Motions Hearing 5/10/10 - Discussion (Criminal) - CLOSED

Please use this thread to discuss the hearing in the morning. It begins at 9:00 a.m. EST.

See you then!

Links to the hearing:

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/subindex/our_programs/live

http://www.wftv.com/news/23503932/detail.html

I'm watching at the MyFoxOrlando link. On my screen, the picture is too dark on the wftv link.

Hearing is also being carried on truTV's InSession.

Baez will not give up on that Miami thing.

Caylee wasn't missing. She was murdered and Casey knew where she was the whole time.

Slew of defense motions set to be argued today
The legal requests range from sealing jail logs to keeping her friends' opinions of her out of the trial.

By Sarah Lundy, Orlando Sentinel
7:04 a.m. EDT, May 10, 2010

Casey Anthony will appear in court today as her attorneys and prosecutors hash out a string of legal motions — some of which have been lingering in the court file for months.

Orange-Osceola Chief Judge Belvin Perry cleared his calendar for today and Tuesday to hear arguments on various topics, such as from where the jury will be selected to whether the death penalty is unconstitutional.

This is part of the judge's effort to keep the case on track for trial in May 2011.

Casey Anthony, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie.

It hasn't been the typical murder case. It started out as a missing-child case after the toddler was reported missing in July 2008.

In October — with no body found — a grand jury indicted Casey Anthony on first-degree murder. At that point, the state elected not to seek the death penalty.

Two months later in December, Caylee's skeletal remains were found less than a mile from her family home in east Orange County. A medical examiner ruled her death a homicide but could not say how the child died.

By April, prosecutors changed their minds, announcing they were going to seek the death penalty against Casey Anthony.

Experts say death cases are different. It involves more of everything —more trial preparation, more expenses and more motions filed.

Today, Perry has seven motions on various topics set to be argued. Tuesday's hearing will focus on death-penalty motions.

Here's today's line-up:

• Change of Venue

Casey Anthony's attorneys do not think their client can receive a fair trial in Central Florida. Her case has attracted intense media coverage since her initial arrest in July 2008.

"The Orlando community's involvement in this case and its hostility towards Miss Anthony create an environment in which it would be difficult for a juror to render a verdict based solely on the evidence presented at trial," her defense attorney, Jose Baez, wrote in a motion filed in September.

Perry has told the attorneys if he grants the change of venue that he and the lawyers will travel to another Florida county to pick a 12-member jury plus alternates. The jury will leave their families and come to Orange County where the trial, which is expected to last four to seven weeks, will be held.

•Jail logs

Casey Anthony's attorneys want the judge to keep the list of names of people who visit her in jail private. Visitation logs are public record unless sealed by a judge.

Her legal team claims the media is "constantly aware of any visits that the defendant has." The identity of certain defense experts who see her in jail can spawn "unfounded speculation." That hampers the defense's preparation for trial.

•Party Pictures

After Casey Anthony's arrest, dozens of pictures taken from various online social-networking sites have emerged and portray her as a "party girl." The photos show the young mother partying with friends in local nightclubs, bars and wild house parties. Most of the pictures were taken before Caylee disappeared.

Her defense fears if the prosecutors presents these photos to a jury it "would serve no purpose other than to further inflame the jury against Miss Anthony." Her attorneys call these photos irrelevant to the case and want prosecutors — if they have plans to use them — to show why they are material.

•Gossip and Innuendo

Her legal team want to keep out dozens of statements about Anthony and her family made by friends and family — statements the defense contends are hearsay. Her attorneys also don't want prosecutors questioning Anthony's friends and acquaintances on the stand about her truthfulness and motives.

•Other people's opinions

As part of the case, investigators have questioned dozens of people who know Casey Anthony. These friends and acquaintances offered their opinions of Casey Anthony's character, motives and undisclosed intentions and character of truthfulness. These opinions should not be admissible in court, her attorneys argue.

•Toss indictment

Her attorneys argue in a motion that Casey Anthony was indicted on several charges, including premeditated murder and criminal neglect of her daughter. But they say there is so little information on the indictment that the legal team can't possibly defend her.

The failure to allege any facts in the indictment violates state's criminal procedures, which "explicitly prescribes that a charging instrument set out the 'essential facts constituting the offense charged,'" the motion says.

•More information

Casey Anthony's legal team has continued to ask for various records, including documents from various forensic labs, communications between law enforcement officials and those labs.

It's unclear what information they are seeking in this legal request.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-casey-anthony-hearing-motions-20100510,0,7636525,full.story

These are probably the motions that will be heard on Monday morning.

Notice of Hearing

http://wdbo.com/common/pdf/orlando/notice_hearings_casey_anthony.pdf

Good job JP...Get to the point Jose!!!

Let's hold the trial in Detroit. I promise to be an impartial juror.

Bozo, what I find inflammatory is a mother who doesn't report her child missing and who lies to cops after the child's grandmother reports her missing. It kind of makes me think the mother was the one who killed her.

That's it ...show the judge...as if he doesn't know already....Just remember a jury of her peers does not include a large group of Hispanics...

As long as we're looking at demographics how bout a location with a high rate of unemployment...since Casey did't have a job...I'm sure they would be sympathetic (NOT)..

J4A, you crack me up! We know you'll be impartial......

Just my opinion...Sorry Jose...the photos go to show Casey's lifestyle before, during and after the disappearance/death of Caylee...

KC just had a look of disgust on her face....how dare she?

Do these photos look like a grieving mother....

I have to admit Cheney is impressive and delivers his oral argument/statements smoothly..not like bumbling, stuttering Baez...

OK...Here we go...WHine..whine...we don't have it ALL.....

OMG...Judge Perry has to lead Jose by the hand regarding his requests...

The word of the day is SPECIFIC...isn't that terriffic???

The Lyon will roar tomorrow!!!!

Cindy may have lost some weight, but she's too old to be wearing shirts like that. Especially in a courtroom.