Casey Anthony trial starts today...*Found not guilty*

[Doomsday101]

Most people believe she's guilty, regardless of whether or not she actually is. What do you think her life is going to be like from here on out?

Not much different, she did not care one bit about her own child she went out and partied and I think she will continue to live a selfish life chances are get some stupid guy to support her the rest of her days. Not to mention the media who someone will pay her to tell her story.

 

[CowboyDan]

I agree but still think in rare cases capital punishment should be used.

I cool with it if the person being accused says, "yep, I did it, here's how, please kill me."

 

[The30YardSlant]

I cool with it if the person being accused says, "yep, I did it, here's how, please kill me."

I've always been of the opinion that some crimes are simply too heinous to be dealt with any other way. Have innocent people been put on death row? Yes, but the fact is that if you are put on trial for an offense that brings with it the possibility of the death penalty in 2011, statistically you are more likely to be struck by lighting in the same spot three times in a month then you are to actually be put to death for a crime you didnt commit. We cannot frame our laws around such statistical outliers.

 

[CowboyDan]

I've always been of the opinion that some crimes are simply too heinous to be dealt with any other way. Have innocent people been put on death row? Yes, but the fact is that if you are put on trial for an offense that brings with it the possibility of the death penalty in 2011, statistically you are more likely to be struck by lighting in the same spot three times in a month then you are to actually be put to death for a crime you didnt commit. We cannot frame our laws around such statistical outliers.

I respectfully disagree.

 

[Stautner]

I agree but still think in rare cases capital punishment should be used.

To me capital punishment should only be applied under certain conditions. In a case such as this one based so predominantly on circumstantial evidence - no witnesses, no direct DNA evidence - I don't think the death penalty should apply. Give me some credible direct eyewitnesses and/or some solid DNA proof and I have no problem with the death penalty.

 

[Doomsday101]

I cool with it if the person being accused says, "yep, I did it, here's how, please kill me."

I don't expect the person to ask for it to qualify for it. I do think evidence should be rock solid and I think in too many cases it has not been. Guys like John Wayne Gacy or Ted Bundy sorry they deserved to die for their crimes.

 

[The30YardSlant]

I respectfully disagree.

I guess my only real issue with people who don't support the death penalty in any capacity is that it is one of the very, very few legal issues in which a large percentage of the population supports a position dictated by an exceedingly rare occurence. Most would not support abolishing speeding laws because a a few people were falsely accused of speeding and given a ticket.

 

[Stautner]

I guess my only real issue with people who don't support the death penalty in any capacity is that it is one of the very, very few legal issues in which a large percentage of the population supports a position dictated by an exceedingly rare occurence. Most would not support abolishing speeding laws because a a few people were falsely accused of speeding and given a ticket.

I'm with you on the death penalty, but to be fair, enforcing a speeding fine and enforcing the death penalty aren't exactly on the same plane.

 

[MonsterD]

She will have another kid too, I just hope she gets in a relationship with someone responsible that can counteract her selfishness.

 

[Doomsday101]

To me capital punishment should only be applied under certain conditions. In a case such as this one based so predomiantly on circumstantial evidence - no witnesses, no direct DNA evidence - I don't think the death penalty should apply. Give me some credible direct eyewitnesses and/or some solid DNA proof and I have no problem with the death penalty.

I agree and saw nothing that was concrete for a death penalty conviction but I do think a lesser conviction was warranted such as Accidental Homicide.

 

[CowboyDan]

I guess my only real issue with people who don't support the death penalty in any capacity is that it is one of the very, very few legal issues in which a large percentage of the population supports a position dictated by an exceedingly rare occurence. Most would not support abolishing speeding laws because a a few people were falsely accused of speeding and given a ticket.

I think it has to do with the severity of the punishment.
But for the record, I am for abolishing speed laws. See my thread in this section of the forum.

 

[peplaw06]

I paid next to zero attention to the trial. But the verdict and reaction has intrigued me to the point that I may make an attempt to read up on it. At this point, I really know nothing about the evidence presented other than it's "circumstantial". Most evidence is circumstantial.

I know about as much about this case and the evidence as you do, so take this for what it's worth.

But I've been hearing that the medical experts couldn't even pinpoint a cause of death... I don't see how you could convict anyone of wrongdoing when there's a dead child but no one knows how the child died. There are hundreds of ways a child could die. Was it strange that Casey was out partying for 30 days or whatever after Caylee went missing? Sure. But acting strangely doesn't mean she killed her.

Sad story though, for sure... all the way around.

 

[casmith07]

Do you believe the court system is infallible?

No, that's what appeals are for. Unfortunately there is no appeal from acquittal.

 

[casmith07]

The fallibility of the court system is why evidence needs to be sufficient in order to convict.

Stated better than I could have ever put it.

 

[Stautner]

I know about as much about this case and the evidence as you do, so take this for what it's worth.

But I've been hearing that the medical experts couldn't even pinpoint a cause of death... I don't see how you could convict anyone of wrongdoing when there's a dead child but no one knows how the child died. There are hundreds of ways a child could die. Was it strange that Casey was out partying for 30 days or whatever after Caylee went missing? Sure. But acting strangely doesn't mean she killed her.

Sad story though, for sure... all the way around.

You are right that cause of death wasn't proven conclusively, but given the mouth and nose were covered with duct tape and the body was dumped in the woods its not much of a leap to believe wrongdoing was involved. The problem was the absence of evidence that directly tied the mom to the death.

My guess is that many of the jurors may have felt the mom was guilty but that the state fell short of meeting its burdon of proof.

 

[Stautner]

Stated better than I could have ever put it.

Yes, that was stated well. I just don't know what it has to do with what has been said in this thread. Nobody said there doesn't need to be sufficient evidence in order to convict, they only said that the lack of sufficient evidence to convict doesn't necessarily mean a person is innocent.

 

[casmith07]

Yes, that was stated well. I just don't know what it has to do with what has been said in this thread. Nobody said there doesn't need to be sufficient evidence in order to convict, they only said that the lack of sufficient evidence to convict doesn't necessarily mean a person is innocent.

I think there are multiple things being said here and multiple conversations. Theo and I were talking about Hoofbite's concerns about infallibility of the judiciary.

 

[Muhast]

I know about as much about this case and the evidence as you do, so take this for what it's worth.

But I've been hearing that the medical experts couldn't even pinpoint a cause of death... I don't see how you could convict anyone of wrongdoing when there's a dead child but no one knows how the child died. There are hundreds of ways a child could die. Was it strange that Casey was out partying for 30 days or whatever after Caylee went missing? Sure. But acting strangely doesn't mean she killed her.

Well I don't know of any parent in the world that would go 30 days without reporting the child missing unless they were involved. Not only was the child missing but she was out partying and participating in "hot body contests".

She did it, I'm sure she did. The behavior was far to erratic and nothing like what a loving parent would do in the situation.
Would you do that if your child was abducted/lost/missing? Highly doubtful. Then she lied about everything to cover it up.

She is definitely guilty of something. Whether she killed the child, or helped in covering up, I am not sure.

She benefitted from all of the circumstantial evidence, and the jury did the right thing. As bad as it is, they can't sentence someone based off of something that isn't concrete. It looks like a murder(duck tape) apparently smelled like a murder(decomposition reported by several cops) but was she murdered or was it an accident that was covered up to look like a murder?

We can't answer that last question definitively so she has to be acquitted. Just the way it goes.

I will say, if that happened to me I would force my Attorney to llet me speak, I'd tell them to do lie detector tests or anything they need to proclaim my innocence. If I was innocent and being accused of killing my own child, I'd leave no stone unturned. I'd speak to any media outlet willing to listen to hear my side. Thats just me though.

 

[joseephuss]

I am fine with the decision only because I don't want to be on the same side of the argument as Nancy Grace.

 

[theogt]

I know about as much about this case and the evidence as you do, so take this for what it's worth.

But I've been hearing that the medical experts couldn't even pinpoint a cause of death... I don't see how you could convict anyone of wrongdoing when there's a dead child but no one knows how the child died. There are hundreds of ways a child could die. Was it strange that Casey was out partying for 30 days or whatever after Caylee went missing? Sure. But acting strangely doesn't mean she killed her.

Sad story though, for sure... all the way around.

That seems a pretty important fact that I'd want to know before convicting someone.

I am fine with the decision only because I don't want to be on the same side of the argument as Nancy Grace.

This is as good a reason as any, I think.