Casey Anthony Murder Trial Date Set

http://www.wesh.com/news/23488034/detail.html
Casey Anthony Murder Trial Date Set
Prosecution Outlines Reasons For Death Penalty
POSTED: 2:42 pm EDT May 7, 2010
UPDATED: 5:23 pm EDT May 7, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orange County Chief Judge Belvin Perry set the date for Casey Anthony's murder trial on Friday.

Perry issued an order that set May 9, 2011, as the date for the trial to begin.

The order stated the location of the trial was yet to be determined.


Prosecutors Discuss Reasons For Death Penalty
In responses filed with the Orange County clerk of courts on Thursday, prosecutors in the Casey Anthony case said the aggravating circumstances it will prove to obtain the death penalty for Anthony are obvious.

The filing came in response to a motion by Anthony's defense team requesting the state be compelled to outline which circumstances it's going to argue.

Under state law, there are 15 so-called aggravating circumstances. At least one of them must be proven for a defendant to receive the death penalty.

In his response, state prosecutor Jeff Ashton said nine of the 15 circumstances clearly do not apply to Casey. He then went on to point out four that he said clearly apply to the case.

They are, as written in state law:

The capital felony involved aggravated child abuse
It was premeditated
The victim was under the age of 12
The defendant was the victim's parent

There are two other aggravating circumstances the state may or may not try to prove. One of them is that the defendant benefited financially from the victim's death. The other is that the alleged slaying was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel.

Defense attorney Richard Hornsby said he believes the state has already tipped its hand in regard to claiming Caylee's murder was especially cruel.

"It's my belief that Jeff Ashton has already put the defense and entire public on notice that he's going to try to prove that by that presentation in court about how the duct tape may have been placed over Caylee's mouth and how she might have seen the eyes of her killer as she took her last breath," Hornsby said.

In a second filing, the state requested what Hornsby called a "tit for tat." Prosecutor Jeff Ashton asked that the court compel the defense to reveal the mitigating circumstances it will try to prove to argue against the death penalty.

In other filings on Thursday, Anthony's attorneys asked Judge Belvin Perry to reconsider previous rulings made by Judge Stan Strickland, who stepped down from the case in April.

The defense specifically wants Perry to provide it access to George Anthony's grand jury testimony, as well as records from the volunteer search group Texas EquuSearch.

http://www.wesh.com/news/23488034/detail.html
Casey Anthony Murder Trial Date Set
Prosecution Outlines Reasons For Death Penalty
POSTED: 2:42 pm EDT May 7, 2010
UPDATED: 5:23 pm EDT May 7, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orange County Chief Judge Belvin Perry set the date for Casey Anthony's murder trial on Friday.

Perry issued an order that set May 9, 2011, as the date for the trial to begin.

The order stated the location of the trial was yet to be determined.


Prosecutors Discuss Reasons For Death Penalty
In responses filed with the Orange County clerk of courts on Thursday, prosecutors in the Casey Anthony case said the aggravating circumstances it will prove to obtain the death penalty for Anthony are obvious.

The filing came in response to a motion by Anthony's defense team requesting the state be compelled to outline which circumstances it's going to argue.

Under state law, there are 15 so-called aggravating circumstances. At least one of them must be proven for a defendant to receive the death penalty.

In his response, state prosecutor Jeff Ashton said nine of the 15 circumstances clearly do not apply to Casey. He then went on to point out four that he said clearly apply to the case.

They are, as written in state law:

The capital felony involved aggravated child abuse
It was premeditated
The victim was under the age of 12
The defendant was the victim's parent

There are two other aggravating circumstances the state may or may not try to prove. One of them is that the defendant benefited financially from the victim's death. The other is that the alleged slaying was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel.

Defense attorney Richard Hornsby said he believes the state has already tipped its hand in regard to claiming Caylee's murder was especially cruel.

"It's my belief that Jeff Ashton has already put the defense and entire public on notice that he's going to try to prove that by that presentation in court about how the duct tape may have been placed over Caylee's mouth and how she might have seen the eyes of her killer as she took her last breath," Hornsby said.

In a second filing, the state requested what Hornsby called a "tit for tat." Prosecutor Jeff Ashton asked that the court compel the defense to reveal the mitigating circumstances it will try to prove to argue against the death penalty.

In other filings on Thursday, Anthony's attorneys asked Judge Belvin Perry to reconsider previous rulings made by Judge Stan Strickland, who stepped down from the case in April.

The defense specifically wants Perry to provide it access to George Anthony's grand jury testimony, as well as records from the volunteer search group Texas EquuSearch.

Read the Motion:

http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedFiles/Stories/Local/050710%20Amended%20Order%20Setting%20Discovery,%20Motions%20&%20Hearing%20Deadlines%20&%20Trial%20Date.pdf