No Justice for Caylee Anthony? Prosecutors Respond to Not Guilty Verdict
Prosecutors in the Caylee Anthony murder case gave a statement on Tuesday afternoon in regards to the verdict reached by the jury and their apparent defeat.
Casey Anthony was declared not guilty for first-degree murder of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of child.
State attorney Lawson Lamar spoke on behalf of the state, expressing his gratitude for all of the hard work his team had done, and also thanked the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, jurors, and whoever else was involved in helping their case.
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“About 34 months ago, October 2008 ... I promised we would do our talking in court. We did,” Lamar proudly said. “We have avoided making any public statements that would feed the publicity ...We think justice is best served when counsel does not render opinions on matters of legal litigation.”
Sharing that all relevant statements were made inside of the courtroom, Lamar recognized his attorneys Linda Drane Burdick, Jeff Ashton, and Frank George for their excellent work.
“All of you saw that Linda Drane Burdick brought together a precision case, Jeff Ashton presented wonderful scientific evidence and rebutted a lot of scientific evidence with extreme skills, Frank George presented a series of complex witnesses and we owe them a lot.”
“This case has never been about the defendant in particular but about seeking justice for Caylee and speaking on her behalf,” he added. “We’ve always been finding and providing the truth for homicide.”
“We do this business of seeking justice each and every day.”
We’re disappointed and surprised by the verdict today, because we know the facts and we put in absolutely every evidence that existed, Lamar expressed. He remarked that the delay in recovering Caylee’s remains worked to their considerable damage.
Though Casey was last seen on June 16, 2008, her remains were not found until December 2008, nearly six months after her disappearance. By that time, only dry bones were left, which made things all the more difficult for prosecutors.
“Our mountain of evidence did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt. We do not criticize the jury.”
“We did our job, the jury did their job, the court was well managed, [and] we go forward to fight again tomorrow.”
Additionally, like defense attorney Cheney Mason’s earlier statement to the media, Lamar also criticized some members of the public for exploiting the case for ad revenue and for seeking their own “15 minutes of fame.” He stated that much angst and taxpayer money could have been avoided if the media did not abuse the case.
Sheriff Jerry Demings of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office also spoke and thanked his officers, and a number of other individuals and criminal agencies that assisted the police.
He also asked the public to respect the decision the jury and the court made. “We ask for your continued peaceful acknowledgement of that verdict. Historically there have been other high profile criminal prosecutions that have resulted in civil disobedience. Please, I ask this community that regardless of one’s personal beliefs about the innocence or guilt of Casey Anthony that you maintain your peaceful resolve.”
Lamar also reiterated Demings’ request as well, and hoped that the public would keep their calm despite personal views.
Casey, 25, was found not guilty of three counts of murder, child abuse, and manslaughter. She awaits her sentence on Thursday morning for four counts of lying to the law enforcement, of which she was found guilty.
