Casey Anthony Trial: Her Lawyers Try to Halt Trial Over her Competence - ABC News

by mom_in_il Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:20 pm

Casey Anthony Trial: Her Lawyers Try to Halt Trial Over her Competence

By JESSICA HOPPER
June 27, 2011

Casey Anthony's defense team tried to halt her murder trial by claiming in court documents released today that she is not competent to aid her own defense, but the judge ordered the trial to resume.

Judge Belvin Perry said that over the weekend three court appointed psychologists evaluated the Florida mom who is accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee in the summer of 2008. The reports concluded she was competent to continue.

The mystery behind an abrupt recess in the trial over the weekend was revealed this morning when court documents were released showing that defense attorney Cheney Mason filed for a motion Saturday to determine Anthony's competency.

Mason claims that, "based on privileged communications between Casey Marie Anthony and her Counsel, Counsel reasonably believes that Ms. Anthony is not competent to aid and assist in her own defense and is incompetent to proceed," according to court documents.

More: http://abcnews.go.com/US/casey-anthonys-lawyers-halt-trial-incompetent/story?id=13938488#.Tgi7hkfAydA