Judge Won't Block Racy Casey Photos

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

wftv.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A circuit court judge dealt a serious blow to Casey Anthony's defense, late Monday night, ruling that photographs of Casey can be made public. Rot-roe.

Casey's attorneys went to court, Monday, (images raw video) asking to keep some pictures secret, along with a video of Casey, recorded in jail, as she learned her daughter Caylee's remains had been found.

CASEY ARRIVES: See Images Watch Raw Video

VIDEO REPORT: Judge Rules To Release Photos

READ MOTIONS: Block Video Release Block Photo Release

IMAGES: Photos Of Casey With Friends

The judge gave her attorneys a chance to see the video, but Monday he denied the request to seal the compromising pictures, from her photobucket.com account.

Why would Baez go to court to seal the video if he hadn't even watched it? Was he too busy looking at all the photo's? Is he just stupid or is he purposely providing Casey a new trial based on inadequate counsel? It was also mentioned that the images posted on photobucket were, in fact, STILL up on the website as of 1/2 hour before the hearing. You'd think someone would have deleted them from the site before they argue that releasing them to the public would make her "look bad."

Many of the racy photos have already been posted around the Internet, but the defense claims there are a lot more. The defense said there are worse photographs the public hasn't seen that were taken long before Caylee's murder.

Casey Anthony's photobucket.com images, which Channel Nine obtained last summer, were still on the Internet, just twenty minutes before the defense went to court to keep them private.

"My client's right to a fair trial is in jeopardy," said Casey's defense attorney Jose Baez.
Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland responded, "I guess my question is, how do I stop news from being news?" Deciding, in the end, he will not block the release of the photos in question.

Monday, in court, Casey appeared heavier, and remained mostly expressionless except for a couple of smiles for her parents.

The judge also decided to delay the release of a jailhouse videotape of Casey, from December 11th, 2008, when she found out Caylee's remains had likely been found. Judge Strickland wanted to give the defense a chance to review it and find out how the news was delivered.

Casey Anthony sold photographs of her daughter Caylee only months after her disappearance for almost $200,000 and there is a report that the defense offered People Magazine an exclusive story for $500,000.

The defense now says a recent eBay pitch to sell a Casey doll is going too far. The doll resembles a PhotoBucket.com picture of Casey at an "Anything But Clothes" party on Memorial Day weekend, a party she took Caylee to when she told her mother she was working.

Investigators said she hyperventilated and asked for medication. Baez said the videotaping was a violation of Casey's privacy.

The jail's attorney told the judge one of the jail's many fixed cameras captured her reaction.
Also, Casey has another new lawyer. Todd Macaluso, an attorney from San Diego who specializes in plane and car crashes, has joined her defense team.

"We are confident that we will prove she is innocent of the charges brought against her. She did not murder Caylee," said Macaluso.

The judge has scheduled Casey's trial to begin on October 12th, 2009. The defense says it will try to be ready by that date.