Assistant State’s Attorney Jeff Ashton began the closing arguments with such scalpular precision my mind wandered briefly where I actually pictured him scrubbing in, just before entering court. In approximately 77 minutes,  with 2 overruled objection by Jose Baez, Ashton tied up the one thing he is NOT required to present to the jury,  Casey’s motive for murdering her toddler, setting the tone for his closing that presented more like an excerpt from a Grisham flick.  I say let him play himself.

“..It’s easy to be a parent, sometimes.. It’s easy to be a parent, when your playing with your child, or when your enjoying your child, children are fun… But we all know that being a parent is much more than just playing with your children.. Being a parent is about sacrifice.. Your child becomes your life. This case is about the clash between that responsibility and the expectations that go with it, and the life that Casey Anthony wanted to have… “

Ashton went through the time line of 31 days including details from the elaborate lies Casey Anthony told to avoid detection from her Mother Cindy, her imaginary friend finder chip located in the unallocated sectors of her mind where her conscious should have been, and the fact there is only one reason to duct tape a small child: MURDER.  Ashton reminded jurors that the defense theory is asking them to head down rabbitholes that defy reasonable thought.  It makes one wonder if that was not exactly the source of inspiration behind Jose Baez Dr. Huntington pigs sans blankets experiment. 

Cheshire Cat: By-the-bye, what became of the baby? I’d nearly forgotten to ask.

Alice: It turned into a pig.

The Cat: I thought it would.

 Jose was spotted given jurors a parting gift over lunch, which was intercepted by deputies.

Doom and Gloom Loom for Camp Casey

 On what is likely to be her day of reckoning, Ms. Anthony was less than thrilled to learn that 2 of the bullseye on her defense’s dart board were permanently removed, I reckon. George and Lee Anthony, the crux of the defense’s failed attempts to blame Casey Anthony’s selective post traumatic stress disorder, will not be allowed to be maligned further based on her allegations of sexual abuse.

As expected, Jose Baez began his closing arguments reminding jurors the defense is not required to “defend” at all.  In short, his comments were structured around the trash being altered because it was allowed to dry, and that the state allowed jurors to pass around the velveeta pouch so they could help figure out “Who cut the cheese.”  You read that correctly, he actually said that.

He also went on to express his concerns that the State painted his client as a slut, and by doing so, invoking their emotions which will be used to find her guilty, as opposed to actual evidence.

In what I will call flub #3 in less than 40 minutes, Jose Baez inadvertently tells jurors that Casey Anthony’s trunk for the usage ot transportation is not murder. HEH?  I thought the defense was quite adamant the junk in the trunk is what stunk.  I guess that’s now bunk, whoda’ thunk? 

Jose Baez is currently continuing his contribution to the defense’s, and Cheney Mason is on as anchor to complete the allotted 4 hours. 

Linda Drane Burdick has had 3 sustained objections and granted one move to strike already.  I lost that bet dangit.

Flub #4 flies in, while I am editing.  This lawyer just actually admitted Casey searched for chloroform based on Ricardo Morales’s image on his computer.  OMG. 

..” It should be natural for her to want to know what chloroform was if her boyfriend had the image on his myspace…”  Jose Baez

Assistant State Attorney Linda Drane Burdick will complete the State’s rebuttal closing argument.

 On an unrelated note, the jury has selected their preference for the order of question during the press conference scheduled following a verdict.  It is as follows:

1.  CNN 2.  WFTV 3.  St. Pete Times 4.  Reuters 5.  People 6.  HLN 7.  WDBO 8.  NBC 9.  MSNBC 10.WTSP 11.FOX 12.Orlando Magazine 13.Florida Sun 14.WKMG 15.Dateline 16.WTMY 17.Chathouse 18.CFN 13 19.WOFL 20.Tampa Tribune 21.In Session 22.Orlando Sentinel 23.Univision 24.AP 25.Discovery 26.ABC 27.EFE 28.CBS 29.WESH

If that is not a window to this jury, I don’t know what is.

To Be Continued, Active Blogroll on this thread through today’s session. On the day that Governor Scott signed his first death warrant for Manuel Valle, convicted of killing a Coral Gables police officer a few counties away, I would not hold out any hope that Ann Finnell’s motion for mistrial based on Federal Court’s ruling striking the death penalty in Florida, will be granted. Report Filed 3PM EST

Orlando, FL-  The Ninth Circuit of Orange County is beginning to look like their own decay facility.

If your watching the murder trial of Casey Anthony, for the murder of her daughter Caylee as the defense is presenting their case in chief,  you are watching Jose Baez et al building their own THE BODY FARM, of defense witnesses, that is.

For those of you who wish to maintain your decorum and have been advised to remove sharp objects from your reach, I offer the Blink hilight reel.

Fly In The Ointment.. Or Chew Lugie

Dr. Timothy Huntington, who was the defense entymologist expert , swarmed in, stating that the flies and larvae were attracted to the contents of the trash bag.  In short, his opinion was the blowflies, known for their ability to smell “happy hour” within seconds, were nearly absent from the trunk, and that the ones found were attracted to whatever decomposing food products, or garbage, that were NOT present.

Yep,  I said NOT present.  Jeff Ashton opened the evidence of the soda can reflecting no chew spit, and the “salami” packaging which actually held a piece of paper disguised as a food item, apparently.

Dr. Huntington’s “pigs not in blankets” experiment, where he had someone kill pigs and stash them in the trunks of various cars to prove the rate and amount of blowflies present in contrast to those found in the trunk of the Pontiac Sunfire, forgot to duplicate conditions in anyway, specifically, double trash bags wrapped in a laundry bag.  Dr. Huntington was forced to admit he has zero relevant experience in this area.

Like a moth to the flame, State Attorney Jeff Ashton drew Huntington into his “web of truth”.  Huntington, for purposes of this piece, was not at all comfortable on the prosecutorial flypaper; he said it “rides up” after a while.

It is not known if  Dr. Huntington left any puparia in his seat when he was excused from the witness box.

From Founder To Flounder In Taphonomic Wikigate

William Rodriguez, Phd, the defense expert in taphonomy, or the study of decaying organisms over time through fossilization has an impressive resume.

founder-  one that founds or establishes

flounder (v)-  to make clumsy attempts to regain one’s balance.

The good Dr, under oath, claimed to be a co-founder of  infamous THE BODY FARM in open court.

Not according to THE BODY FARM, or it’s actual founder, Dr. Bill Bass.

Dr. Rodriguez was already a subject of contention, or possible contEMPTion,  for drastically altering the opinion and findings he reported, versus what he is now prepared to testify to, thus violating Judge Perry’s order for what is now going to be the third time.

However, it is a whole different animal to claim a co-founder status, than the actuality, which was a teaching assistant, and at times,  window washer.

Because the State of Florida believes Rodriguez’s change in testimony is in effect a discovery violation, Judge Perry has since reserved ruling on the infraction until the trial’s conclusion.

Wait till he hears this BOMBSHELL.

Immediately Prior to Publication Update:  Rodriguez is OUT.  Details To Follow

Shoddy Is As Shoddy Does

By far, one of the more painful witness cross-examinations to date,  Werner Spitz, MD, was like flying coach to Thailand seated next to a newborn with an ear infection,  that has run out of booze in the first hour.

Dr. Spitz’s obsession with his pocket-cranial saw for all occasions not withstanding,  his testimony under cross, following a celebrated 56 year forensic pathology career involving the Assasinations of  President JFK and Dr. Martin Luther King was an affront to the profession, period.

At one point, he referred to the autopsy conducted by Jan Garavaglia, of “Dr. G” fame, as “shoddy” because she did not remove the “cap” of the skull, and therefore could not see the brain; although little Caylee Anthony’s remains were completely skeletonized with no soft tissue whatsoever.

When Dr. Spitz told the jury that he believed that the reason the mandibular bone appeared almost in full articular placement was because the duct tape was placed “on the left side only” after the toddler was completely decomposed, jurors were observed actually smirking at the man.

He was unaware there were 3 separate strips of duct tape affixed, and overall seemed to defy most Medico Legal Investigation of Death protocol in unnatural death investigation ,  which sadly, he is actually the co-author of.

Career, Interrupted.

Definitely A Fortnight…. Yes For Sure… Maybe Not

Dr. Jane Bock, the defense botany expert, as I have covered exclusively previously, is a lovely woman and accomplished professor.

She was also the benefactor of  Jeff Ashton’s gentlemanly handling of her testimony during cross examination this afternoon.

Dr. Bock went from the sublime to the ridiculous in her assertion that Caylee could have completely skeletonized, and grown herself a “root wrap” via her Pooh blanket.  Mr. Ashton was kinder than I would have been, to his credit, and to my “note to self about humility”, because I have written about her prior case work and it would have been entirely relevant as an impeachment item.  That said, I will follow his lead.

With no personal disrespect intended whatsoever to these “experts”, professionally, you betcha,  I have to ask,  did Jose Baez pull these folks out of a matinee complete with the AARP discount for a COCOON screening?

How is it, these seemingly accomplished, highly educated forensic professionals with career paths the envy of many a grad student,  were willing to throw their credentials behind such ludicrous opinions that were completely unsubstantiated by findings or evidence,  simply to have their names associated with this case. Make no mistake, that is exactly what happened here.

Being an expert defense witness, real or perceived in this case, makes going into one’s twilight  a solid 401K extender.

Blink discussing witnesses and developments after press-time LIVE tonight on THE DANA PRETZER SHOW.

Special Guests:  Diane Dimond, Mark Nejame, and Blink, Editor In Chief, www. blinkoncrime.com

Images by Klaasend.

Orlando, FL-  I know I should really write in chronological order for y’all that are just reading the days events.     I just can’t.

In the first day of the trial of the State of Florida v. Casey Anthony I went through  a “Steel Magnolias” equivalent of tissues the first half, and proceeded to sharpen our Henkels in the afternoon for reasons I cannot explain.

Linda Drane Burdick, in her smart and gas-can-red suit, riveted the jurors, the public, and even the defendant, Casey Anthony.

Ms. Anthony shook her head no at all the places she does not want you to look.  Ms. Anthony cried on cue.

Very upsetting this business of your daughter’s skull in a bog where you left it, with the intention of never seeing it again, and all the nastiness that comes with such an imposition.

In a most level and calculated fashion,  Burdick took us through the timeline with resolve.  While none of us ever really wanted to get to the “end”, we did, and she is right, there is no other that had access to the evidence in this case.

Asking this jury to find a verdict of guilty is going to be like asking who wants ice cream on the way back home.

Enter famed Mayberry Attorney Barney Fife,  I mean self-proclaimed  “Juanie Cochran”  , Jose Baez after lunch with his clients proclamation that Caylee Marie Anthony died on June 16, 2008 while both Casey and George were present, by an accidental drowning in the above-ground swimming pool.

That was just the start of the delusion for public consumption.  If you did not raise your glass and look at the bottom in the light, you were not paying close enough attention.  Am I really hearing this?  Is there something in my water?

Kronk was kronked again, and accused of hiding Caylee’s remains from some unknown place, but ending up in the Suburban junkmess; and motivation for a reward as opposed to relieving himself was the reason he came upon her tiny skull.

Through her attorney, Casey Anthony did exactly what I have said she would do.  She blamed George for not reporting Caylee’s death and Cindy for leaving the ladder up to the pool , and wept while Baez told us all that Casey was sexually abused from the age of 8.

Masterfully and Mercifully,  Jeff Ashton laid down the hammer in response.  George Anthony was called as the States first witness. (more…)

Chief Judge Belvin Perry promised to rule on 2 outstanding motions by her defense team today.

Update #1 4:45PM.. Motion to exclude trunk stain… D E N I E D

Rulings on Critical Motions regarding a hair with a "deathband" that could only belong to a deceased individual and either Casey or Caylee Anthony, and the air samples tested by Dr. Arpad Vass and found to contain chloroform levels he has never seen, in his 22 year career.

The air samples themselves are not in contention as the "hardware" and methodology in their extraction are used widely in the scientific community, and the defense team, through a stipulation agreement to withdraw contempt proceedings against him, could not argue about anything else.  The defense argument was largely about the interpretation of the data that was yielded from the samples as they relate to a decompositional event in the trunk of Casey's car.

Both motions were a combination of a Frye/exclusion attempt by the defense that took several days in court to conclude, in which many observers felt were disorganized and poorly argued in contrast to the deft responses by the prosecution.

Yesterday, for the second time, Jose Baez on behalf of Casey Anthony filed a response to the State's motion to let his already withdrawn "experts" Dr. Danzinger and Dr. Weis be permitted to testify as to what Casey told them during their interviews with her.

You may recall, during the State's deposition attempt of Dr. Danzinger,  Judge Perry put the kibosh to it after receiving a call from Jose Baez, and both depositions have since been sealed.  Judge Perry referenced testimony about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, but legal experts agree that in itself would not be grounds for suspending a deposition and immediately sealing it.

It is this editors opinion that during the deposition,  Dr. Danzinger recounted parts of his interview with Casey Anthony that may have been incriminating to her.

It was abundantly clear that the defense strategy is/was to attempt to have these witnesses speak about parts of their interviews with Casey Anthony as a way to repeat her "defense" without ever taking the stand, subjecting her to cross-examination by the state.

It is also abundantly clear that Jose Baez et al did not understand the Judge's comments about these depositions the first time around.

The only way these "Docs" will be permitted to testify to anything Casey Anthony told them, is if Jose Baez presents an exception argument to the hearsay rule, and since the "declarant" or Casey Anthony, will never take the stand, 'not gonna happen.

Yesterday afternoon, the defense depositions of Tony Lazzarro and Amy Huizenga were filed with the court.

While there was largely previously known information contained in both depositions, there was one noteworthy tidbit in Ms. Huizenga's which the defense glossed over in a hurry.

Reported exclusively by www.blinkoncrime.com,  the Anthony's withheld a major plumbing emergency at their home that sent someone from Hopespring Drive in a panic to locate Caylee.

For the first time, it is confirmed that Casey knew about it, and told Amy it was one of the reasons they could not move in:

Casey Told Amy About A Pipe

This article will be updated when Judge Perry rules this afternoon.

Check back to www.blinkoncrime.com for continued breaking news in the case against Casey Anthony.

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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.

(more...)