In other news...
You guys may or may not know - actually, you probably don't, unless you follow me on Twitter - that I'm following the Casey Anthony trial pretty closely. She's the 25-year-old woman in Orlando, Florida accused of murdering her daughter.
Actually, I've been watching it for a long time. I've been watching it since the day her two-year-old daughter, Caylee, was reported missing - July 15, 2008. How closely have I been watching it? Well... closely enough that a lot of the things that got brought up at trial I remember happening. I remember watching them happen, live on my computer, because I was watching the 24-hour live webcam that one of the Orlando television stations had aimed at the Anthony house. I knew who Leonard Padilla was not because of his involvement in the Bounty Hunters television show, but because of his involvement in the search for Caylee and the fact that at one point, he bailed Casey out of jail. I know about Jose Baez not because he's a friend of Geraldo Rivera's, but because he's been Casey's lawyer for almost 3 years. I know about Florida's Sunshine Law because without it, I wouldn't know any of the other things I know.
So when the trial started, it was pretty well a given that I was going to watch it. And watch it I have. Since May 24, if I am at my computer, I have a window open with the streaming coverage of the trial from CNN. I watch the recap vids on cnn.com every night, just in case I missed something important during the day. I watch the shows that have been covering it heavily - including Nancy Grace and Dr. Drew - so I can hear different reactions to and interpretations of it. I read a website called "WebSleuths" at least once a day, so I can keep up with newspaper articles about it, and read what other people like me think. (GoFigger: I disagree with almost all of them. How strange! I never disagree with anyone!)
Do I think she did it? Oh, hells yeah. She killed her. I don't think it was intentional, at least not in the, "Oh, I *hate* this child and I'm gonna kill her for real!" way. I think it was an accident. BUT. I think it was an accident that happened because she did something that any reasonable person, especially any loving parent, would never even consider doing, because HELLO! Drugging your child with chloroform and putting duct tape on her face isn't safe and just might kill her!
So, based on that, I think it's First Degree Murder. I think she could have, and should have, realized that what she was doing could reasonably be assumed to be deadly.
Do I think she'll get the death penalty? I'm not sure. I'm leaning toward no, if only because the people who will give victim impact statements during her sentencing - Caylee's grandparents and uncle - are also Casey's parents and brother. They'll beg for leniency, no doubt about it. They did it every time they testified.
Anyway, the whole point of this thing... I've been watching this trial. And I've seen a lot of things that I never thought could happen in a court of law. Most of them from Jose Baez. And today, I saw three things that I never imagined could happen. And again, it was Jose Baez that did them.
1. If you're a defense lawyer, and you're trying (ostensibly) to keep your client out of the chair... why would you think it's a good idea to tell a fart joke during your closing statement?
2. If you're a defense lawyer, and you're trying (again ostensibly) to keep your client out of the chair... why would you describe her to the jury as a "lying no-good slut" in your closing statement? Twice?
3. If you're a defense lawyer, and you're trying (again ostensibly, but becoming doubtful) to keep your client out of the chair... why would you think it's a good idea to start yelling at the prosecutor during your closing statement? Not snarking about him. Not ripping apart his theories. Not attacking his evidence. Yelling at him. Complete with angry hand gestures. While moving toward the table he's sitting at?
Actually, I've been watching it for a long time. I've been watching it since the day her two-year-old daughter, Caylee, was reported missing - July 15, 2008. How closely have I been watching it? Well... closely enough that a lot of the things that got brought up at trial I remember happening. I remember watching them happen, live on my computer, because I was watching the 24-hour live webcam that one of the Orlando television stations had aimed at the Anthony house. I knew who Leonard Padilla was not because of his involvement in the Bounty Hunters television show, but because of his involvement in the search for Caylee and the fact that at one point, he bailed Casey out of jail. I know about Jose Baez not because he's a friend of Geraldo Rivera's, but because he's been Casey's lawyer for almost 3 years. I know about Florida's Sunshine Law because without it, I wouldn't know any of the other things I know.
So when the trial started, it was pretty well a given that I was going to watch it. And watch it I have. Since May 24, if I am at my computer, I have a window open with the streaming coverage of the trial from CNN. I watch the recap vids on cnn.com every night, just in case I missed something important during the day. I watch the shows that have been covering it heavily - including Nancy Grace and Dr. Drew - so I can hear different reactions to and interpretations of it. I read a website called "WebSleuths" at least once a day, so I can keep up with newspaper articles about it, and read what other people like me think. (GoFigger: I disagree with almost all of them. How strange! I never disagree with anyone!)
Do I think she did it? Oh, hells yeah. She killed her. I don't think it was intentional, at least not in the, "Oh, I *hate* this child and I'm gonna kill her for real!" way. I think it was an accident. BUT. I think it was an accident that happened because she did something that any reasonable person, especially any loving parent, would never even consider doing, because HELLO! Drugging your child with chloroform and putting duct tape on her face isn't safe and just might kill her!
So, based on that, I think it's First Degree Murder. I think she could have, and should have, realized that what she was doing could reasonably be assumed to be deadly.
Do I think she'll get the death penalty? I'm not sure. I'm leaning toward no, if only because the people who will give victim impact statements during her sentencing - Caylee's grandparents and uncle - are also Casey's parents and brother. They'll beg for leniency, no doubt about it. They did it every time they testified.
Anyway, the whole point of this thing... I've been watching this trial. And I've seen a lot of things that I never thought could happen in a court of law. Most of them from Jose Baez. And today, I saw three things that I never imagined could happen. And again, it was Jose Baez that did them.
1. If you're a defense lawyer, and you're trying (ostensibly) to keep your client out of the chair... why would you think it's a good idea to tell a fart joke during your closing statement?
2. If you're a defense lawyer, and you're trying (again ostensibly) to keep your client out of the chair... why would you describe her to the jury as a "lying no-good slut" in your closing statement? Twice?
3. If you're a defense lawyer, and you're trying (again ostensibly, but becoming doubtful) to keep your client out of the chair... why would you think it's a good idea to start yelling at the prosecutor during your closing statement? Not snarking about him. Not ripping apart his theories. Not attacking his evidence. Yelling at him. Complete with angry hand gestures. While moving toward the table he's sitting at?