Casey Anthony Verdict: A Miscarriage of Justice?

Not since the O.J. Simpson trial has a court proceeding captured the attention of Americans like the Casey Anthony trial.

I think that many of us assumed that the mother of slain toddler Caylee Anthony would be found guilty and perhaps sentenced to death. The shock and anger following the “not guilty” verdicts have only strengthened the argument that Anthony was already presumed guilty in the court of public opinion.

Reasonable doubt.

Those two words are the cornerstone of our American justice system. They have undoubtedly protected many falsely accused defendants from serving prison time or from facing death row.

They may also be the powerful tools of shrewd defense attorneys to gain acquittals for their guilty clients. The ones that really “did it” whatever “it” happens to be.

Who knows which is the case with Casey Anthony?

Clearly, she is a liar and walking head-case on many levels. The public has equated the evidence of her wild partying in the time period her daughter was “missing” as a clear indication of her guilt. What mother would be drinking, dancing and getting tattoos while her little girl was missing? Her false statements leading law enforcement authorities in the wrong direction on multiple occasions is also credible evidence of guilt.

But, a smart defense team with an alternate theory can craft a possible scenario that both confirms the jury’s predisposition to negatively judge the defendant’s guilty behavior with enough reasonable doubt as to its reason—to elicit the verdict of acquittal.

Here is the video of the verdict being read:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_PyXYscAqs

Imagine the daunting task of the attorneys representing Casey Anthony. Portraying her as a saint is out of the question. Framing her as an “innocent” is beyond believability too. So, constructing a picture of Casey as the victim in a dysfunctional family, where she was abused, lied throughout her life and concocted a false story after Caylee’s “accidental” death was the perfect solution.

Reasonable doubt.

Seems that is this day and age, any behavior short of that caught on video can be explained away. Sometimes, graphic video won’t even work (see “Rodney King beating”)

Lost in all of this is the life of a little girl who didn’t deserve to die—and whose demise will not result in justice for whomever was responsible.

As I write this, the judge has just passed sentence on the four misdemeanor charges of lying—a one-year sentence for each charge. So, four years in prison, minus nearly three years already served minus time off for good behavior and we are looking at probably less than a year more in the slammer.

What’s next?

Well, after a near certain move away from Orlando (Hollywood, perhaps?), Casey will be free to sell the rights to her story, clearly a gold mine for books and movies. She has already received offers to pose naked, make porn movies and there’s no doubt that other employment opportunities will come her way.

Millions of dollars will flow to Casey Anthony, the mother of a murdered little girl.
Plenty of dough ---for buying tattoos and partying until the wee hours.


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