Casey Anthony: Could prosecution wrap up tomorrow? - Hal

Casey Anthony: Could prosecution wrap up tomorrow?
posted by halboedeker on June, 13 2011 2:05 PM

The Casey Anthony trial’s big headline today? A new timetable for the trial that had been estimated to last six to eight weeks. People were hearing that new timetable a little differently.

“It looks like the defense will start on Thursday, and as the judge said, it’s his hope that he has the jury deliberating by the 26th or 27th of this month,” WFTV-Channel 9 legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said.

“The judge said the state will wrap up its case possibly tomorrow afternoon, the defense may start on Wednesday, and this case may, and I stress may, because it’s subject to change, may go to the jury for deliberations by the 25th,” WESH-Channel 2’s Amanda Ober said. She called that somewhat surprising news.

The case started its fourth week in Orlando today. Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

“The defense could wrap up its case by the end of next week,” said Adam Longo of Central Florida News 13.

“The real shocker came at the end of the day when the state stood up and said our other witnesses aren’t here,” Longo said. ”They’re not going to be in until late morning tomorrow, so we’re actually in recess.” Court will resume at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

WOFL-Channel 35’s Shannon Butler was surprised that Jose Baez might take just a week and a half after such a dramatic opening statement. “We know he has to call George Anthony on the stand. I think that’s going to be quite a bit of testimony,” Butler said.

Butler said it didn’t seem that the prosecution will call Roy Kronk, the meter reader who found Caylee’s remains. “We know that Jose Baez is going to call him up,” Butler said. ”He called him morally bankrupt and that he’s the one that moved this body.”

Butler speculated that the prosecution then will “stand up and poke holes in Jose Baez’s theory.”

WOFL legal analyst Diana Tennis predicted the defense will have to deal with Kronk, and it would have been easier if the state had called Kronk. “The defense could cross examine him, ask him leading questions, it’s a lot easier,” Tennis said. Instead, Tennis theorized that the defense might not call Kronk and focus on the people around him for a “smear campaign” of Kronk.

“I still think they’ve got to call their client,” Tennis said. ”I think Casey is it. I think they’ve got to call her and let the chips fall where they may.”

As a defense attorney, Tennis said she would call Cindy and Lee Anthony only if she knew what their answers were going to be. “The rift in that family does appear to be pretty huge and genuine,” Tennis said.

With trial in recess this afternoon, WFTV, WESH and WOFL returned to regular programming. But WKMG-Channel 6 stuck with Anthony coverage to reach viewers who are looking for that information, General Manager Skip Valet said. WKMG will replay the opening statements at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2011/06/casey-anthony-could-prosecution-wrap-up-tomorrow.html