Casey Anthony: What was most memorable moment of day? - Hal

Casey Anthony: What was most memorable moment of day?
posted by halboedeker on March, 24 2011 4:44 PM

Vinnie Politan of “In Session” called it “the biggest moment of the day” at the Casey Anthony hearing today.

Dr. Arpad Vass of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee discussed his reaction to opening a can containing a carpet sample from Anthony’s car.

“First I jumped back about two feet,” Vass said.

Anthony looked up from her notes and quickly gazed at Vass.

“It was, to me, the smell of human decomposition,” Vass continued.

WFTV’s Kathi Belich called it “a bombshell that got even Casey’s attention.”

WESH -Channel 2’s Amanda Ober replayed the scene in the station’s 4 p.m. newscast. “Vass said over his career he’s personally overseen studies on at least 50 decomposing bodies and is intimately familiar with the unique odor,” Ober reported.

Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

Ober also highlighted Vass’ testimony that chloroform detected in the trunk carpet was 10,000 times greater than what would found in a controlled sample.

“As an attorney that had a powerful effect on me,” WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said. “That’s going to have even a greater effect on a juror when they hear that.”

WKMG-Channel 6’s Tony Pipitone put the issue over Vass this way: “Today it was all about the smell and whether this research scientist will be the first ever allowed in the United States to testify he and his fancy machines can detect human decomposition out of thin air.”

If Chief Judge Belvin Perry “allows into evidence this new science about odor analysis and decomposition, he will be the first judge in the country ever to let that into a criminal trial,” Pipitone added.

Central Florida News 13 replayed the Vass-jumped-back moment of testimony. “Then came a bombshell from the defense, calling into question whether or not Dr. Vass was looking to take on some sort of a financial gain in the case,” reporter Kelli Cook said. “Vass is working on a patent for a sort of sniffer machine.”

Defense attorney Jose Baez asked, “So you would stand to earn money if your sniffer machine is validated in a court of law?”

Vass replied, “There’s no guarantee people would buy it.”

On “In Session,” Politan found Vass’ testimony to be powerful. But attorney Keith Murray told Politan, “I find his statement that he jumped back two feet to be a little hyperbolic. I think that’s a little embellishment on his part.”

“Really?” Politan shot back.

“I think he’s playing up a little bit, he’s on the camera,” Murray said. ”Come on. Did he really jump back two feet?”

WESH also reported on that latest defense motion. Anchor Martha Sugalski called the motion “scathing” because it accuses Judge Perry of making factual errors. And Ober added that defense attorney Cheney Mason wrote that Perry “made facutal errors” in ruling that Anthony’s early statements will be allowed at trial. Anthony’s attorneys want another hearing on the matter.

WFTV’s Belich reported, “Mason is the one who filed the motion accusing the judge of bias and factual errors, and Cheney Mason was not in court today.”

The next hearing will be April 1 and could possibly continue April 2.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2011/03/casey-anthony-what-was-most-memorable-moment-of-day.html