Casey Anthony has been found not guilty in Orlando, Fla., of murdering her daughter, 2-year-old Caylee. In the case, which reached OJ Simpson proportions in the media, a mountain of circumstantial evidence — including not reporting her missing for a month and getting a “beautiful life” tattoo while Caylee’s absence was fresh — made the public all but certain the young mother would be convicted. The jurors, however, were unable to determine beyond reasonable doubt that Anthony committed the crime and were obligated to deliver the “not guilty” verdict for the charges of first degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and child abuse.
Anthony, instead, was found guilty of four counts of lying to law enforcement, but, with time served, legal analysts predict that her sentence will be rather short.
Nancy Grace must be seething with anger, as she spearheaded a public lynching against Anthony that has fueled her prime-time programming since 2009. Tonight, she will likely slam the jurors, the prosecution team, as well the black judge, Belvin Perry, who some say has a career in TV along the lines of a Judge Judy, based on the way he handled the case.
“I can certainly see him becoming the next big TV judge,” said attorney Joey Jackson, who has been covering the trial for Fox News.
During the trial, Perry remained objective, holding both sides accountable for their tactics and testimony. He had very low tolerance for unnecessary antics and, with the twitter buzz he’s generating for everything from his odd hand gestures to the verdict itself, Perry is poised, at least, to field offers to preside over cases on network television.
“He’s been on the bench since the late ’80s and has presided over several high-profile cases so his résumé is TV cred ready,” explained Cult of Celebrity author Cooper Lawrence of the “Scott & Todd” morning show on PLJ.
In fact, he’s already been contacted by a Hollywood casting agent, according to media reports. He reportedly declined at the time, however, because he had his hands full with the case. –gerald radford
The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI) is outraged. Click here to read their statement on the acquittal.
