Casey Anthony: Emotional Cindy, stone-faced Casey, defense blunder? - Hal

Casey Anthony: Emotional Cindy, stone-faced Casey, defense blunder?
posted by halboedeker on May, 31 2011 6:27 PM

Cindy Anthony’s agonized testimony in her daughter’s murder trial was the big story on evening newscasts.

Cindy’s time on the stand included the playing of her frantic 911 tapes about missing granddaughter Caylee — and Casey’s comments at that time. Casey is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Caylee.

“The jury heard at length for the first time from Casey Anthony, arguably Casey at her worst, spitting venom and mocking her family’s concern about Caylee,” Bob Kealing of WESH-Channel 2 said of the 911 tapes.

WKMG-Channel 6 legal analyst Mark NeJame said that Cindy Anthony’s testimony was “bone-crushing” for the defense. “She has come across as incredibly credible to this jury and it’s going to be a hard task for the defense in any manner to overcome,” NeJame said.

The jurors’ reaction? “Each juror stared laser beams into the monitor that showed the transcripts of the call,” Kealing said. “The jurors were very intently watching the monitors,” WOFL-Channel 35’s Holly Bristow said.

Bristow said that Casey Anthony sat “stone-faced” through the first two 911 calls and “started losing it” during the third 911 call. WFTV-Channel 9’s Kathi Belich said, “As emotional as Cindy was, Casey was just as unemotional. Her expression was stone cold and once the jury left, she was angry.”

Kealing described the playing of the 911 tapes as “heart-in-your-throat moments in court.” When Jose Baez cross examined Cindy Anthony, Kealing noted that the defense attorney did get the mother “to admit that she had been duped by Casey for years by a string of people that Casey had talked who were nothing more than imaginary friends.”

What was the biggest surprise today? WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer picked “the blunder where the defense opened the door,” possibly allowing Casey Anthony’s six prior felonies to come in.

WFTV’s Belich explained that the state said the defense opened the door to Casey’s criminal record when Baez asked Cindy Anthony about Casey’s lies about the toddler’s father and relatives of Zanny the nanny. ”Prosecutors argued the defense made Casey’s credibility an issue without even calling her to the witness stand, which means prosecutors can tell the jury she’s a convicted felon,” Belich said.

Chief Judge Belvin Perry will let the convictions go into evidence unless Baez persuades him otherwise Wednesday morning. The defense and the prosecution will have 10 minutes each to argue the issue before Perry decides, Belich noted. But Belich added that Perry had let such information come in in another death-penalty case.

What if the convictions come into the trial? “The jury, when they hear this, will never look at her the same through the rest of the trial,” Sheaffer said.

WKMG anchor Lauren Rowe wondered why Baez had brought up Caylee’s father. “Did Jose Baez not realize that would open the door for the prosecution to bring in those prior convictions?” she asked.

“He obviously didn’t realize it,” NeJame replied. But NeJame added it was a dangerous area for the prosecution to get into, because the issue could be appealed if there’s a conviction.

WKMG’s Tony Pipitone highlighted the gravity of Perry’s ruling on the prior convictions. “He could render an opinion, that if he’s wrong, could bring us all back here another time if she’s convicted,” Pipitone said.

Another issue for analysis: Baez’s lack of preparation for Amy Huizenga, Casey’s former friend, to testify later in the day. Judge Perry seemed incredulous about that point.

Judge O.H. Eaton Jr., WESH’s legal analyst, said it was clear that the defense and prosecution were not communicating and that’s a problem in a case with 300 witnesses. “The defense is only asking the state attorney to provide them with the names of the witnesses they’re going to call in a particular day so they can make sure they have their files there,” Eaton said. ”It just seems to me like these lawyers ought to be able to get along better.”

Eaton added, “Judge Perry has the authority to order it, and I wish he would.”

The testimony today gave a picture of a dysfunctional family, especially when the Anthonys didn’t realize Casey was seven months, pregnant, “Judge Alex” host Alex Ferrer told WOFL. “The reality is that dysfunctional families can become victims of horrible crimes, too,” Ferrer said.

Judge Perry gave Lee Anthony, Casey’s brother, permission to sit in court because he was the victim’s uncle. WFTV’s Sheaffer highlighted that Lee Anthony’s testimony is “locked in” because of depositions and “if, in fact, he changes it, you can impeach him with his prior statement.”

WOFL legal analyst Hal Uhrig said today “was the emotional high drama that a lot of folks had been waiting for and it may be one of the highest days of drama until you get to the defense case.”

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2011/05/casey-anthony-emotional-cindy-stone-faced-casey-defense-blunder.html