Chief Judge Belvin Perry

New Anthony judge seen as no-nonsense jurist

Updated: Tuesday, 20 Apr 2010, 8:03 PM EDT
Published : Tuesday, 20 Apr 2010, 7:48 PM EDT

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Orange-Osceola Chief Judge Belvin Perry, Jr. can pick and choose what cases he will preside over. On Tuesday, he had nothing on his docket, but a judicial assistant said he was declining to comment on a case he has only had for less than 24 hours.

Circuit Judge Stan Strickland on Monday granted a motion filed last week by Casey Anthony's attorneys , asking that he recuse himself. As a result of Judge Strickland's recusal, Chief Judge Perry has taken over the case.

Anthony's defense attorneys had argued that comments the judge made to a blogger recently showed he was prejudiced against Anthony. Judge Strickland denied doing anything wrong, but said he removed himself from the case because Anthony's attorneys likely would allege bias each time he ruled against their motions.

Florida A&M University Law School Dean Leroy Pernell said he believes Chief Judge Perry will likely set a status hearing and bring the prosecutors and the defense teams to court to see where things stand.

"What are the issues, what are the priority issues and work out a manner for addressing those," said Pernell.

Chief Judge Perry is somewhat familiar with the case, having presided over the Grand Jury which indicted Casey Anthony on first degree murder charges in October or 2008.

He has heard testimony from six of the State's key witnesses, including a lab technician with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, a computer specialist, lead investigators and every Casey's father, George.

Also on Chief Judge Perry's docket is Jason Rodriguez, the man accused of opening fire at the Gateway Center in Downtown Orlando last fall.

Chief Judge Perry is a proponent of the death penalty. There are at least three men on death row right now, all sentenced in Perry's courtroom.

Prominent Orlando attorney Mark NeJame once represented Casey's parents. He now represents Texas Equusearch, the group which coordinated volunteer search efforts for little Caylee Anthony in the weeks following her disappearance.

NeJame said this is a bad move for the defense.

"I think that Judge Strickland, a wonderful judge and a brilliant jurist, allowed them latitude," said and I think that Judge Perry will be very strict according to guidelines and won't put up with any nonsense"

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/orange_news/042010new-anthony-judge-seen-as-no-nonsense-jurist

Older clip regarding the grand jury over which Judge Perry presided....

Grand Jury Indicts Casey Anthony, Judge Seals Documents

http://www.wftv.com/video/17714433/index.html

Advice for Casey Anthony attorneys: Be prepared and have no excuses for new judge
Orange-Osceola Chief Judge Belvin Perry is known for keeping cases on track and holding lawyers’ feet to the fire.

By Sarah Lundy, Orlando Sentinel
8:25 p.m. EDT, April 20, 2010



In more than decade as a chief judge, Bevin Perry developed a reputation well-suited for the drama that is the Casey Anthony case — efficient and no-nonsense.

In style and practice, his court rooms are dramatically different than those of Stan Strickland, a laid-back jurist who prefers friendly informality.

It's possible the tenor of Orlando's high-profile murder case changed dramatically on Monday when Stickland disqualified himself after nearly two years of minding its docket and Perry assumed control.

The transition from Strickland to Perry represents an on-the-ground adjustment that attorneys in the Casey Anthony case must make.

"It's going to be a different working environment for the attorneys," Orlando defense attorney Diana Tennis said. "The quality of justice won't change . . . [but] the stress on the attorneys may be ratcheted up."

The public and the media have yet to see prosecutors and Anthony's defense team together before Perry, a 60-year-old veteran of high-profile cases and the cameras that come with them.

The next status hearing — a date is not yet set — will be Perry's introduction overseeing a case that has drawn international attention since it began two years ago.

Anthony, 24, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, 2-year-old Caylee Marie. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Anthony, who remains in the Orange County Jail.

A court spokeswoman said Perry is already in the process reading the Anthony court files. He declined multiple media requests for interviews.

The Anthony case landed on Strickland's docket in July 2008 when Casey Anthony was arrested on charges of child neglect and lying to deputy sheriffs.

It was a circus from the beginning: Anthony's daughter was still classified as missing, and the search for Caylee drew national network attention.

In court, Strickland, as is his custom, gave attorneys on both sides ample time to speak their minds. He tolerated squabbling with a calm temperament.

This, local attorneys said, is not the way of Belvin Perry.

No patience for bickering

In his second stretch as Orange Circuit chief judge, Perry likes to-the-point conversations and has little patience for bickering.

The constant sniping between Anthony attorney José Baez and Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton will end, attorneys say.

"I don't think there is going to be a lot of extra patience, Tennis said. "The arguing back and forth between the lawyers is not going to happen anymore."

He has a reputation for keeping cases on track. Attorneys who know him say he'll likely set a timeline with strict deadlines for various details, such as witness depositions.

"He's direct. He's efficient. He's not interested in, or affected by, publicity," long-time Orlando defense attorney Kelly Sims said. "He's funny and engaging off the bench, but he's absolutely no-nonsense on the bench."

He also holds attorneys accountable.

"There are no excuses for not meeting deadlines and not being prepared," said Orlando defense attorney Andrea Black, who has tried murder cases in front both judges Black.

A Jones High School graduate, Perry earned a degree from Tuskegee University, where he also earned his master's in education. His law degree is from Texas Southern University.

He started out as a prosecutor and became a judge in 1989. His colleagues first elected him to chief judge in 1995. He took two years off and then was re-elected as chief judge in 2001. He has held the position since then.

Perry survived sex scandal

It speaks to Perry's reputation that he regained his status following a sex scandal that nearly derailed his career.

In 1998, he acknowledged a seven-year affair with former deputy court administrator Janis Williamson. She was fired a year earlier and filed a discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Perry publicly apologized for the affair but said Williamson's firing had nothing to do with their relationship. She settled her complaint in 1999 for $65,000.

As chief judge, Perry doesn't carry a regular case load and handles the assignment of judges. He isn't assigned cases as other judges are.

He often takes cases that are difficult and often ends up with those for which other judges (or their schedules) aren't suited, such as a death-penalty case or ones that are more time consuming. Perry has handled a slew of murder trials and more than a few death-penalty cases.

After Orange Circuit Court Bob Wattles died earlier this year, Perry took over a death penalty case that was being handled by Wattles. Convicted killer David Johnston had won an appeal for a hearing to determine if he was mentally challenged. Last month, Perry ruled Johnston was not mentally challenged and can be executed by the state.

Perry also has other duties in the legal system. He's chairman of the state's trial court budget commission, which lobbies in Tallahassee and looks for money to support courts.

‘He will move that case along'

On Tuesday, Perry's first day with the Anthony case on his plate, he was in Tallahassee fighting for funding, a court spokeswoman said.

Perry caught the Anthony case after her defense accused Strickland of developing a "personal relationship" with a blogger who has been critical of its client. In a harshly-worded order on Monday, Strickland stepped off the case.

"We have always been confident of Judge Strickland's abilities and his neutrality. We are equally confident of Judge Belvin Perry's abilities, his very professional demeanor and sound judgment," State Attorney's Office spokesman Randy Means said.

Despite winning the motion about Strickland, the defense had no reaction to the judge change.

"Casey Anthony maintains her innocence and looks forward to her day in court," defense spokeswoman Liz Brown said.

Yet the defense's effort to seek a different judge has left some defense attorneys scratching their heads. If this is part of a bigger strategy, they don't see it.

"I think they will be very sorry that they recused Judge Strickland and now have Judge Perry," Black said. "He will move that case along."

Sarah Lundy can be reached at slundy@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6218.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-casey-anthony-belvin-perry-20100420,0,697819,full.story

Hope the next tune the duh-fense hears is "Who's Sorry Now?"

New Casey Anthony judge will lower hammer on proceedings, experts say

Reported by: Cary Williams
Email: cwilliams@abcactionnews.com
Last Update: 11:38 am

Orange County Chief Judge Belvin Perry ORANGE COUNTY, FL -- When Casey Anthony's attorneys asked Orange County Circuit Judge Stan Strickland to remove himself from Casey Anthony's murder trial, they likely set themselves up for a much tougher go, according to legal analysts.

On Monday, Strickland granted a motion filed by Casey's attorneys asking that he recuse himself. Casey's defense team argued that comments the judge made to a blogger showed he was prejudiced against Anthony.

Orange County Chief Judge Belvin Perry has taken over the high-profile case. He has been Chief Judge for nearly 13 years and has sat on the bench in central Florida for 21 years.

Perry is known as a no-nonsense, brass tacks kind of judge. This differs greatly from Strickland, who is viewed as a more laid-back, congenial jurist.

In ten years of hearing criminal cases, including murder trials, only one of Perry's ruling have been overturned by a higher court.

“The likelihood that Judge Perry will either allow a mistake to happen or be drawn into committing some reversible error himself is slight,” legal analyst Bill Sheaffer told Orlando station WFTV.

In one courtroom exchange, Sheaffer recalls Perry cutting off a verbose lawyer saying, ‘Don't give me the whole bushel of oysters, just give me the pearls.”

In contrast, a somewhat informal Judge Strickland typically gave attorneys plenty of time to express their views and argue with each other.

"The arguing back and forth between the lawyers is not going to happen anymore," defense attorney Diana Tennis told the Orlando Sentinel.

Judge Perry will most certainly run a tight ship. “He sets a tone of authority in his courtroom. No one ever questions who's in charge once you walk into Judge Perry's courtroom,” Bill Sheaffer said.

In his decision to recuse himself, Judge Strickland denied doing anything wrong. But he said he was removing himself from the case because Anthony's attorneys likely would allege bias each time he ruled against their motions.

"At its core, the defense counsel's motion accuses the undersigned of being a 'self-aggrandizing media hound,"' Strickland wrote in his decision. "Indeed. The irony is rich."

Casey has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and has said a baby sitter kidnapped her daughter, Caylee Anthony. The toddler's remains were found in December 2008, six months after she was reported missing.

Casey's trial is set for May 2011.

A spokeswoman for the State Attorney's Office in Orlando said the recusal decision was between the judge and Anthony's attorneys.

"The state does not have a role in the decision," said Danielle Tavernier.

Anthony's attorneys asked for Strickland to remove himself after a defense investigator interviewed Dave Knechel, a blogger known as "Marinade Dave," who has written about the Anthony case. The blogger said that the judge called him to the bench after a pretrial hearing last October to praise his coverage. Knechel also claimed that the judge called him last February to wish him well after he was hospitalized for a few days.

Defense attorneys claim Knechel's coverage was critical of Anthony.

In his decision, Strickland said he had begun reading blogs about the case to help him decide on whether the trial should be moved out of Orlando because of the excessive media coverage.

Defense attorneys have asked for a change of venue but no ruling has been made on the request.

The next courtroom chapter in the case is a status hearing. No date has been set. It will be the first glimpse of Judge Perry in a case that continues to generate attention worldwide.

Sources: wftv.com, orlandosentinel.com, The Associated Press

Analysis: New Casey Judge “Sets Tone Of Authority”

Posted: 5:42 pm EDT April 20, 2010
Updated: 6:42 pm EDT April 20, 2010

ORLANDO, Fla. -- WFTV went digging into past cases and found the judge who's now presiding over the Casey Anthony case has a great track record when it comes to appeals. Chief Judge Belvin Perry has taken over after Judge Stan Strickland recused himself from the case Monday.

BILL SHEAFFER: Analysis Of Newly Appointed Judge
VIDEO REPORT: New Casey Judge
STRICKLAND STEPS DOWN: Read His Order | Judge Appointed

Judge Perry has been on the bench in Central Florida for 21 years. When he makes a ruling, it's rarely overturned.


Judge Belvin Perry

Chief Perry is the go-to judge for problematic criminal cases in Orange and Osceola counties and Casey's case has become one. Judge Perry has an extraordinary record; almost always, what he says goes.

Circuit Judge Perry has been chief judge for almost 13 years. Over the last ten years, in the many criminal cases he's heard, some of which have been death penalty cases, only one of his rulings was partially overturned by a higher court.

WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer says that's a phenomenal record

“The likelihood that Judge Perry will either allow a mistake to happen or be drawn into committing some reversible error himself is slight,” Sheaffer said (watch full interview).

Chief Judge Perry gets the tough ones. He's taken over the Casey Anthony murder case 20 months into it. There are almost 14,000 pages worth of evidence so far.

Perry took over the case involving a homeless man's murder after another judge allowed the suspect to get out of jail on bond. He's heard numerous death penalty cases. Last year, he sent two young men to prison for the rest of their lives for murdering Orlando police officer Al Gordon.

Perry, a former prosecutor and the son of an Orlando police officer, is respected by prosecutors and defense attorneys and, Sheaffer said, Perry's no-nonsense approach could change the tone of Casey's case.

“He sets a tone of authority in his courtroom. No one ever questions who's in charge once you walk into Judge Perry's courtroom,” Sheaffer said.

Sheaffer expects Judge Perry to tighten up the proceedings. He remembers Perry once cutting off a wordy lawyer in court by saying, ‘Don't give me the whole bushel of oysters, just give me the pearls.”

Subtle humor, but Perry made his point.

http://www.wftv.com/news/23211421/detail.html

I am thrilled with the new judge. Can't wait to see him in action!! Hopefully, he will not allow Casey to wear "street clothes." IMO she should have to wear her prison uniform to court. Everyone else has to. Regular clothes should only be allowed at trial. Afterall, she is a prisoner, not a celebrity.

Welcome joyewils!

I agree Casey should have to wear her jail garb.

Agreed, that's been special treatment as far as I'm concerned.
And welcome to RC joyewils!