Casey Anthony: Geraldo Rivera shows Caylee’s skull photo - Hal

Casey Anthony: Geraldo Rivera shows Caylee’s skull photo
posted by halboedeker on June, 12 2011 11:46 AM

Nobody does it like Geraldo Rivera, and we can be grateful there is only one of him.

Consider that graphic animation of Caylee Anthony’s face turning into a skull. Before the state showed the animation Friday, Chief Judge Belvin Perry reminded everyone that the media were aware of restrictions on showing the images by Dr. Michael Warren, a prosecution witness.

The two media pools — the Orlando Sentinel and “In Session” — understood they were to pixelate and blur the images, Perry said. And the judge noted there was ”an absolute prohibition” on the public as well.

But Rivera showed the Caylee skull image on his Fox News Channel show, “Geraldo at Large,” last night. And the animation didn’t look pixelated or blurred.

“Nothing matches the following animation created by a prosecution witness to show jurors one possible way that duct tape may have been used to kill Caylee Marie,” Rivera said. Rivera warned, “It is ugly to watch.”

It sure was. Rivera asked viewers to note that Casey Anthony was in the same photo, smiling, while her daughter’s face deteriorated. Casey Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Caylee.

WKMG-Channel 6 took a different route Friday to explaining what had happened in court. The Orlando station re-created the animation by Warren. And WKMG did its re-creation on two photos, including one used in court.

I found those efforts tasteless and unnecessary, but WKMG stressed its work was re-creations. The station wasn’t going to go against Perry’s restrictions. Rivera apparently did, and he shouldn’t have. Rivera had an important point to make, but his methods undermined him.

Rivera argued that the prosecution “had overplayed its hand” by using the photo of Casey smiling while Caylee’s face turned into a skull. “This case will definitely be overturned,” Rivera said.

Orlando attorney Mark NeJame, a Rivera guest, disagreed and noted that the defense failed to object that Casey was in the photo. NeJame compared the animation to that used in accident-reconstruction cases.

Rivera continued to blast the use of a photo with Casey in it: ”Why don’t you just say murderer in neon lights pointing at the mother?”

Rivera also mispronounced the names of NeJame and Dr. Jan Garavaglia. NeJame was there and could correct Rivera; Garavaglia couldn’t.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2011/06/casey-anthony-geraldo-rivera-shows-caylees-skull-photo.html