Justice Has Been Screwed

If there is a worse mother than Casey Anthony I haven’t met her.

“This is her O.J.”

The quote is from Helaine speaking of Stef’s obsession with the Casey Anthony trial. It was said this weekend before a verdict was rendered.

Today Stef’s obsession turned to stunned disbelief! Anthony was judged not guilty on the most serious charges.

In case you’ve been hermetically sealed for the past few years (or are reading this years after it was written and this trial is no longer fresh) Casey Anthony is the pretty but slutty bad girl&#185 accused of killing her two year old daughter. If there is a worse mother than Casey Anthony I haven’t met her.

If all you did was watch cable TV coverage (Nancy Grace and Jane Velez Mitchell come to mind) you’d figure the only thing the jury was considering was how to set the voltage in the electric chair! If it was only that simple.

I was not in the jury. I am not held by their decision. In my mind Casey Anthony is guilty. Nothing said today changes that.

From time-to-time I conduct forensic meteorological research to assist attorneys and insurance companies. My work helps nail down weather conditions where the incident in question took place. Nearly all the attorneys tell me they’re going to trial. So far none have.

The problem with going to trial, as the Casey Anthony case illustrates, is juries can’t be predicted. The lawyers who contract for my services understand this. A bird in the hand is always better than two in the bush.

In the United States there is no double jeopardy. Casey Anthony could come out tonight and describe how she murdered her child and there would be no recourse.

There’s a lesson to be learned here. Right now I can’t figure out what it is.

Justice has been screwed. That’s for sure.

&#185 – A blog reader commented “slut” was a pretty harsh characterization of Casey Anthony. I wouldn’t have used it had her own attorney, Jose Baez, not called her a “lying, no-good, slut.”

62 thoughts on “Justice Has Been Screwed”

  1. Geoff, I was stunned. I don’t have anything to say. I don’t have to say anything. You read my mind. God bless that child and God bless those jury members, who have to find a way to fall asleep tonight.

  2. As a mother of 2, I’m appalled. How could she not get nailed for neglect? If my son or daughter were missing for 31 SECONDS I would have a stroke! Like I said on Facebook…she still has to answer to a higher court. I hope Satan himself grabs her the second she sees her beautiful angel daughter in Heaven. That being said…I hope she live to be a hundred so she can remember every milestone she would have missed!

  3. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around this. She lied about EVERYTHING,yet she isn’t guilty? Her daughter/baby was missing 31 days and she was out screwing around.If I can’t contact my kids after 30 minutes I’m a wreck,and they are grown! She is as guilty as OJ….and I do believe in Kharma…he is in jail, and she will be (eventually). As far as I can tell, they must have flown OJ’s jury to Florida.

  4. I am stunned beyond belief. I agree with Helaine. All the trickery used cannot take away the fact that one innocent young child was murdered. Only God can judge. I pray that He bestows His wrath on the killer(s).

  5. Shock can’t even describe what I felt when I heard the verdict. If I were on that jury I would have been the one person who would cause a hung jury. Where is the justice for this little girl?

  6. Such a lovely little girl, with enormous brown eyes like a Disney princess!
    Like Nancy Grace said… “the Devil is dancing!”

  7. I understand why so many folks are riled by this verdict. However, having served on a jury in a murder trial, I know those jurors had very clear instructions that they were required to follow, and that they took those instructions very, very seriously. Reasonable doubt trumps. She may or may not be guilty, but personally I’m glad I live in a country with a justice system that subscribes to the age old maxim: “Better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer.” Hopefully now there can be some real healing for those who truly loved that little girl, and she can finally rest in peace.

    1. While I agree with you regarding some of the charges. There was more than enough evidence (including the charges she was guilty of) that proved aggravated child abuse. Sorry, not reporting your child is missing, not caring, the tapes of her discussions with parents etc proved child abuse. There was proof there of that for sure. Reasonable doubt, as instructed by the Judge was not necessary for the aggravated child abuse, only for the other three higher charges.

      1. Actually, that only proves neglect. Had they charged her with aggravated neglect, she’d have been found guilty. If all she wanted to do was party all the time, sign custody over to your mother, pack a bag, hit the road, see ya! And she’s not even going to do any more time on the 4 charges she WAS found guilty of. Each carries a 1 year maximum, she’s been sitting in jail for 2.5 years, that leaves 1.5 or 18 months and she’s not gonna get that. It’s a first offense, plus you automatically get time lopped off for “good behavior”, unless you mess up in jail. And “reasonable doubt” applies to all charges, as far as I know.

  8. As with everyone today I stood horrified by the verdict… But as an attorney friend of mine said… The case rested on the shoulders of the prosecution… The prosection did not make their case and this is why we and the world are now speachless.. They in their arrogance chose to only charge capital murder… Had the jury been offered felony murder or criminal neglect… She Casey would be facing serious jail time.

    As to the OJ reference above… I was bartending during that trial and was able to watch the case unfold… Had the police not fabricated additional evidence OJ would have been found guilty.. once it came to light that some of the evidence was fabricated the jury could not trust any of the evidence offered…

  9. I think she’s guilty as hell, we all do, but if the prosecutor can’t come up with enough tangible evidence to convince a jury, beyond a doubt, that she murdered her child then it’s the prosecutor we should be angry at. The jury did a fine job of looking only at the facts and evidence as presented and not allowing emotion to cloud the issue. Don’t forget, the death penalty would have been the result if the verdict had come back guilty. If I had been on that panel, I would want to be damn-well certain before I put someone to their death.

    1. I have to agree with you. The prosecutor didn’t make a good enough case. The evidence has to be there. It’s mostly feelings we have about Casey that are running wild. The jury did the right thing given the evidence they had. I really feel Casey did it. But,….it’s not feelings that make the decision. The judge made that perfectly clear when he charged the jury.

      1. Casey was really smart leading everyone on a wild goose chase for a month to allow the body to decompose to a point that little if any evidence could be gathered from it.

      1. My concern is that a 2-year-old was missing, maybe drowned, and the mother told a bunch of lies to the authorities. If she didn’t do it, who did? I wonder if more couldn’t have been done.

  10. Geoff,
    Please correct me if I am wrong. I view you as a definite icon in the media world. Although you are certainly entitled to your opinion I do think it was improper for you to label someone as “the pretty but slutty bad girl accused of killing her two year old daughter” or “If there is a worse mother than Casey Anthony I haven’t met her”. It takes away from what I once thought of you, a middle of the road type person who remains non judgemental in the eyes of the public. Casey Anthony was tried by her peers in a court of law just as any other person in her situation is entitled to be. Whether she is guilty or not is an example of the prosecution attorney not proving his case beyond a reasonable doubt,in other words, he failed to prove his case to the jury. The people have spoken and now it is time to move on. Forgive me for singling you out but when I heard those words come from your mouth (figuratively speaking) I had to say something because I dont recognize you as a “judge of character” instead looked upon as a person that could keep his opinions out of the public.

    1. Scott:

      Her own attorney Jose Baez referred to her as a “no-good, lying, slut.” This was her advocate speaking! I feel that gives me permission.

    2. Geoff’s words initially also struck me as somewhat out of character for the mild mannered Geoff we all know and love. However, this is his blog, and he can say whatever he wants. (And I happen to agree with him about Casey – she is scum as as far as I’m concerned). He is not a reporter in the sense that he is required to objectively report current events and refrain from outward bias. It is refreshing to see a public figure such as Geoff being completely honest with his opinion, rather than hiding behind the “politically correct” curtain.

    3. Geoff is expressing an honest opinion. He is always pretty candid and honest with us. While I respect your interpretation of his words, I ask you to please give him his space and also allow him to express himself at a moment like this. Most people following the case are deeply disappointed, even if we understand that the law is the law, and the prosecutor failed to prove his case.

      1. I have to agree with Geoff. He has a right just as anyone else has the right to an opinion. This is his podium and he sets the rules here. Everyone is upset and rightly so. The prosecution failed today. they were not ready with enough evidence. They had nothing but circumstantial evidence to present. there was nothing to positively link Casey to her daughters death other than our feelings and feelings can’t be used in a jury room.

        1. This is Geoff’s room and we all walked in willingly. He is allowed to say what he likes. I think he showed great restraint.

  11. I agree with all of you that she is guilty as sin; HOWEVER, like with the OJ case, the prosecution didn’t prove her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. I never for a moment thought she’d be convicted of 1st degree murder–maybe one of the lesser charges but there was no way this jury was going to convict with the death penalty on the table given the case this prosecutions presented. She *was* convicted of lying-hence the conviction on misleading investigation. The jury got it right, **based on the evidence they were allowed to consider.** It’s terrible, and tragic and not fair, but our justice system actually worked the way it’s designed to. The prosecution did not meet the burden of proof. Shame on them, not the jury.

  12. Unfortunately I knew she would be found not guilty. Our justice system is screwed up and yet we wonder why people hate the United States. So sad.

    1. Ashley…If you think the U.S. is so screwed up, there are other country’s where you might be happier. Perhaps where you and your loved one’s might get a fairer trial if ever accused.
      However, I prefer our rights in this country over any other in the world. Obviously you do not!

  13. Having served on a jury myself, while I don’t agree with the jury’s verdict and strongly believe that Casey Anthony is guilty, I can understand how they came up with that verdict. I know that in the case I served on, I believed the defendant was guilty, but after being instructed about reasonable doubt, I too voted to acquit the defendant because there was a chance, however small, that he might have been innocent.

  14. Two thoughts have been rattling around in my head all day since hearing the verdict. I don’t agree with it, however- IF only to try to rationalize this:

    Facts are not always evidence-

    Not guilty does not not mean innocent- Just unable to prove beyond “reasonable”
    doubt
    RIP Dear little girl

  15. I don’t think justice was screwed – sorry, but the prosecutors had a duty to make a case, and they were unable to do so. For me this case proves why all of this in-depth coverage on TV is a bad thing – Nancy Grace has never seen a defendant who wasn’t guilty or a defense attorney who wasn’t evil, and people believe that is a realistic view of how the system works. If a relative of yours were the defendant, you’d want to be darn sure the prosecution made their case before someone was put to death. The same applies to Casey Anthony, even if she was a terrible mother who should never have been allowed to have a child. The child’s death is a tragedy, but the jury did their job according to the law.

  16. She was a bad, scum-of-the-earth mom who didn’t use her brain cells and call for help when she found her daughter dead. But but it seems like everybody (except the jurors, whose verdict we DO have to accept in the country) decided she was guilty because she acted like a scum and not because of the evidence. I wonder what we would have thought if the talking heads like Ninny Grace hadn’t decided in advance she must be guilty for acting so far outside of societal norms and pounded it into our skulls. The jury didn’t have to listen to the incessant babel and were, I think, able to come to an objective conclusion. The jury was NOT hung on any count, don’t forget, which would have been the case if the evidence were more ambiguous.

    1. Finally, a voice of reason on a page that’s been filled with the voices of “media-inspired” Casey Anthony haters.

  17. I think the key phrase is “reasonable doubt” – I define that as taking all the evidence provided and making a REASONABLE conclusion. Reasonable is why it’s a jury of one’s peers — we’re not looking for PH.D’s here or Forensic Scientists — what is considered REASONABLE to the average person. I honestly think the only way reasonable doubt would have been eliminated for this jury was if they had a photograph or video of Casey doing it. Not many murders are photographed… and I will just be totally disgusted when there is a book deal or money maker involved for Casey… Honestly, how many people google CHLOROFORM one day and their kid is found dead shortly later… and the car’s carpet shows chloroform in it??? My theory is she used chloroform as a cheap babysitter one time too often… OK, I have vented… THANKS FOR BLOGGING THIS TODAY, Geoff!!!!

    1. Anne, I completely agree with you – particularly about there almost always is going to be reasonable doubt unless there is photographic evidence, eyewitnesses or a confession. I would have a very difficult time serving on a jury because my brain functions almost completely on logic (if it looks like a duck,and walks like a duck . . . .) Judge Judy always says if something doesn’t make sense that’s because it’s not true. And much of the testimony, such as the ‘google search – chloroform/neck breaking, etc’ testimony by Casey’s mother made no sense at all.

  18. I would have been shocked if the jury came back with “guilty”. Sorry, but there was NO evidence that Casey killed her daughter. It is possible, but there was ZERO EVIDENCE! There WAS a whole lotta “commentary” by a whole lotta “talking heads” though. Sorry, but, “feelings” just cut it in a court of law!

    There is one of 3 things that could have happened to this child…..
    1) Casey killed her.
    2) There was some sort of accident.
    3) The child died in her sleep.

    I think #’s 2 or 3 happened; Casey panicked and disposed of her daughters body. Therefore, the only thing she is guilty of is covering up the untimely death of her daughter. But, there is also NO EVIDENCE of #’s 2 or 3 either. Only Casey knows. And maybe, someday, she’ll mature and let the rest of us know what happened.

    The jury did exactly what they were supposed to do. And if I were on that jury, I would have came up with “not guilty” too.

    Last week, PBS’ Frontline aired a report called “The Child Cases”. Before watching this, I thought ALL people who were charged in untimely child deaths automatically GUILTY!! I now have a different point of view.

    Anyone who has small children, knows someone with small children, anyone who babysits them, anyone who intends to become parents/grandparents REALLY need to watch “The Child Cases”. It’s airing again tonight on CPTV (PBS) at 10:00PM. Or, you can view it online….. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/the-child-cases/ I HIGHLY suggest that you all do. Especially to the people who always think….”That’ll NEVER happen to me” (about anything/everything).

  19. Im sorry Geoff, your reply “Her attorney said this so I could say that” is an impoverished answer. This is TOTALLY out of character for you. Much like myself thinking it is out of character for you (as is the opinion of many others after my last comment) you also are entitled to your opinion. With that being said I need to re-evaluate if I will follow you anymore (I have been a fan of your for over 10 years).

    1. Again, it is to be pointed out that this is Geoff’s space, he runs it, he has an opinion, he expressed it. If you don’t like the characterization, that’s on you. If you can’t handle reading an opinion of this sort from a guy whose opinions we had not heard in his current or previous compensated position, then, again, that’s on you.

      I love how people think that celebrities shouldn’t hold opinions on things, or speak out on issues because, after all, they’re “just celebrities, what do they know? Their job is to do this, that or the other and otherwise shut up” Unless, of course, you happen to agree with that celebrity. (rolls eyes)

      You know, like the folks that say that the Dixie Chicks shouldn’t have an opinion about something, but it’s OK for Chuck Norris to hold the opposite opinion and speak out 24/7 about it.

  20. Do I believe Casey Anthony killed her daughter? Absolutely. However, as stated here in others’ comments, the prosecution did not meet the burden of proof. There was no direct evidence linking only Casey to the crime – it was all supposition. The prosecution chose to try her based on her lifestyle and what they believed to be her thoughts and wishes. That left enough room for reasonable doubt. The lynch mob mentality is frightening – for better or for worse, our Constitution outlines how we are tried for a crime. I believe she will pay for her crime someday – it remains to be seen how she is going to be able to live safely anywhere in the United States.

    1. She will live safely with the mega-bucks she makes off the books and movie, etc… she’ll hire bodyguards…

        1. Robert, I appreciate your voice of calm reason. And Laura, I agree as well with your comment about the lynch mob mentality. It’s amazing how quickly we’re willing to jump to conclusions without benefit of first hand knowledge of what actually happened. She may well be one of the world’s worst mothers, and may well, in fact, been complicit in some way in her daughter’s death–but the prosecution failed. Deeming the jurors ignorant or worse-negligent-for failing to deliver the verdict that would have made the majority of court TV watchers feel better when they simply carried out with integrity the task with which they were charged, is baseless and unfair. Our justice system worked as it was designed to work–WITHOUT passion or prejudice.

          1. It’s important to listen to what the judge charged the jury with. This is the most important part of the trial. I was on a jury and for 6 weeks we listened to testimony. the news media was there for 45 minutes and wrote a scathing report on how the jury failed. I understand what they went through. it’s not as easy as it’s made out to be. We were all wrapped up in the feelings for her daughter. The jury was wrapped up in what the judge said.

  21. It all boils down to one thing. There was no justice for Caylee and Casey got away with murder or a coverup and she will just “move on” without being grief stricken by the death of her daughter. She didn’t grieve when her daughter was “missing” for 31 days. She is a true Narcissist. The only person Casey cares about is Casey.

  22. All I see is no one is innocent until PROVEN guilty anymore in this country.

    I blame that on the media drilling everyone’s minds with their sensationalized one-sided view, making the public into a lynch mob, blood thirsty mentality. Look at all the so-called murderers …on death row that are being exonerated because of new evidence or DNA.

    As far as Casey Anthony – obviously the jury wasn’t convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. And they heard ALL the evidence. GOD only knows the truth and justice is always served There.

    1. She knows who did it and she will live with that following her around for the rest of her life. Even if she has no feelings for her daughter at all that will follower her to her grave. Sometimes we don’t always get the instant gratification. we have to wait.

  23. Geoff, I believe her attorney, in using the word “slut,” was saying that either the prosecutors or the press had characterized Casey as a slut; he didn’t call her a slut. And while I think she’s guilty of having a hand in this beautiful child’s death, the prosecution could not prove how Caylee died & could not prove that Casey did it. I know in my gut she killed her daughter, but the State of Florida could not prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.

    1. No, he called her that to point out being a bad person isn’t against the law. I believe Alan Dershowitz used this technique in his successful defense of Claus von Bulow.

      1. So he did. And it was a valid point. Shouldn’t people be convicted for actual illegal actions and not for being viewed as a bad person? Ninny Grace and other blabbing heads who needed an audience said she was a bad person, so knee-jerkers all over America joined her in her witch hunt. I’m really glad the jurors were sequestered.

  24. As I mentioned today… While everyone might not have liked the outcome of the trial, our justice system worked exactly as it was designed to work. The prosecution was unable to convince a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that she murdered her child and therefore, the jury could not convict her. Mind you she’d already been convicted many times over on cable news, and far too many people only form opinions based only on cable news.

    I didn’t follow it, so I can’t make any sort of opinion on the matter. But the tl;dr from this is: The judicial system worked as designed regardless of whether you agree with the verdict or not.

    1. I agree completely. Our judicial system is designed to work without passion or prejudice. The jurors (and I say this based on my own personal experience as a juror in a murder trial) followed the letter of the law. They did this based on the explicit instructions they were handed by the judge and with only the concrete evidence presented by the prosecution. We are human beings, subject to myriad emotions. But reaching a decision without passion or prejudice, as jurors are required to do, necessitates checking those emotions at the door when viewing the facts. Like Robert, above, I feel for the jurors. They’re being vilified now (Nancy Grace apparently–and appallingly enough–even trotted out summaries of several of the members’ backgrounds, including D.U.I. convictions) because they didn’t allow their emotions and sympathies for that poor little girl to cloud their judgement. They did their job correctly and in my opinion, admirably. What’s more, I wouldn’t be surprised if most wind up haunted for years to come by what they were required to view, hear and do. Personally, I could have lived quite happily without ever having to pour over autopsy photos of a badly broken body as I did during the trial for which I served, but it was necessary. To speculate, as Nancy Grace and others are now doing, on what improper motives the jurors may have had for “rushing to judgement” is, in itself, criminal. At the end of the day, the system worked as it was intended to work–ensuring that no defendant was put to death without a preponderance of irrefutable evidence that he/she committed the crime with which he/she was charged.

  25. In the U.K. I believe there is another available verdict: “Not Proven.” I think that verdict could have been used perfectly in this case.

  26. I am thoroughly disgusted!

    I don’t blame Ashton for retiring after this little lesson on how to get away with murder: leave your victim to rot before they are found and there will be so little forensic evidence that no one can prove you did it no matter what your post-crime behavior.

    Wealthy or not, I doubt Casey Anthony will leave a peaceful happy life. She’s too much like OJ and will do something else someday soon and she will wind up where she belongs.

  27. I did not watch the trial and am not surprised by the verdict. It seems that the more interest the media put on these kind of cases, the less the chance of a guilty verdict. It seems that everybody received their “30 seconds of fame”, the viewers received their fill of all of the sordid details and now everyone can slowly disappear into anonymity again. Meanwhile, the case is not solved and justice is not served.

  28. All I’ve been able to think about is she can now become pregnant again. Lord, protect the baby!

    Geoff, I didn’t know you work as an expert witness. I’m a freelance court reporter and have taken other meteorologists’ testimony. Maybe I WILL get my chance to meet you!

  29. Ashley…Do you know of a better Country that would offer a fair trial. Please inform me of this great place. Please do not trash my great Country. I resent it.

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