Since I have such a problem and have so much to say about what goes on each day in the courtroom I have decided to post my daily summary and thoughts on my blog. (Rah probably hopes this gets him out of the at least hour summary he is forced to listen to daily). Yes I know it is a scrappy blog, hey I might do a scrapbook page about this. (I have scrapped stranger things, don’t judge me!)
The feed that I tune into can be found at www.wesh.com, just click on live blog. I like this feed because you have the camera view of the witness and in the corner is a camera constantly on Casey. Also, along the right side is a real time run of all the reporter tweets about what is happening. This is helpful because they are actually sitting in the courtroom and can help give a feel for what it is like in there. Wesh.com also has a timeline that is helpful; it lists things that national media didn’t pick up.
This trial has played out like a scripted tv show, actually I don’t think anyone could write something as good as this stuff!! First lets talk about the key players here, for the prosecution you have Jeff Ashton (Ashton) and Linda Drane Burdick (LDB). For the defense, is Jose Baez (Baez) who is acting as lead, and Cheney Mason (Mason). Judge Perry (JP) is presiding and he rocks. Wesh.com also has a who’s who that you can look at.
I am going to start with a summation of today, but let me say that things haven’t been going well for the defense since they began presentation of their case. If I were Baez I would be real concerned with what could be happening to me when this trial is over. He for sure will not be counting JP as a friend.
I had been hearing that the FL bar association had received several complaints on Baez, but had yet to see anything concrete, here is a link to that info. FL Bar Investigates
Please note what Dominic Casey, tells the bar.... and then the previous Judge even writes a letter about it. I can totally see Baez doing that.
I honestly think that I could do a better job of defending this case than Baez can. He is so ridiculous. The mistakes he is making are things that you learn NOT TO DO from Law & Order!!
Today, before the jury can even come in there was an evidentiary issue that Ashton argued against- allowing testimony by defense DNA expert Dr. Richard Eikelenboom (RE) about recovering DNA from decomposition fluid. Baez said he primarily wanted RE to testify about the degradation of DNA, which Ashton had no problem with after taking the expert’s deposition on Monday. Perry said he could hold a Frye hearing next week on the admissibility of testimony on DNA analysis of decomposition fluid if the defense requests it. This evidentiary issue is not Baez first, the unbelievable part was when he tried to blame the witnesses’ wife for RE not doing the proper report. In the above link it says that JP fined Baez back in Jan. for a "willful" violation. I think today's willful violation puts him at a total of 3, plus possible contempt charges when the trial is over.
The first witness for the defense today was Jane Bock, a forensic botanist, who testified Caylee's remains could have been at the site where they were found -- less than a mile from her grandparents' home -- for as little as two weeks, based on plant evidence found there. Now when she said this, I said“What is this crazy lady taking?” I can’t see plants growing up through a canvas bag, two garbage bags and then a skeleton in two weeks… Never fear Ashton took care of her on cross. On cross-examination, she seemed less sure about the skeleton, saying she had only studied root growth on skeletons that had been in place for years. Here comes my favorite highlight from her testimony, Ashton asked Bock if she was aware that one of Caylee’s bones was found buried in four inches of “muck.” She said she did not know that. Rather than changing her two-week estimate, though, she suggested a dog or coyote might have buried it. Ashton’s face was priceless when she said this!!
The jury leaves for lunch. Everyone else gets to wait because Baez has some issues, little did Baez know a bomb was about to be dropped. Baez had issue with two pieces of discovery he had received from the prosecution. The first regarding the possibility of a new witness and new information about April Whalen, LDB got up and explained that this was new information they had just received. JP, of course, wanted to know what this April Whalen had to offer… WELL, turns out she was in jail for 5 days in June 2009, in the same dorm as Casey Anthony. LDB says they are still investigating if Casey & April had any direct contact, but this is important because it would go directly to discredit the defenses opening statement. Why is that you ask? Sadly on Christmas Day 2007 April Whalen’s 15 month old son, Isaiah, drown in the family pool and was found by his grandfather. Sure sounds just like the story that Baez gave in his opening statement as to what happened to Caylee. LDB said they were unsure at this point if this information would be used, but they wanted to make the defense aware of it.
Baez second issue was with a CD containing information about the Anthony family’s computer records from June 16, 2008. He argued it was unfair that the state was providing this evidence now when they have had the computer data for nearly three years. He also noted that the prosecution’s computer expert has already testified. Guess what Baez, you have had a copy of the Anthony family’s hard drive for the same three years!!! It seems that Baez felt that the prosecution should tell them exactly where to look and what to look for on that hard drive. Well I think common sense would tell you to look all around the days that Caylee was last seen!!! My favorite part here is when JP tells Baez, “Once you receive the information it is your ‘bidness’ what you do with it.”HAHAHAHAHA I love it!! So Baez got totally shot down and now they have to find a computer expert…
Dutch forensic scientist Richard Eikelenboom (RE) testified after lunch. He testified that it would be possible to extract a DNA profile from the duct tape covering the mouth portion of 2-year-old Caylee Anthony's skeletal remains, even with a small DNA sample. He also stated he did not ask to test the duct tape, although he said he offered to investigate. And, he said, he does not know whether Anthony's defense submitted any items to retest.
Baez asked him if it was true that he did not retest the tape because prosecutors did not want him to take possession of it, prompting an angry objection from Ashton and a sidebar conference was held. JP sustained Ashton's objection, saying Baez could not ask that question. RE went on to testify that when tape is used to cover a person's mouth, it's possible the sticky side of the tape could contain skin cells from the face as well as DNA from the mouth. However, he told Ashton, factors such as heat and water have "a very detrimental effect" on DNA and it would be difficult to determine a profile from tape that, in this case, had been exposed to the elements for as long as six months. We could see RE back again pending the decision at the Frye hearing. I am not sure if that hearing will be televised.
So far of the witnesses that the defense has called the only two that have seemed to know they were on the defense side was Dr. Spitz and Jane Bock. Yet both of those testimonies did not help the defense in the least. Dr. S probably could not have hurt them more. To see Dr. S, get cranky go here.
I will save my opinions of Dr. S and his testimony for tomorrow, since it is going to be a short day in court. JP has something to do.
ADMONITIONS:
Please remember all of my previous admonitions regarding this blog and what I post here. This is a personal blog, I am expressing my personal opinion. I have no intent of misrepresenting the facts of the case. What is contained here are not meant, nor intended to be slanderous. Please remember these admonitions regarding the content you find on my blog.
PS I have no idea why the font and spacing change all through this post. I spent 20 mins trying to fix it...
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