Deliberation In The Casey Anthony Case Has Begun

Following the prosecution's closing argument rebuttal and Judge Belvin Perry's instructions to the jury the Casey Anthony murder case has been given to the jury for deliberations.

I felt that Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick left the jury with a haunting image, that of a photo of the "Bella Vita" tattoo and asked questions that the jury must answer. "Whose life was better without Caylee? Was Cindy Anthony's life better? Was George Anthony's life better? Mr. Ashton said what George Anthony's life was like as a result of losing his beloved granddaughter. Whose life was better? That is the only question you need to answer in considering why Caylee Marie Anthony was left on the side of the road dead."

Casey Anthony is accused of multiple charges, including the following:

Count One, First Degree Murder: If Casey Anthony is convicted of first degree murder, regardless of whether it is on a theory of Pre-meditated Murder or Felony Murder she will receive at a minimum a life sentence. For many years, a life sentence in Florida is a life sentence, which means there is no parole or early release. A defendant convicted of first degree murder only leaves prison after his or her death. The only alternative to a life sentence is death by execution.

Lesser Included of Count One, Second Degree Murder: (depraved mind murder, not premeditated) The maximum penalty for Second Degree Murder is a life sentence. The minimum sentence is based on the Criminal Punishment Code. The estimated minimum sentence for this charge and other charges which might result in conviction along with this count would be 24 years, 6 months.

Count Two, Aggravated Child Abuse: The maximum penalty for aggravated child is 15 years in prison. The estimated minimum sentence for this charge and other charges which might result in conviction along with this count would be 12 years, 1 month.

Count Three, Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child: If Casey Anthony is convicted of causing the death of Caylee by culpable negligence the maximum sentence is 30 years in prison. The estimated minimum sentence for this charge and other charges which might result in conviction along with this count would be 16 years and 6 months.

Counts Four through Seven, Giving False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer in Reference to a Missing Person: The charge in these four counts carries a maximum of one year in county jail for each count. As a result if convicted of all four of these counts, Casey Anthony could receive a sentence of four years if the sentence for each count is run consecutively.

The jurors ended their deliberations early on Monday due to the July 4 holiday, however, they will return to the courthouse to deliberate further on Tuesday morning at 8:30 AM ET.

Isn't it interesting that a torrential downpour that happened shortly after the jury was dismissed just as it rained the day Caylee's body was found. Is it a foreshadowing of the outcome?

Who Are The Jurors In The Casey Anthony Case?

As with any trial, the members of the jury each bring their own personal experiences, beliefs, and prejudice into the court. This is why the voir dire is so important.

During the voir dire attorneys try to gain as much information as possible from potential jurors. It is the only chance an attorney has to affect the composition of the jury. Jury selection is the only time that they can directly interact with the people who will decide a defendant’s fate.


Here is a brief description of the jurors in the Casey Anthony case.

Let us all hope and pray that at the end of this trial, there will be justice for Caylee once and for all.

Juror 1
White female in 60s
Retired nurse and volunteer counselor.
She is married with two children.
Death penalty stance: “I value life. I also value the criminal justice system

Juror 2
African American male in 30s
An IT Worker
He is married, two children: a daughter that is four and son who is nine.
Death penalty stance: Does not believe in the death penalty. “God is the one that makes the final judgment.

Juror 3
White female, age 32, who has moved back in with her mom
Student in RN program
On a scale of 1 to 10, she rates the death penalty at “a three or a five.”

Juror 4
African American woman, about 40
Occupation Unknown
Prosecution tried to preempt challenge her. Defense objected that she was being eliminated just because of her race. Judge agreed
Plays games like Farmville
Doesn’t watch news
Does not like to judge people by what other people say about them.

Juror 5
White female in her 60s
Retired Nurse’s Aid
She had a DUI in 1998, and her son and grandson both had drug problems.
Death penalty stance: “I guess I believe in the death penalty. I’d have to know a lot of facts before I really considered it.”

Juror 6
White male, aged 33
Chef
He is married with two children, ages six and 21 months.
Could vote for the death penalty; “If the law dictated it, I would be able to follow it.”

Juror 7
White female, 41 years old
Works as administrative assistance in juvenile justice welfare
She maintains that she could vote to recommend the death penalty. “It would be — gosh — a solemn decision, but it is an option under the law.”

Juror 8
White female in 50s
Service rep and former manager for Verizon
She is married with two grown sons in their mid-twenties.
She would have no problem with the death penalty if warranted, provided she had heard “all the facts.”

Juror 9
White male, aged 53
Former Logger.
Has never married.
He supports the death penalty, and could vote to recommend it “in the proper situation.”

Juror 10
White male, aged 57
Verizon Retention Specialist:
Has never married.
His sister, along with her boyfriend, committed a violent crime against their dad. She spent time in prison.
He regards the death penalty as a “necessary option.”"It's set. It's an unfortunate result of actions."


Juror 11
White male in 30s
High school Physical Education and Health Teacher
States the death penalty is a “necessary option.”

Juror 12
White female in 40s
Publix supermarket employee
She has two children and one young grandchild.
Rating the death penalty as ten on a scale of one to ten, she would have no problem deciding on Life without Opportunity for Parole or the death penalty.

Chaos In The Court As The Jury is Selected In The Casey Anthony Trial

Today, 30 yr old Elizabeth Ann Rogers had an emotional outburst at the Pinellas County Florida Courthouse during jury selection for the upcoming Casey Anthony Murder Trial.

Ms. Rogers had been in the courthouse for another reason and said she was curious about the Anthony trial.

As a perspective juror was being questioned, Ms. Rogers yelled out "She killed someone anyway!"

Judge Perry had to dismiss the juror which definitely raised his ire. He then had the bailiffs bring Ms. Rogers back to court to face contempt of court charges.

In between her sobs, she said she had no idea why she yelled this out and never meant to do what she did. She begged Judge Perry not to punish her telling him that she was NOT a bad person.

It was pretty sad to watch Ms. Rogers ramble on about being sorry and the various mental challenges from which she suffered which included being bipolar, manic depressive, multiple personality disorder, and ADHD.

Judge Perry obviously did not want this trial to become a three ring circus and found her in contempt of court. He informed her that he could imprison her for 179 days. Judge Perry did decide to take her disability into account and sentenced her to two days in jail.