To most people, this is the face of a cold-blooded killer. When you ask people what they thought prior to the verdict, most people would tell you she was guilty, definitely guilty. When you asked how they know she is guilty, they would respond with things they heard on TV or very minimal facts remembered off the top of their heads. Basically, they just "knew."
Well today, the criminal justice system got it right. The jury came back with a not guilty verdict on 1st and 2nd degree murder, and only charged her with lying to police officers. She could face up to four years for those convictions, but she has already been in prison for three years. We'll know July 7th whether or not she will get "time served" or will be forced to serve another 3-4 years.
When I say the criminal justice system worked, I know it is not a popular statement. However, they got it right. This is an ongoing murder investigation. This was just one part of the dispute in the case. Disputes in a case are generally brought before a trial and that's what happened here. The prosecution in this case never presented a very good case. The prosecutors stumbled over themselves like Barney Fife trying to load his one bullet into his gun. They never proved a case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The facts in this case were flimsy. There was no true motive presented. There was no cause of death ever presented. There was not even a time of death presented. The evidence was weak at best. In a case this poorly handled, the verdict of not guilty should be the one given. It was.
However unpopular this verdict may be, it shows us that the criminal justice system works. Media covered this story so much that everyone suddenly felt they were an expert on the case. Most Americans had her guilty. I am glad to know that the jury of her peers took into account all of the facts of the case and deliberated them fully.
The media did as poor a job with this case as the prosecution. The media blared from the rooftops "Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!" One of the worst provocateurs of this was Nancy Grace, who has basically devoted her show for the last year to just this case every single night. I believe she staked her reputation and entire career on this case and it did not turn out that she was right. This could damage her already falling credibility over the years to the point that she may be done.
Last night on Headline News, I saw a show where the three people speaking basically said she's guilty. Their only debate was whether or not she would be guilty of murder-one or murder-two. They discussed the prosecution's closing arguments almost exclusively, reiterating over and over the details that were necessary to get a murder-one conviction. This is how the media can take a story, twist it, turn it, spin it, and create an overall idea in a majority of people's minds that becomes equal with the truth, even if it is not true.
Now by saying the criminal justice system worked, I am not saying that Casey is innocent. I am coming at this strictly from a court-case situation. I didn't watch the media hysteria over the last few years. I didn't come into this with any pre-conceived notions of guilt or innocence until I read the facts of the case for myself. After seeing the inconsistencies in the evidence, cause of death, and time of death, I realized really quickly that the prosecution wasn't in an ideal position.
Not only were they not handed a fairly straightforward case to present, but they did about the worst job possible of presenting what they had. The defense lawyer, Mr Baez, did an excellent job in pointing out all of the inconsistencies of the evidence.
This jury will surely face scrutiny in the coming days and weeks. I have already noticed many mediaites changing their thoughts and ideas about the case now that this verdict was handed down. I don't see very many every day citizens doing that though.
The US Constitution includes Article III, which tells us that we are to have a trial by jury made up of our peers. The IV Amendment protects us from unreasonable search and seizure. The V Amendment protects us from self-incrimination, gives us habeas corpas, and protects us from double jeopardy. The VI Amendment gives us the right to a speedy and public trial, to have counsel for our defense, and to use witnesses in your case.
The VII Amendment gives us the right to a jury in certain civil matters. The VIII Amendment protects us from excessive bail, excessive fines and from cruel and unusual punishments. The XIV Amendment solidifies due process for all citizens of the United States. I feel that if the people framing the Constitution felt the need to make trials fair, just and unbiased, with this many protections for the accused, then we should also be fair to the accused as citizens.
It makes me sick to see all these comments on Facebook, Yahoo and other places stating their hatred of Casey Anthony and wishing harm on her in the future. In a case with NO direct evidence proving that she murdered her daughter, whether right or wrong, the verdict of not guilty is the correct one as far as trials and court cases should go.
We live in a society where people can instantly get updates on anything. I feel like the media covered this story so much that virtually anyone who had seen even 20 minutes of coverage felt themselves an expert on criminal law and this case itself. What people are wanting out of this case was a guilty verdict based not on fact but on preconceived notion. We should all be better than that.
In this country you are supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, it has become "guilty until proven innocent" over the years. Furthermore, in the last several years it has become "guilty until proven innocent, and even if you are proven innocent you're still guilty in most people's eyes and they wish you would get run over by a Mack truck." It is sad that we're actually not better than that and that people are saying the criminal justice system failed, when it did not.
Casey Anthony is a really bad parent, and she's definitely a liar. She lied many times during this case. Being a poor parent and a liar does not mean that she murdered her child. I myself do not know with a reasonable doubt whether she did, or did not murder Caylee. The evidence was simply not there in my mind to have convicted of first degree murder or even second degree murder.
If I am ever accused of a crime I did not commit (and I am not saying Casey Anthony did not murder her child), I hope I get an impartial jury. I am supposed to be granted an impartial jury by a group of my peers by the Constitution. However, it feels like that will be increasingly harder to find with so many so-called "experts" out there who make up their minds on a case in less than 20 minutes without hearing all of the facts.
It's understandable that people want justice for a child who was murdered at such a young age. It's understandable that people want closure. I know this case brought out a lot of emotions in people. It was a high profile case that you couldn't get away from, that was put out there every day. It was hammered into our psyche. I know this leaves the case open and people wanted it to be over. We just can't convict based on prejudice or malice. Again, we should be better than that.
From a Christian standpoint, the bible tells us many times over not to judge a person. 1 Corinthians 4:5 says "So don't make judgments about anyone ahead of time--before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due." Here, Paul was restating the passage of Ecclesiastes 12:14.
Romans 2:1 tells us "You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things." Matthew 7:1 puts it simply "Do not judge, or you too will be judged!" I think that these passages are especially important for Christians to remember. I have read some disparaging statements from people I have seen call themselves "Christian" about this verdict.
There may be another trial, in which the grandfather is tried for the murder. Maybe or maybe not. However, in this case, based on all of the facts and evidence, there was simply not enough to piece together a plausable murder scenerio with a smoking gun and red hands. Whether you like it or not, the criminal justice system worked, and we should all move on.
