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Casey Anthony
Casey was accused of killing her daughter, Caylee Anthony, but was found not guilty of first-degree murder. Casey was released from jail on July 17, 2011.Legal Experts Share Thoughts On Ashton Book
Jeff Deen Believes Ashton Pandering To Community Outrage
POSTED: 3:25 pm EST November 15, 2011
UPDATED: 5:41 pm EST November 15, 2011
UPDATED: 5:41 pm EST November 15, 2011
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Some legal experts offered sharp criticism Tuesday over some of the information in former prosecutor Jeff Ashton's book about the Casey Anthony trial.
Throughout "Imperfect Justice," Ashton paints a portrait of a sometimes psychotic Casey Anthony, a smarmy lead attorney in Jose Baez and a shockingly disinterested jury that didn't believe Anthony should be punished at all."We couldn't provide the jury with sort of clear evidence on a silver platter of exactly how Caylee died. What we thought we had done though was to exclude everything but homicide," Ashton wrote."I just think he's pandering to this community's outrage over a verdict," defense attorney Jeff Deen said.Deen said Ashton is wrong to blame the jury after the state failed to show how, when and where the victim, Caylee Anthony, was killed.Deen also questioned a key statement in the book made by Ashton."I think I would have been happier if the death penalty had not been reintroduced into the case … even though I think on some level Casey may have deserved it," Ashton wrote.In Deen's view, Ashton simply used the death penalty as a wedge to try to get Anthony to plead guilty to a crime the prosecution couldn't prove."People want the death penalty. I think there is a place for it, but when it is used as a tactic like this, that's the problem," Deen said.Ashton potentially pushes legal limits with information about George and Cindy Anthony. He recalls that Casey Anthony told two psychologists -- whose testimony remains sealed -- that she was molested by her father as a child, and that her father may have killed Caylee."Obviously, the want to see what is said about them," Anthony family attorney Mark Lippman said. "If a response is necessary, they will certainly make one."Baez released a statement Tuesday evening on Ashton's book."Having read several of the comments Mr. Ashton makes in his new book, I am both surprised and somewhat disappointed he has chosen to attack me on a personal level. Without going into specific detail, I will say only that many of his accusations are absolutely false. I take my responsibilities to the court very seriously, and I have been careful to always conduct myself in a professional manner. This was an extraordinarily complicated case, and so much of what happened behind the scenes has not yet been made public. When I decide to tell my story, you can be certain I will not be personally attacking Mr. Ashton," Baez said in a statement.Casey Anthony remains on probation and faces a bill of more than $200,000 to reimburse Florida taxpayers for the cost of the search for Caylee Anthony.
Read more: http://www.wesh.com/casey-anthony-extended-coverage/29777514/detail.html#ixzz1eClNBTKl
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