Summer update and The Trial

I know, I have been MIA lately. I was just catching up on posts made by one of my favorite paralegal bloggers, Purple Paralegal, when I was pleasantly surprised to find out my blog made the list of 50 Best Blogs by Paralegals by OnlineParalegalDegree.org. I do not feel worthy as I am still a beginner, but none the less, I am very happy and felt obligated to make a post.

The summer has been busy, as I knew it would. Here is what I have been doing: Ran two 10k’s, finished one book, “Summer and the City” (so good), attended numerous baseball games to watch my son, survived two camping trips with three little kids under the age of 6, swam in every pool and lake within a 20 mile radius, avoided at least two trips to the ER because my kids think they are invincible on a playground, gone to one movie (Final Harry Potter movie, also so good), participated in Relay for Life, stayed busy working and listened or watched the Casey Anthony Trial. As you can read from my tweets, I was with the majority of the country–shocked and EXTREMELY confused when the jury came back with a Not Guilty Verdict.

Everyone has their two-cents on this, and here is mine. I enjoyed watching the trial very much. It was better than any Lifetime Movie I have ever seen. The lies, the allegations of abuse, and a young pretty mom on trial for killing her beautiful daughter. You couldn’t write all the twists and turns that came up during this trial. I thought the jury would be in deliberation for at least a week because there were too many lies that they needed sort through and tons of evidence to look at provided by the State. In addition, First Degree Murder with the death penalty was not the only charge they could have convicted her with. There were several other ‘options’ they could have chose from. Here are the Verdict Forms that they had to complete. There was lots of information to absorb and so many lies thrown into the mix that it confused the jury enough to raise ‘reasonable doubt’. They came back with a Not Guilty Verdict in less than 11 hours. Just going through all the other charges and scenarios they could have convicted her of would have taken 11 hours alone to deliberate!! Now NO ONE will ever be charged OR held accountable with the death of this little girl and that is complete injustice. Mr. Baez made a statement after the trial, “I get to go home and tell my little girl that I saved a life today.” Well what about Caylee, Mr. Baez? Even if it was an accident like you stated in your opening statement, Casey did nothing to save her and what the hell do you call that!!?? Now they are trying to pass “Caylees Law” where it would be a crime if a parent/guardian fails to report a child missing or dead. I support the law, but do we seriously need a law to enforce this? Parents have of MORAL/ETHICAL obligation to report an accident or death of their child! Did the jury really need a law in writing, in front of their face, to know that is a form of child abuse?! It is devastating that this is how it turned out, however, we have to accept the jury’s verdict and Judge Perry imposed the maximum sentence for lying and now she is free. I do not do criminal work, and this is why, I obviously don’t understand it.

Anyway, my goals for the rest of the summer: one more camping trip, one more book to read “Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me”, finish a 60-mile relay race with 6 other ladies, and I will boycott anything that ‘TOT Mom’ does to make money off the death of her daughter.