Casey Anthony Sentenced To Jail Until July 17

UPDATE: Anthony will now be released on July 17, according to multiple reports.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Casey Anthony will be a free woman on Wednesday, just weeks shy of what would have been her daughter Caylee's sixth birthday.

Chief Judge Belvin Perry sentenced Anthony, 25, to four years for lying to police during the investigation into Caylee's 2008 death, but shortened her term because she served 1,043 days after being arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

Anthony was acquitted of killing 2-year-old Caylee on Tuesday, but she returned to court in Orlando on Thursday for sentencing on four lesser counts of lying to police officers about the disappearance of her child. Those lies launched one of the largest searches ever for a missing child.

• Guilty or Innocent? You Be The 13th Juror
• Casey Anthony Personal Photos
• Trial Evidence Photos

Perry also slapped her with $4,000 in fines.

Anthony's defense team tried to persuade Perry that the four misdemeanors occurred during one day of questioning by police and therefore should be counted as a single crime. To punish her on four separate counts would violate double jeopardy rules, the defense said.

But Perry appeared unmoved.

"As a result of those four distinct lies, law enforcement expended a great deal of of time energy and manpower looking for young Caylee Marie Anthony," he said.

Perry sentenced Anthony to serve one year of jail time for each of the four counts of lying to police. Since the death of her daughter in 2008, Anthony has spent almost three years behind bars.

Wearing a blue v-neck sweater, Anthony, 25, smiled at times when she entered the court, but she appeared stoic when the hearing began and expressionless when the verdict was handed down.

The jury deliberated for 11 hours over two days before finding Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder, manslaughter and child abuse after the month-long trial that had captivated the country.

Anthony's story to police about the disappearance of her daughter changed several times. She initially told authorities that Caylee had been kidnapped by a babysitter, but her defense attorneys argued during the trial that the toddler drowned in the family's pool.

The prosecution alleged that Anthony suffocated Caylee, whose remains were found buried near the family's home in Orlando. Photos later emerged of Anthony partying and competing in a hot body contest during the period when she claimed that Caylee had disappeared.

SEE THE COURTHOUSE PROTESTORS:

1 of 12

Casey Anthony Sentencing

1 of 13

First Slide

Previous Slide

@

On the morning of Casey Anthony's sentencing, some 30 to 40 demonstrators -- including Orlando resident Flora Reece -- rallied in front of the courthouse, chanting "no justice" and carrying signs. Reece said she has followed the case from the beginning. "This jury needs to go to another planet," she told The Huffington Post. "When someone does not report their daughter missing for 31 days that is evidence. That is a part of evidence. Where is the common sense in this country anymore?" (Photo: David Lohr)

Joran van der Sloot Extradition: Once Peru Gets Rid Of Convicted Killer, U.S. Wants To Try Him For Murder, Expert Says

Shauntae Hope Marks Missing: South Dakota Teen Threatened To Harm Herself

Long Island Serial Killer Case: Suffolk County District Attorney Blasts Rumors

Alex Boulet Accused Of Hiding Crack, Marijuana, Oxycodone in His Rectum

Kristin Leone Arrested: Clifton High School Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Student

Randy Swopes, Illinois Man Who Sewed Son's Buttocks Shut, Takes Alford Plea

On the morning of Casey Anthony's sentencing, some 30 to 40 demonstrators -- including Orlando resident Flora Reece -- rallied in front of the courthouse, chanting "no justice" and carrying signs. Reece said she has followed the case from the beginning. "This jury needs to go to another planet," she told The Huffington Post. "When someone does not report their daughter missing for 31 days that is evidence. That is a part of evidence. Where is the common sense in this country anymore?" (Photo: David Lohr)

comments(8936)

Total comments: 8936 | Post a Comment

1 of 13

The Orange County courthouse was once again a chaotic scene on Thursday as a large crowd formed for its last glimpse of the saga that began three years ago.

Several dozen protestors stood outside chanting "We want justice" while police stood nearby to maintain order.

After sentencing, opposing groups of demonstrators drowned each other out, shouting "Justice for Caylee" and "Free Casey."

Comments

[j9neil]

02:43 AM on 07/15/2011

The woman in the wheelchair in picture # 4 is an embarrassment to our country. She sits there displaying a sign with a blatant spelling error. It's sad.

[skweekyd]

04:23 AM on 07/22/2011

really. !!!you're!!! going to judge her spelling of a sign that says people shouldn't judge people, this is what cause's a paradox sir.

[dpgaff]

04:42 PM on 07/13/2011

Casey Anthonys' head seems deformed. It is only as wide as a two year olds, and she has a strange bump on her forehead. Maybe in person this is not so, but in pictures she looks like a mutant, or some kind of freak. I hear that she is concerned about her image. Well, she is no great beauty.

[jsblackball]

02:37 PM on 07/13/2011

i say god will give the last word in all this . so we all can stop hate lets move on and let there be a lesson made in this. a dont buy any books that could come out from these devils or watch any of these movies on this case so no 1 makes money off this little angels life that was cut short, let ower hate show that way bye not buying in to this . taking part in harming anyone is wrong to so were better then that rember if she dont make money she cant pay the court or any body or live for free on us all so who win her or us

[Sharon Larson]

11:52 PM on 07/11/2011

Its like a truckload of crap has been unloaded onto America by the Anthonys regarding this trial.
If it was a drowning why didn't they call 911 & give Caylee a decent burial?
The story doesn't make sense.
So much confusion unloaded onto Americans.

[UCR]

03:39 PM on 07/11/2011

You know what I always say, "No balls, no justice."

[MamacitaOfLove]

07:24 PM on 07/10/2011

◦“You can pretty well predict there’s going to be a life sentence, either a plea and get it over with or have a circus trial and then be convicted and get life.”
– J. Cheney Mason (12/12/2008)

◦“Then all the talking, all the press interviews and the parents going on this show and that show and the lawyer [Jose Baez] going on different shows establishes they have no credibility whatsoever.”
- J. Cheney Mason (12/12/2008)

[1088]

06:55 PM on 07/10/2011

Now she can go partying until 2099!

[richardkenosha1]

08:48 PM on 07/10/2011

She should live so long.....

[MamacitaOfLove]

01:19 PM on 07/10/2011

http://krb­e.com/port­als/1/audi­o/rrshow/i­nterviews/­070611_CAS­EYANTHONY_­familymemb­er.mp3


BS or something that's actually coming??

[Huffer-10]

01:26 PM on 07/10/2011

The link you posted is dead. What's it about?

[MamacitaOfLove]

07:04 PM on 07/10/2011

Go here: http://www.cayleedaily.com/

According to a second cousin of Cindy's on a Houston radio show, a book is coming supporting the defense position.

I have no idea if true or not, but interesting...

[DMiller1234]

01:12 PM on 07/10/2011

While I believe our criminal justice system is one of the best in the world, after listening to the interview Jennifer Ford (Juror #3) gave WFTV...I have absolutely NO faith in the average citizens ability to comprehend, rationalize, or reason through a problem to its logical conclusion (or follow directions for that matter).

Ms. Ford stated she waited the entire trial to hear exactly how Caylee died and never did. HUH? Was she sleeping throughout the trial? There was not only one, but TWO, oral arguments made for exactly how Caylee died...suffocation by the application of 3 pieces of duct tape to her nose/mouth and accidental drowning. Good grief...was she waiting for the child's spirit to apparate and testify to how her life was taken from her?

I watched the ENTIRE trial and for the life of me I can come up with NO reasonable explanation (after considering ALL the evidence, including Casey's actions/allegations from the time the child was last seen until her remains were discovered) that Caylee Anthony died as a direct result of anything other than suffocation by the application of three pieces of duct tape over her nose/mouth, at the hands of her MOTHER. No other scenario makes any reasonable sense.

Ms. Ford's reasons as to why she couldn't convict Casey on anything other than lying, even though I respect her right to her own opinion, absolutely defies any common ense/logic/rational thinking.

[exther]

04:40 PM on 07/10/2011

Hi D
The burden of proof lies with the prosecution. They didn't do their job.

[woodnwire]

05:10 PM on 07/10/2011

probably Fla educated as well

[DMiller1234]

07:50 PM on 07/10/2011

Hello, exther.

I am very familiar with how the criminal justice system justice works, thank you.

I would respectfully disagree with you. The only thing lacking in the prosecutions case was a video of Ms. Anthony actually committing the crime.

[1088]

06:48 PM on 07/10/2011

Now you're seeing how uneducated Americans are, and unable to comprehend and solve complex problems.

[MamacitaOfLove]

07:06 PM on 07/10/2011

Yup.

[Joe Corbett]

07:10 PM on 07/10/2011

Sometimes not enough information is given for a solution. That is when heads explode.

[Raglimidechi]

01:56 PM on 07/09/2011

I think of this case as "The Anthony Family Crime Saga." These folks make the Adams family look like the Brady bunch. Their proclivity to lie is just amazing. Seemingly they don't ever have to come up for air.

[jingles32]

06:06 AM on 07/09/2011

A little off topic, but I read yesterday that prosecutor Jeffrey Ashton was the first in the United States to gain a conviction based on DNA evidence, more than 20 years ago. No stranger to cutting edge forensics, i.e. DNA and now hair banding.
http://www.wesh.com/casey-anthony-extended-coverage/27347743/detail.html

[MamacitaOfLove]

07:06 PM on 07/10/2011

What a career he's had! Brilliant man.

[my4salebox]

04:37 AM on 07/09/2011

I personally have no idea. I didn't follow the case. But I can tell you right now that the image above of the lady screaming to arrest the jury for not having any balls is a woman who should never be on a jury ever, let alone a mother, teacher, cop, judge or even a baseball umpire.

[DIEBOLD87]

08:35 PM on 07/12/2011

if i were on the jury i would have given her DEATH SENTENCE in a heart beat

[Samantha Monteleone]

01:46 AM on 07/09/2011

As I have said in response to a previous article regarding Casey Anthony, "I don't understand why she is walking free on Wednesday when according to a detective'­s handwritte­n notes released in 2010, Casey said that she used to "give Caylee chloroform always in her bed". (You may find the notes in PDF format here: http://www­.wftv.com/­pdf/256055­34/detail.­html)

I cannot understand why this was not brought up in court. All the mention of chloroform searches, but no mention of this, the bottle of chloroform­, any of that..."

Even the jury said that "not guilty" was not the verdict that they had wanted to reach. It was up to these twelve people to keep a murderer off of the streets, and they could have, yet they did not feel that it was their right to do so. This is absolutely outrageous, in my personal opinion.

[IamYourDrillThrall]

06:31 AM on 07/09/2011

I think I can clear that up for you: the jury didn't go over any evidence.

[Samantha Monteleone]

04:19 PM on 07/09/2011

Fair enough.

[richardkenosha1]

08:53 PM on 07/10/2011

They did all look like a bunch of lazy sods. They were unintrested and wanted to get home. They could have cared less.

[sunnydayz20118]

11:10 AM on 07/09/2011

The notes weren't allowed as the statements regarding the use of chloroform in bed, etc., came from another inmate (Robyn Adams)...not Casey herself. It is hearsay and not allowed under the rules of evidence.

[dpgaff]

04:49 PM on 07/13/2011

Everything about Georges wrong doing also was hearsay.

[bjsmissy]

12:58 AM on 07/09/2011

I just watch Dr. Drew tonight interveiwing the lady who had to stay with Casey for 9 days and the stories she was telling about Casey was chilling. Why was she not called to testify for the prossecutions team. It would have changed the juriors minds quickly. I don't agree with the decision of the jury but feel they did the best job they could. I will not support Casey with my money but it's my choice and everyone else will have to make up their own minds.

[sunnydayz20118]

08:19 PM on 07/09/2011

Under the rules of evidence, testimony must be relevant and its probative value must outweigh any prejudice. Tracy McLaughlin's testimony as to those 9 days with Casey was 1) not relevant, and 2) possessed no probative value (tending to prove the existence of any material fact in the case...ie., Casey was responsible for the death of her child) that would outweigh the prejudicial element of her testimony.

Therefore, even if the prosecution had added her to thier witness list, the court would never have allowed her to testify under the rules of evidence/exclusion..

[dpgaff]

04:54 PM on 07/13/2011

Why did the court allow the defense to accuse George with no evidence.

[Good DeedsLeadTo]

08:29 PM on 07/08/2011

Lesson learned. If you cannot prove it, don't accuse the person, even if the person is guilty, or at least back off or move on after a little commotion.

[mbroo]

09:57 PM on 07/08/2011

A child died...we aren't talking about stealing ice cream...this is not something you just walk away from...someone lost their life...

[my4salebox]

04:36 AM on 07/09/2011

Good DeedsLeadTo is 100% correct.

The reply "a child died" is not a logical response to a logical argument.

If you cannot prove your case, don't bring it. When you CAN prove it, then bring it. If you go all off crying bloody murder without thinking about your plan, you really might lose.

Get it?

If she killed her kid, she just got off because the case was brought BEFORE it was provable.

Get it?

[Laserbeam]

06:52 PM on 07/09/2011

They DID prove it.

What were the odds they could find a jury who would completely disregard jury instructions, refuse to look at evidence, misunderstand the concept of REASONABLE doubt, AND throw out any common sense they collectively possessed? I have witnessed the growing lack of educated and informed citizens over the many years of budget cuts to public education and I have to say the odds are lower today than at any other time.

A shame they jury didn't take their civic jobs seriously.

[Starling5]

01:58 AM on 07/10/2011

I think the point you have just made is the most relevant of all.
More so than any of the intricate details of this case,
I feel that everyone has found themselves with 'their knickers in a twist', not understanding the basis of why this verdict failed in every way possible.
It really comes down to a general lack of education and original thinking, on behalf of the US majority who depend on the media to feed them with 'how to think'.

I cannot understand anybody's opinion that this verdict was justified.