Trial Day , May 17th , 2011

‎Prosecution in court. Casey Anthony is now in the courtroom, along with her defense team.‎Casey Anthony is now in the courtroom, along with her defense team.Judge Perry has now taken the bench.Prosecutor Ashton back strikes his first juror. By mistake, he says her name. The defense then strikes this potential . The State challenges the last defense strike, claiming this juror is the only Hispanic on the jury. Judge Perry denies that challenge. Strikes in Casey Anthony jury selection continue. The prosecution strikes potential juror 1426. Defense challenges the strike based on age.Perry denies the defense challenge, and so potential juror 1426 is struck. Potential juror 1119 is now struck. Judge Perry leaves the bench for a moment. Casey Anthony continues to sit at the defense table. Perry has now returned to the bench and sends for the first juror of the day. Perry has now returned to the bench and sends for the first juror of the day. The potential juror hands Perry a letter when she gets to the stand. It is from her employer. This potential juror, a physical therapist, is claiming hardship. Based on the claimed specialty of what she does, she is excused for cause.This potential juror, a physical therapist, is claiming hardship. Based on the claimed specialty of what she does, she is excused for cause.
Perry is asking the potential juror on her prior knowledge of the Casey Anthony case. She seems to know a lot about the case and says she believes that #Casey Anthony is guilty.Because she believes that Casey Anthony is guilty, the potential juror is excused. The sidebar ends. Perry leaves the bench, and court for Casey Anthony jury selection is in recess.
During this recess, defense attorneys Baez and Mason have left the courtroom. Finnell remains, speaks to Casey Anthony. Perry returns to the bench and says that more jurors are on their way, and will he swear in the main jury as soon as a 12th juror is picked.Court for Casey Anthony will be recessed .Because court is in recess until 10:15, the courtroom is being secured. All of the parties have been removed from the courtroom until 10:00. Casey Anthony has just been escorted back into the courtroom. Judge Perry has just returned to the bench.Jury selection for the Casey Anthony trail continues.The next potential juror is being brought in.
The new potential juror is a white female in her .  50’s.Judge Perry questions the new juror regarding a hardship claim. Her employer will only pay her for one week. She is excused for cause.
There is a shortage of potential jurors in court this morning. Perry warns that when more show up "we're gonna be rocking and rolling."Prosecutor Deane Burdick addresses the court re: Juror 1319. Prosecution tried to remove with a peremptory, but was denied by the court. Now, the State is trying again to provide a race-neutral reason for the potential juror to be removed from the Casey Anthony jury.The State is arguing that the juror indicated she would have problems passing judgment on another, based on her religious views.Perry says the record is clear that the State neglected to express fear that the juror's religious beliefs might lead her to hang the jury.Judge Perry declines to revisit the issue stating, "rightfully or wrongfully, I stand by my prior ruling."
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Potential juror 3052 takes the stand. He is a white male in his 20’s Judge Perry is now questioning this juror about pretrial publicity.The potential juror is excused based on his preconceived opinion about the Casey Anthony’s guilt in the case.
The court is now waiting for more potential jurors to show up for questioning. Judge Perry has left the bench in the mean time .During this recess, most of the attorneys have left the courtroom .Judge Perry is back on the bench . The next potential juror is being brought in.
The next potential juror is a white male in his 30’s. Judge Perry is questioning the juror about his knowledge of pretrial publicity .Prosecutor George begins the State's portion of the pretrial publicity voir dire of this witness.Baez now begins his portion of the publicity voir dire. The judge now moves to the juror's views of the death penalty. Prosecutor Ashton begins the State's portion of the death penalty voir dire.Finnell has no questions regarding the death penalty, so prosecutor George begins the State's general voir dire. The potential juror asks to speak in sidebar re: his thoughts on why he is suspicious of law enforcement. The judge and attorneys are now crowded around the bench, and are questioning the potential juror privately.
The parties now return to their normal positions, and prosecutor George resumes his general voir dire .Baez does a quick general voir dire and the potential juror leaves the courtroom. Perry allows a 5 min recess.The prosecution team has moved to a quiet corner of the courtroom and is deep in discussion re: the potential juror that has just left.The prosecution team has now returned to the counsel table. Judge Perry has returned to the bench.Neither side challenges this last potential juror for cause, so he remains on the panel.
The next potential juror enters the courtroom. She is an African-American female in her 20’s. The potential juror was supposed to be there this morning, but did not because she had to work. She is excused for financial hardship.
Casey Anthony 's defense uses a peremptory to strike potential juror 1251, a female Juror with two year old grand-daughter.The prosecution challenges that strike, claiming it's being done because the juror is a female providing case law on that fact to the judge .Baez offers a gender-neutral reason, claiming the juror cannot consider age or mercy when considering the death penalty. Perry permits the defense peremptory challenge, and the potential juror is stricken.
We now have 11 jurors .No further back strikes at this time. Perry calls a 35 minute lunch recess. Six more potential jurors are expected in this afternoon .Court is in recess until 1:35. Casey Anthony has been escorted from the courtroom. .The parties beginning to assemble inside the courtroom. No signs of Casey Anthony yet.
Casey Anthony has just entered the courtroom. Judge Perry returns to the bench, and the next potential juror is brought in.
The potential juror is a white male in his 40’s. Judge Perry is questioning him on pretrial publicity. The potential juror says that he thinks Casey Anthony is guilty, but says he can put aside his opinion. Prosecutor Drane Burdick begins the State's portion of the publicity voir dire. Baez now begins the defense pretrial publicity voir dire .Judge Perry now moves to the issue of the death penalty. The potential juror leaves the courtroom. He says he can't presume the Casey Anthony to be innocent, so Perry strikes him for cause.
The next potential juror is brought in. She is a white female in her 50’s. Judge Perry begins questioning the potential juror regarding her knowledge of pretrial publicity. Prosecutor Ashton begins the State's pretrial publicity. Baez begins the defense publicity voir dire. Judge Perry moves to the issue of the death penalty. Finnell begins the defense death penalty voir dire.Ashton now begins the State's general voir dire of this juror.Mason begins the general voir dire for the defense. The voir dire of the potential juror end. There are no challenges, so she is the 12th juror in the Casey Anthony case.Yah!
Perry prepares to swear in the jury of 12, but Baez objects. Baez says the current procedure makes it next to impossible for Casey Anthony to participate in jury selection and choose those who SHE would want to stand in judgement of her life.
 The defense  uses a peremptory challenge to back strike potential juror 3397. We're back to 11 jurors. No swearing in yet. He is the gentle with the back problem who needs to stand occasionally to stretch.
There are 11 jurors at this point for the Casey Anthony trail. Five are men and 6 women.Another potential juror is brought in, and African-American female in her 30’s. She is now being questioned on pretrial publicity. She is excused is for cause due to her inability to set aside her feelings.  She began to cry when asked, states she felt bad about the whole situation. Recess for 5 minutes.
Casey Anthony is back in courtroom. Defense and Prosecution arrive. Judge Perry is now on the bench.Sidebar is taking place. The sidebar ends,and recess begins for undetermined length of time.
Court is resumed. Juror 3185. The next potential juror is a white male in his 50's and  is on the bench and is being questioned in regard to pre trial publicity. Prosecutor Drane Burdick begins the State's portion of the pretrial publicity voir dire.Baez begins the defense portion of the publicity voir dire. Perry reminds the juror not to use his own name.The judge now moves to the penalty phase portion of the voir dire. Ashton has no questions on the death penalty issue. So Finnell begins the defense death penalty voir dire.Prosecutor Drane Burdick begins the State's general voir dire.Baez begins the defense's general voir dire.The voir dire of the potential juror has finished. Neither side challenges, so he is passed for cause. That makes him the 12th juror. Finally!The courtroom takes a 5 min break and Casey Anthony exits the courtroom. We now have 12 jurors for the Casey Anthony trail, 6 men and 6 women. Two more potential jurors are slated to be questioned today.
Casey Anthony is back in the courtroom after a short break.Of course, Jose Baez exercises his challenge to juror. So we are back down to 11 jurors.\
Juror 3238 enters. She is a white female in her 60's .Baez begins his publicity voir dire.Judge Perry now moves to the subject of the death penalty. Ashton begins the State's portion of the death penalty voir dire.Finnell begins the defense death penalty voir dire.Prosecutor George begins general voir dire for Casey Anthony jury selection.Mason begins the defense's general voir dire.Prosecution used one peremptory challenges.. Potential Juror excused.
The next potential juror for Casey Anthony is brought in. She is a white female in her 50’s.Judge Perry is going over this potential juror's knowledge of pretrial publicity about the case.Ashton has no publicity questions. So Baez begins to question this juror on the issue of pretrial publicity.Perry now moves to the issue of the death penalty.Ashton begins the State's portion of the death penalty voir dire. Finnell begins the defense death penalty voir dire. Ashton now begins the State's general voir dire. Mason begins the defense’s portion of the general voir dire.The attorneys head to the bench, to question this juror on a private matter. Casey Anthony remains at the table talking with Finnell. The attorneys return to their tables, and Mason resumes his questioning.Questioning of the potential juror comes to an end and she leaves the courtroom.
The State does not object to the potential juror. Baez want to talk with Casey Anthony before deciding. Perry grants a 10 min recess. The defense strikes potential juror 3190 with a peremptory challenge. We remain at 11 jurors for the Casey Anthony trial: 4 men and 7 women .Court is in recess until 8:30s tomorrow morning.