Casey Anthony makes unexpected appearance in court

Sarah Lundy Sentinel Staff Writer
January 9, 2009

Casey Anthony made a surprise appearance in court Thursday during a hearing that focused on restrictions on what her legal team could do with pictures and X-rays of her daughter Caylee Marie's remains.

Orange Circuit Court Judge Stan Strickland approved a plan that would allow defense attorney Jose Baez to get the images and set up a secure Web site for them -- a similar password-safe system is used by the medical examiner.

Prosecutors had asked the judge to order Baez not to copy, print or reproduce the images, including sending them in the mail or over the Internet. They wanted to ensure the photos remain with Baez and in the court's jurisdiction. Baez, who agreed with the state and didn't want the photos in the public domain, argued that most of the defense experts who would review the images are out of state. And, he argued, adding limits to what he could do would put an undue logistical and financial burden on the defense's efforts.

Baez suggested the high-tech compromise after he got a call from his office during a break. The state uses a password-safe system to share the information. He will inquire how to set up a similar system in his office.

After the hearing, prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick gave Baez the two CDs and one DVD of images.

Anthony was not expected to be at the proceedings. Baez stood up and waived her appearance at the beginning of the hearing -- a move he had made before several other hearings.

This time, however, prosecutors said his word wasn't good enough, and presented written legal cases on why she should be there. After reviewing the information, Strickland agreed he should hear directly from Anthony. About 30 minutes later, she walked into the courtroom.

Thursday was Anthony's first public appearance since being indicted Oct. 14 on several charges, including first-degree murder. The 19th-floor courtroom was filled with nearly two dozen journalists, all anxious to see Anthony. Shortly before she entered, three corrections officers came in as extra security.

Anthony sported a dark blue jail-issued jumpsuit and jail-issued flip-flops. Officials shackled her wrists and ankles. Her dark hair fell just past her shoulders, much longer than her first mug shot taken in July.

During her hourlong stay in court, she spoke little -- only to answer Strickland's questions about understanding the motions and waiving her appearance. Her parents, George and Cindy Anthony, who had attended previous hearings, were not there.

Some of the other motions discussed at the end of the hearing:

*Strickland granted defense's request for the unedited 911 calls and other records from the Orange County meter reader who found Caylee's remains Dec. 11. The meter reader had called authorities three times earlier in August.

*The judge granted the defense's request for copies of the search warrants and items seized Dec. 11 and Dec. 20 from the home Anthony shared with her parents on Hopespring Drive.

*He did not rule on whether the defense will get maps, lists of volunteers and other records from Texas EquuSearch, a volunteer search group that helped look for Caylee.