Casey Anthony: Chloroform ruling another setback for defense - Hal

Casey Anthony: Chloroform ruling another setback for defense
posted by halboedeker on April, 27 2011 6:39 PM

“The bad news keeps coming for the defense,” WKMG-Channel 6’s Tony Pipitone said tonight.

Chief Judge Belvin Perry today ruled that chloroform evidence will be part of Casey Anthony’s murder trial. She is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee. Jury selection begins May 9.

Pipitone explained that Perry sided with the state and ruled that a scientist can testify that the chloroform levels in Anthony’s car trunk “were 10,000 higher than he had ever seen before.” And Perry ruled the jury can hear about searches for chloroform on the Anthony family computer because “Casey had access to the computer and it may be inferred she was the one who conducted the searches,” Pipitone said.

Pipitone listed recent setbacks for the defense in Perry’s rulings. The judge will allow the state to present evidence about a stain in the trunk, a hair in the trunk and the outline of heart-shaped sticker on duct tape found with the toddler’s remains.

Judge O.H. Eaton, the new legal analyst for WESH-Channel 2, said if Perry hadn’t allowed the evidence, the state’s case would have been hurt. “You need every piece of circumstantial evidence you can find in order to prove a case like this,” Eaton told Bob Kealing.

Attorney Jeff Dean, another WESH analyst, echoed Eaton. “If those issues of chloroform weren’t there, there would be real problems showing any kind of overact by her to kill that child,” Deen told Kealing.

WFTV-Channel 9’s Kathi Belich said a ruling on controversial air tests used on Anthony’s car trunk could come down any day.


http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2011/04/casey-anthony-chloroform-ruling-another-setback-for-defense.html