Did Nancy Grace assure Tot Mom Casey Anthony's acquittal?

[justiceischeap]

Some credit a wily defense team; others blame prosecutors for miscues real and imagined. Or maybe jurors simply took their job seriously and refused to make the extra-legal leap of faith demanded by those in the bleacher seats.

But let’s not ignore the obvious: Casey Anthony’s murder acquittal simply wouldn’t have been possible without Nancy Grace’s intercession.

<snip>

Until Grace and her fellow-travelers made her the uber-villainess, Casey Anthony was just another indigent defendant, the kind whose cases are plea-bargained every day by public defenders or court-appointed attorneys juggling dozens of clients just like her.

<snip>

As a practical matter, Grace’s only function was to conjure a media event sufficiently hot and bright to attract a competent legal team. The lawyers did the rest, coolly drawing attention to all the gaps in the prosecution’s narrative.

Brian Dickerson: Detroit Free Press

He makes a great point. If it hadn't been for Grace's zeal and salaciousness over this case, most likely Anthony would have gone to jail for this crime.

[polichick]

1. imo it's more likely they took the jury instructions very seriously...

...and the dots just weren't connected enough to convict.

[RockaFowler]

3. That's my opinion too

There wasn't much there, there

[CoffeeCat]

9. Exaclty...and frankly, I'm sick of "armchair jurists"

...who think they've got all of the answers, even tho they weren't in the courtroom.

Yes, this is a horrendous crime. Yes, it's devastating that this child was murdered.

However, so many people have lost their ability to reason. The media is doing a fine
job of vilifying juries--and demonizing our court system as they interview moms all
over the country who are outraged.

You weren't in the courtroom. You didn't get the strict jury instructions. Think, people!

There was only circumstantial evidence here and NOTHING linking Casey Anthony to the death
of her daughter. The prosecutor made the decision to go for Murder I and the death penalty.
Why in the hell they did that is beyond me--especially when there was ZERO evidence connecting
Casey Anthony to the death of her daughter.

So tired of the media and others with opinions--thinking that they know better when they know
absolutely nothing--because they were not a juror on this trial and did not hear the entire
case.

[Kerrytravelers]

14. Yes. This exactly. Armchair jurists is becoming a huge issue, in my opinion.

I wasn't in the jury box, I didn't hear the evidence they heard, so who am I to say they were wrong? :shrug:

[CleanGreenFuture]

39. You're re-debating the verdict. That is not point of this piece. He is saying

that, if Nancy Grace hadn't whipped-up a shitstorm over this case, Casey Anthony probably would have been convicted.

[polichick]

46. I know what the op is saying and I stand by my response.

[Pithlet]

40. I agree.

I've served on a jury, and the instructions were taken very seriously. We were very careful to follow them to the letter. During deliberations we went through each count one at time and there were many times when those instructions were referred to over and over again during discussions. I'm sure many juries do the same thing, and it's highly lik this one did as well. I hate to see this jury get beat up so much in the media. It's not an easy job.

[polichick]

47. I know what you mean, having also been on a jury...

Juries really do try to follow the letter of the law.

[Lost-in-FL]

2. How? Nancy Grace's trash was not spoon fed to the jury.

The got to their own conclusion with what they had.

[LoZoccolo]

7. It seems that you didn't even read the part of the article that was posted here. n/t

[Lost-in-FL]

11. No, I didn't think I needed to... it is common sense.

Don't need to read someone elses opinion. I can make my own.

[Fumesucker]

16. The OP is saying the case would never even have gotten to the jury without NG..

Anthony would have taken a plea bargain and the trial would never have happened.

The great majority of criminal defendants in the US never see a trial, most plea bargain.

I can see the logic behind it but it is conjecture.

[LoZoccolo]

18. That's helpful of you to read that for them. n/t

[Fumesucker]

23. I thought it was a nice ironic twist..

I hope Nancy Grace hears that theory and it gets her knickers in a severe bunch, I've never even seen the woman (other than a few pics here on DU) and I already dislike her.

[Lost-in-FL]

26. Having a bad day?

It is showing.

[LoZoccolo]

31. I think the topic of knowingly avoiding information when forming an opinion

is a year-round irritant, especially, oh, when we're talking about Nancy Grace, who seems to do that a lot, and very loudly.

[Lost-in-FL]

32. There is nothing new to me here.

Living in the "ground zero" of stupidity I have 24hr access to the whole case, like it or not.

[Lost-in-FL]

34. Easy to speak after the fact.

This whole thing could have been avoided. Those who never invested their emotions in this case thought the whole thing was a farce. This was all about looking tough on crime. To make the police look like they are doing things other than issuing traffic tickets and while disregarding real crimes.

[Lost-in-FL]

25. That is one of the things I tried to wrap my head around when this whole circus started.

How this made it into a trial to begin with. Unfortunately, living in Orlando, was difficult for me to stay away from the trial as every conversation at work was about the case. I was so horrified when they tried using the "odor test" as I thought it was based on pseudo-science.

Thanks for your explaination, it was very helpful.

[Posteritatis]

4. Don't jurors, y'know, generally not get to follow news coverage of their cases? (nt)

[KurtNYC]

6. they are saying this would have been plea bargained BEFORE

there was any trial.

[Cali_Democrat]

5. Not only was she found not guilty, but now Casey Anthony will become a millionaire

Thanks to the media sensationalism of the trial. I hope it pisses Nancy Grace off.

[senseandsensibility]

8. I can't stand that term totmom.

Only she used it, right? There is something wrong with her. Believe it or not, she was once a respected prosecutor. Totmom? I saw a clip of her saying that over and over yesterday. Who talks like that?

[PCIntern]

10. A real shithead...that's who...

she is one revoltin' human bean.

[ScreamingMeemie]

15. She and her followers. It is how I've been spotting Grace-olytes

across the counter from me all week. :)

[tularetom]

19. She was once a prosecutor - not sure about the "respected" part

According to what I've heard she was repeatedly reprimanded for overzealous prosecutions and had several convictions overturned because of misconduct on her part.

She cost the taxpayers a ton of money and I'm sure whatever DA she worked for was happy to see her ass going out the door.

She appears to be a very unhappy human being. I'd feel sorry for her if she weren't also so repugnant.

[DeschutesRiver]

36. Nancy Grace's fiance was shot & killed 2 weeks before their wedding; I wonder

if she became a different person after that happened to her? Or I suppose if she was already a bitter angry person, then losing her fiance like that would only cement her POV of the world.

For whatever reason, she is currently a nasty piece of goods who causes harm whenever she opens her mouth in a bitter tirade and I, as a peer in her profession, find that distasteful to say the least.

But bad stuff happens, and it can change your soul forever and not for the best. That said, I am tired of her efforts to wreck other people's lives by behaving as she does. I just cringe, or I get t'd off - can't even watch her anymore.

[Kerrytravelers]

12. I don't know how her comments affected this particular jury.

But I like that Elizabeth Smart wasn't impressed with this wicked woman when she attempted to further sensationalize Smart during an interview.

I'm so tired of Grace and her antics.

[Life Long Dem]

13. They offered her a plea bargain when there was no body found.

They took any plea bargain off the table when the body was found. Prosecution thought they could prove her guilty when they found the body. That was the influence to take any plea bargain off the table.

[Ikonoklast]

17. Nancy Grace and Her Flaming Nostrils of Justice...

[Tippy]

20. The 24-7 coverage of this case from day one by Grace and others

contributed to the mess they ended up with. While it is true the jury did not have access to recent media coverage, but if they answered truthfully they wouldn't have been chosen for the jury...I remember day after day that is all we heard and I don't live in FL. I question why did they pick two admitted fellons for the jury, people who have been convicted of a fellony should never serve...they detest the law, courts, judges and attorneys. If it had not been a death penality case she would have been conviced of a lesser charge...

[Fumesucker]

24. It's possible not to know anything about a case even that infamous..

Until the last couple of days all I knew was the name Casey Anthony, I don't watch TV and don't pay any attention to tabloid type "news" anywhere else either.

[Cali_Democrat]

30. This is true

I didn't even know who the hell Casey Anthony was until recently.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

21. I honestly think the DA was pressured into bringing the case as a first degree capital case...

...because of the media attention, and predominantly Nancy Grace.

Nancy Grace went on a vendetta on a daily basis, speculated on Anthony's guilt as a first degree murderer daily, and gave the case so much noteriety that I honestly think had the Orlando DA simply charged manslaughter, there would have been a huge outcry.

Of course, if the prosecution had argued the case as manslaughter as opposed to first degree capital murder, there may have been more of a chance of a conviction.

Whatever. If Casey Anthony was in fact guilty (and I have no idea whether that's the case or not), her conscience will gnaw at her on a daily basis. And a guilty conscience is a very underrated punishment. Take a read of Edgar Allen Poe's "Telltale Heart" as an excellent example.

[quaker bill]

22. It is a good point

There is money and reputations to be made at a media circus. Her lawyers could not have paid for that sort of publicity. They will make millions off of this, so Ms. Anthony got far better representation than she would have otherwise. At some level, this played a role in the result.

[Celebration]

28. I agree

But the point is more that indigent defendants don't have adequate representation, not that she shouldn't have had adequate representation because she is poor.

[spanone]

27. she's not that relevant

[alcibiades_mystery]

29. ROFL...Thesis: Nancy Grace attracted sufficient attention to get Anthony a great free legal team

:rofl:

Hoisted by her own petard!

:rofl:

[LiberalAndProud]

33. It's too bad then, that Nancy can't celebretize more indigent defendants.

I have no opinion of the trial. My only exposure has been here from DU, oddly enough. But if it takes a national spotlight to get a competent defense, then good.

But that would be the only good that could come of it.

[WolverineDG]

35. You know the jury was sequestered until yesterday, right?

:eyes:

That means "No Nancy Grace" for them since the trial started....

dg

[Fumesucker]

37. Didn't read beyond the title, eh?

:eyes:

;)

:hi:

[alcibiades_mystery]

41. The article is not claiming that sh influenced the jury

Rather, it claims that her massive loudspeaker made the trial a celebrity trial that consequently sucked in numerous skilled lawyers who Ms. Anthony otherwise wouldn't have had access to. Indirect, yes, but plausible and hilarious.

[TroglodyteScholar]

38. There must be 10 or 15 people commenting on this thread who never even read the excerpt.

The point isn't that the jury was exposed to Nancy Grace's hysterics...the point is that her hysterics drew the attention of a legal team that otherwise never would have given this case a thought.

[ScreamingMeemie]

42. It sure as hell drew Cheney Mason and Dr. Spitz like bees to honey...

So I guess that is a good point.

But,the prosecution is to blame. At the very least, if they had included a charge of neglect (which is not abuse), Casey would have, IMO, gotten at least 15 years.

[alcibiades_mystery]

49. Spitz saved her life, I think

He was very persuasive, and he absolutely killed the state's autopsy and the duct tape evidence. They were wholly unreliable after Spitz's testimony.

[WinkyDink]

43. Perhaps it is author Brian Dickerson who should read more: CASEY PICKED HER ATTY AT RANDOM.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2011580/Casey-Anthony-trial-verdict-Jose-Baez-biggest-legal-upset-OJ-Simpson.html

When Lee probed her on how she came to hire Baez, Casey explained: 'It kind of happened at random in booking.
'I heard a couple of people talking about attorneys...His name came up and I said if he's good, can you do me a favour and pass my name along…It was an inmate and there was three other people that confirmed it.'

[alcibiades_mystery]

48. But the rest of the damn near 12 person team came TO the case

[rhett o rick]

44. It's a win-win for Nancy Dis-Grace. She gets more coverage with an acquittal. nm

[WatsonT]

45. Interesting point. Maybe true. Although I think being cute and white helped matters

Either way I think most people can agree that the world would be better off with both women out of the spotlight.

[Raine]

50. It would serve Nancy right if it was her big mouth

continually being judge, jury and executioner that had effected the outcome. Actually it was probably just a jury that took their job seriously and listened to the evidence or lack of it.