory, although Linda Drane Burdick covered this thoroughly over 2 straight days of the deposition. At no time, although clearly Cindy Anthony gave hearsay testimony regarding the curiously absent George Anthony's activities on July 15, 2008, did the state raise the objection.

I would be concerned about why the state would not be moving to take another deposition based on her comments if I were her and her attorney, but that's just me.  The protections of the subpoena with which she gave her deposition do not extend to one perjuring oneself. (more...)

Orlando, FL-  Occurrences yesterday afternoon had me checking my Google Earth maps to double check that the Orange County Courthouse was not next door to NASA doing their ignition checks.  The flare ups were numerous and loud.

"I'm Winning.."- Jose Baez (borrowed from Sheenster)

During the motion for exclusion and Frye hearing,  Jose  Baez,  lost it.

Avid readers and contributors here know I am not about the drama.  This was actually that baaaaadd.

FRYE'S WIT DAT?

Shy of jumping up and down or retreating to a fetal position with thumb-sucking involvement, Jose Baez, counsel for defendant Casey Anthony, needed a time out, several time outs, and was granted one after his co-counsel's requests, and another, courtesy Chief Judge Belvin Perry.

Because I value your time, and will not subject you to the H O U R S of innocuous banter we witnessed, my highlight reel for your review-

Let's say Jose Baez does not hold any advanced  Science degrees.  In the interest of disclosure, neither do I.

I do however understand that blaming the State, in this case, Jeff Ashton, for the reason that Mr. Baez missed deadlines requiring him to agree to a stipulation whereby he can no longer subject the "hardware" of Dr. Arpad Vass to the "Frye" test, is a no-n0.

Chief Judge Belvin Perry: ..Mr. Baez.. it sounds like to me, you entered into an agreement that you are trying to rescind.. If you questioned  the results then, why did you agree to it?...

Jose Baez: ..It is the easiest thing in the world to hold a contempt charge over a lawyers head, Judge..

Chief Judge Belvin Perry: "...Your co-counsel is trying to speak to you."

Jose Baez: "Judge, can we have a 5 minute recess?"

Chief Judge Belvin Perry: "You may have a 5 minute recess."

This exchange came near the end of what can only be described as a window to the strength of the State's case against Casey Anthony for the murder of her daughter Caylee, and the utter lack of preparation and skill the defense team has by comparison.

Photo Credit Gary Kazanjin

While it is true that much of what we hear in pre-trial motions is not always what will be admitted at trial,  which is the very reason for them in the first place, the defense's lack of knowledge of their own case is not a valid reason to deny something into evidence.

It is abundantly clear from this editor's perspective that neither Dorothy Clay Simms nor Jose Baez sufficiently understood the scientific subject matter they are requesting to be rendered inadmissible, or in effect, "junk science".

Devoid of strategy, repetitious and largely irrelevant, with several pending motions still to be heard,  the defense ate up two straight days. As a result, all parties are back in court next Friday and possibly Saturday.

By far the most important witness to take the stand yet , Dr. Arpad Vass,  research Scientist of "The Body Farm" fame and globally respected,  peer-reviewed author of two separate studies on odor analysis in human remains, NAILED IT.

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