Much of the country was tightly glued to their televisions as the Casey Anthony trial was underway- there was virtual media frenzy pending her verdict. Casey Anthony a young mother from Orlando, Florida, was on trial for the murder of her daughter, Caylee.
Caylee was last seen with her mother, Casey, on June 16, 2008, however, she was not reported missing for 31 days until her grandmother, Cindy Anthony, notified authorities. Caylee’s body was uncovered near her home in a wooded area on December 11, 2008. Following the discovery of her daughters body, Casey Anthony, was indicted for first degree murder charges, for which she pleaded not guilty. Despite the prosecution’s efforts to seek conviction and the death penalty during the six week trial on July 5, 2011, the jury found Casey Anthony not guilty of murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child. Casey Anthony was however found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer and was sentenced to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine on each individual convicted charge. The result of the trial, which has left many torn, as many have cited the case as an example of the unfairness of pretrial publicity and it’s ability to greatly impact a defendants rights. Others across the country have seen the case as a miscarriage of justice in the liability of a parent’s rights and responsibility. The case has left many across the country torn as to the guilt of Casey Anthony, however it has also united a nation on the continual need to increase the protection of our children.
Anthony was released yesterday, July 17, 2011 at 12:10 AM, for time served and good behavior- ironically on the same date her daughter disappeared 3 years earlier. July 15th, mark’s the 3rd anniversary of the reporting of her disappearance, little Caylee Marie Anthony would be 6 years-old on her upcoming Birthday, August 9. In an effort to prevent future cases such as Caylee’s, more than one million people have signed a Change.org campaign calling for the creation of “Caylee’s Law”. “Caylee’s Law” would make it a felony for a parent to fail to report a missing child to law enforcement. The campaign has prompted more than 18 states to draft versions of Caylee’s Law. Legislators in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia have all announced that they are drafting versions of “Caylee’s Law” prompted by the petition on Change.org. The New York Times reports that the Change.org petition “calling for action from everyone from state representatives to members of Congress to President Obama” has been the driving force behind legislation.
As many across the country were outraged at the “not guilty” verdict of Casey Anthony, is the question for justice for Caylee now to be served via increased legislation?
