Advice for Casey Anthony attorneys: Be prepared for new judge Belvin Perry

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/caylee-anthony/os-casey-anthony-belvin-perry-20100420,0,6894946,full.story
Advice for Casey Anthony attorneys: Be prepared for new judge Belvin Perry
The new Casey Anthony judge, Belvin Perry, is known for keeping cases on track.
By Sarah Lundy, Orlando Sentinel

7:13 a.m. EDT, April 21, 2010
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In more than decade as a chief judge, Belvin Perry developed a reputation well-suited for the drama that is the Casey Anthony case — efficient and no-nonsense.

In style and practice, his court rooms are dramatically different than those of Stan Strickland, a laid-back jurist who prefers friendly informality.

It's possible the tenor of Orlando's high-profile murder case changed dramatically on Monday when Stickland disqualified himself after nearly two years of minding its docket and Perry assumed control.

The transition from Strickland to Perry represents an on-the-ground adjustment that attorneys in the Casey Anthony case must make.

"It's going to be a different working environment for the attorneys," Orlando defense attorney Diana Tennis said. "The quality of justice won't change . . . [but] the stress on the attorneys may be ratcheted up."

The public and the media have yet to see prosecutors and Anthony's defense team together before Perry, a 60-year-old veteran of high-profile cases and the cameras that come with them.

The next status hearing — a date is not yet set — will be Perry's introduction overseeing a case that has drawn international attention since it began two years ago.