Casey Anthony: How did Lee react to sister? - Hal

Casey Anthony: How did Lee react to sister?
posted by halboedeker on June, 1 2011 12:56 PM

After a dramatic Tuesday in the Casey Anthony case — and Cindy Anthony’s tearful testimony — there were few fireworks today.

Lee Anthony testified about his sister, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee. “Not a lot of new information from him,” WFTV-Channel 9’s Steve Barrett said at noon today. “Much of what he testified to was already known.”

There was a lot of analysis of how the lawyers conducted themselves. How did prosecutor Frank George do in questioning Lee?

WOFL-Channel 35 legal analyst Diana Tennis said “it took a really long time” to get out “a few nuggets of information.” And she added that the state was “a little clumsy’ in the questioning and that it wasn’t indicative of Orlando attorneys across the board.

“Judge Alex” host Alex Ferrer, appearing on WOFL, agreed the questioning was clumsy and the pace was slower than needed. The trial could be “eight, nine, 10 weeks if it continues as this pace,” Ferrer added.

WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said that prosecutor George was tentative in the questioning. “It just appears they’re off balance today with this witness,” Sheaffer said.

WKMG-Channel 6’s Mike DeForest highlighted that the prosecution didn’t get into accusations that Lee Anthony “ever tried to sexually molest his sister as the defense claimed during their opening statement.”

WFTV’s Barrett explained that the abuse allegations were not brought up by prosecutors and “it’s not the proper time to do it.”

WFTV anchor Vanessa Echols said that “Casey Anthony got a little emotional when her brother first took the stand right after they made eye contact.”

Jacqueline Fell of Central Florida News 13 said that Casey tried to get her brother’s attention by smiling him. “We’re seeing nothing coming from Lee,” Fell said, and that Lee simply walked out without acknowledging his sister.

How was Jose Baez’s questioning of Amy Huizenga, Casey’s former friend?

WFTV’s Sheaffer said Huizenga was “being painted as a … drunk with a bad memory.” Sheaffer said that the cross examination “fell rather flat” and Baez “didn’t lay a glove on her.” WFTV’s Barrett said Baez had to do his job “and throw everything at her.”

WESH-Channel 2’s Amanda Ober said that Baez was trying to suggest that Huizenga’s memory of the events from 2008 “may have been compromised because she was out partying too much.” But Ober added that Huizenga “denied that, saying she didn’t go any more than anyone her age.”

WFTV’s Barrett said that Huizenga ”painted Casey as a troubled girl at odds with her mother and wanting to free herself from her parents.”

Huizenga had wanted to make a statement after her testimony, but that didn’t happen.

“There will be no speech by Amy,” WOFL’s Tennis predicted accurately. Smiling broadly, Tennis said, “I’m betting those lawyers’ butts were out of the chairs immediately. You don’t know what’s going to come out of a witness’ mouth. You don’t want that to happen.”

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2011/06/casey-anthony-how-did-lee-react-to-sister.html
Even so, Barrett noted that Huizenga was called into sidebar, an unusual event, and seemed “to get excited before she left the courtroom.”

On Central Florida News 13, Fell said the questioning today and a dozen sidebars seemed to be wearing on the jury. “We’ve seen them sort of hunched over, leaning forward … or hanging their heads,” Fell said.

Yes, today was far different from Tuesday.