Casey Anthony TV Movie Expected, Script Based on Prosecutor's Book
A Casey Anthony television movie on Lifetime may be in the works, and the production would be based on the prosecutor Jeff Ashton’s book, “Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony.”
Anthony was acquitted of killing her 2-year-old daughter and incited a public uproar that Lifetime could potentially take advantage of.
Because the film is based on the prosecuting attorney’s book, the story would be told through his perspective: Ashton prepared evidence and prosecuted Casey for three years, only to feel numb when the mother was found not guilty.
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In his book, Ashton paints a very different picture of the defense than what was previously known. Because he was not allowed to speak on the case or express emotions about his opposition, little was known about how he felt, but in print, he demonizes them.
“I have seen my share of liars, but never one quite like this,” wrote the lawyer of Anthony.
Ashton talked about more than just the defendant in the 322-page book; he wrote on the lack of ethics on the part of Anthony’s lead attorney, Jose Baez.
“There is an unearned air of arrogance about [Baez] that is incredibly frustrating to witness. The word I used in describing Jose is smarmy: somebody who is slick, underhanded and doesn't shoot straight," Ashton said.
Baez’s ability to be “underhanded” was the advantage that won Anthony’s freedom, according to Ashton. The lawyer supposed that the truth is a much harder sell to jurors than a falsified story.
“It's mind blowing how effective you can be when you're not limited by the truth," the frustrated lawyer said.
Despite public prosecutors’ legal responsibility not to become emotionally involved in any case, Ashton revealed that he did anyway.
The lawyer commented on the “hate” he felt for Anthony when he heard of the toddler being discarded in a laundry bag. The skeletal remains of the child left “no doubt in [Ashton’s] mind that Casey had killed this beautiful little girl.”
Fox TV Studios obtained rights to the book, but Lifetime has not definitively started production yet.
