Casey Anthony: Jury foreman a decent guy who said Anthony was disgusting, Greta Van Susteren says - Hal

Casey Anthony: Jury foreman a decent guy who said Anthony was disgusting, Greta Van Susteren says
posted by halboedeker on July, 11 2011 3:48 PM

When Greta Van Susteren interviews Juror No. 11, the foreman in the Casey Anthony trial, you won’t see his face or learn his name tonight.

But she was impressed by the physical education teacher when she interviewed him Saturday in Pinellas County.

“He’s a nice, decent guy who took his job very seriously and it’s on the tape that he thought she was disgusting,” Van Susteren said this afternoon. “Looking at the remains will stay with him the rest of his life. Whether you agree with the verdict or not, the jury did their best with what they were provided by the prosecution and the judge’s orders.”

The interview airs at 10 tonight on “On the Record” on Fox News Channel. Defense attorney Cheney Mason is another guest; Van Susteren hadn’t interviewed him yet.

“It really is imperative of us in TV to remind viewers that we see a lot of the trial,” Van Susteren said. “We don’t see the trial as the jurors do. Being in person in the courtroom is different from watching on TV. The jury is never asked if a person is innocent. As a juror, you could walk out of a courtroom thinking, ‘I’m 95 percent certain the person committed the crime.’ They’re told not to be guided by emotion.”

Van Susteren said the foreman was worried about his two dogs. “It’s a hardship to serve on a jury,” she said. “They had no clue that the guy flipped the bird. They never heard a lick of that. All those sidebars, no idea. They’d be marched out of room and they didn’t hear what we heard.”

The jurors had a strong reaction to George Anthony, Casey’s father. “They were all suspicious of George,” Van Susteren said.

Van Susteren said people have always been unhappy with the verdicts in high-profile cases. Anthony was acquitted of first-degree murder last week in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

“This wasn’t one person — 12 people were not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt,” Van Susteren said.

The strong reaction to the verdict has sent one juror into hiding. The foreman didn’t want Van Susteren to show his face or share his name.

“These people are paying a price for service on the jury,” Van Susteren said. “It’s possible it’s going to make some people not want to serve.”

She added: “These trials are so serious. I don’t want to discourage people from serving as jurors. When I tried cases, we needed jurors.”

Van Susteren said it’s the responsibility of the media to help people understand the process and not inflame it. And she rejects any complaints that she has inflamed the process.

“Look at all our shows. I’ve shown nothing but respect for all the parties,” she said. “I’ve kept the lid on this. There’s been no hysteria on my show.”

Some people have complained that the jury didn’t deliberate long enough. “If you go in and 12 people say it wasn’t there, what are they supposed to do?” Van Susteren asks. “The shorter verdict showed great certainty.”

Her take on the prosecution? “I thought the prosecution overtried the case. I never would have put in the sniff machine. It had not been tried in another court and it would have handed the defense an appeal.”

Her take on the defense? “I can’t quibble with the verdict. It’s like criticizing someone who wins a race. What can I say?”

Her take on Chief Judge Belvin Perry? “I thought he did a good job. He was low key and moved the trial [along].”

And she adds: “Being on TV is a lot easier than trying cases. It is not easy trying a case. You don’t sleep at night.”

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2011/07/casey-anthony-jury-foreman-a-decent-guy-who-said-anthony-was-disgusting-greta-van-susteren-says.html