Summary Of The Casey Anthony Case

V. Closing Arguments The prosecution’s closing statements were more convincing than the defense. They were statements that reached people’s hearts and reemphasized major points. A CNN article quotes Jeff Ashton, one of the prosecutors, who emphasized the parental-child bond by stating “When you have a child, that child becomes your life.” (Hayes, 2011) He also went over items found with Caylee’s corpse that would make people feel more sympathetic. They also used this tactic (of manipulating people’s emotions) by depicting Casey as a party girl at the nightclubs that wanted to be free of parental responsibilities. (Hayes, 2011) The prosecution also reemphasized a common idea that people can easily forget to use logic when they have a bunch of facts given to them.
(“Casey Anthony Trial - Prosecution Closing Statements”, 2013) Lastly, they pointed out flaws in the defense’s argument saying that they never backed up their claims with direct evidence. (“Casey Anthony Trial - Prosecution Closing Statements”, 2013) The defense re-emphasized their arguments as well saying that her behavior can be explained by her family problems and sexual abuse. (“Closing arguments at Casey Anthony trial”, 2011) They also contend that they found many holes in the prosecution’s arguments. (“Closing arguments at Casey Anthony trial”, 2011) Finally, they stated that the jury should judge the case based on the facts presented, and whether they are substantial enough to prove Casey’s guilt. (“Closing arguments at Casey Anthony trial”, 2011)
VI. Outside Factors
Besides the evidence itself, other factors could have affected this case such as the quality of the lawyers themselves. If someone, for example, does not have enough money to hire a good lawyer, then they might not be able to make as good of a case. Outside media has also affected this case because of its’ own bias. People are outraged at Casey being found not guilty because of the media making it appear as though she was a parent who killed her child to be free from parental duties.
This is such a divisive case in the United States because the evidence is not clear on whether or not Casey is guilty. Firstly, I do not think people want to believe (or are less inclined to think) a mother could kill her own child. Secondly, the media bias pre-determined that Casey was guilty and broadcasted that because it would sound more interesting. Thirdly, during the trial two very different stories are being presented and evidence from each side is not conclusive toward the guilt or non-guilt of Casey Anthony. There are too many contradictions in this story. For example, for one of the main pieces of evidence that would prove that this murder was premeditated, early findings showed that “chloroform” was searched on the Anthony’s computer using software from John Dennis Bradley. (Thomas, 2011) However, later it was found that it had only been searched one time because of a computer misreading. (Thomas, 2011)
VII. Concluding thoughts
Based on the evidence (burden of production) and the way the prosecution presented their information (burden of persuasion), I am more inclined to believe that Casey Anthony is guilty, but the counter-evidence from the defense was strong enough to question the validity of their claims.
The Casey Anthony case shows us how circumstantial is not enough to determine someone’s guilt. In the Casey Anthony case, each side used circumstantial evidence to prove that their story was accurate, and it gave them more room to use evidence as justification to their story. Not having any direct evidence did not give any facts for the judge and the jury to lean on. Not only is it important to have good quality and quantity of evidence (burden of production), but also it is important to use it persuasively (burden of persuasion). The burden of production cannot stand on itself to prove someone’s guilt, but neither can only being persuasive. Reading primary documentation changed my perspective on the case, because instead of getting filtered information that is biased, I get to see first hand what the information is myself. This allows me to use my own reasoning to determine whether the evidence substantiates the
claim.