Sunday, July 10, 2011

30 Days... Still hearing testimony

(as previously seen on The Daily Dose)



Lee, Cindy, George, Caylee, and Casey Anthony

Fellow Bloggers,
Let's take a sidebar for just a moment and recap today's courtroom filled testimony as Day 30 of the Casey Anthony trial dismisses for the night. Unlike my previous post regarding this case, the following is factual and does not include opinion, but rather, a perception of the transpiring events. (Not all testimony was heard as my cable and web were down until just before Lee Anthony left the stand.)

Testimony was heard by Cindy Anthony, George Anthony, and Lee Anthony. I did not hear their testimony.
Mr. Roy Kronk was the next one to be called to the stand. Roy Kronk was the Orange County Meter Reader who found the remains of Caylee Anthony. His testimony was rock solid. He never wavered. He addressed each and every question that both the defense and the state posed to him, however belittling the defense was.


Cheney Mason

During one statement by Mr. Cheney Mason (effectively nicknamed Mumbles by the chat room jurors) began questioning Mr. Kronk on the issue of where he parked, where he walked and what exactly he was doing in the woods. He asked Kronk if he had knowledge of who lived down the road from the wooded area he went in to 'relieve' himself... Yes, meter reader peed in the woods.

Kronk's replies were noteworthy. "I had been in the area on one other occasion during my training as meter reader. I was not aware of the Anthony's address until my second time in the area, unsupervised. I was no longer in training as a meter reader."

Cheney asked Kronk if he had knowledge of the wooded area and to whether or not he had seen anything in the woods.


Roy Kronk

Kronk advised the courtroom he was making his route reading the meters when a co-worker (Dean) was out with a trainee. Dean and the Trainee were advised by the supervisor to meet up with Kronk and help him out. Kronk, Dean and the trainee were gathered near the location where Caylee was found. Kronk stated that Dean told him "Caylee may be out here. That is her grandparents home down there." And pointed out the Anthony's general location and stated that is why there are media personnel down there. Kronk brushed it off, stating he entered the wooded area to relieve himself. While there, he noticed something grayish in color and something white. He stated the white object might have been a skull but he was too far away and didn't think it really was.

Cheney, throughout the questioning tried to get Kronk to fumble in admitting to touching the evidence (tampering) or to make it appear as though he knew George Anthony and had done something with the evidence to help out Mr. Anthony. Kronk never faultered. At one point in time, Kronk became slightly agitated, but maintain his composure stating, "I'll tell you this again, I did not at anytime prior to December 11th, have any contact with the evidence other than looking." Later to admit he used his meter rod to rotate the apparent skull a portion to verify it if was a skull, stating he still didn't think it was real, but rather, a prop."


Linda Burdick

During Cross, Linda Burdick, prosecutor for the state, asked viable questions to help reiterate his testimony to the jury. Chat room chatter suggested the jury may have lost track of the testimony through all of the pauses and indirect questioning by the defense.

After lunch, chat room chatter and Twitter statements confirmed, along with TruTV In Session that the State had acquired two witnesses on behalf of the State to confirm Cindy Anthony's work history and specifically the date in question regarding the chloroform searches. If you recall, Cindy stated during defense direct, she had been the one to perform the 84 web searches for Chloroform stating, "I started looking up chlorophyll and that prompted me to look up chloroform," continuing, "I also ran a few other searches at the same time in March for other things we had in the house,  like acetone, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol." Prosecution kept in mind that Cindy was employed and asked her if she was working or at home on March 17th between the times 1:43 and 1:55pm. Cindy replied, "if the computer shows that is the time the searches were made, I made them." Cindy continued her vague answers then stated she, "may have been at work and left." Testimony from the employers will certainly help debunk Cindy's statements.


Judge Belvin Perry

On a sidenote, juror number 2 is an IT expert and juror number 5 does not own a computer... These deliberations may get hostile in the weeks to come.



Sergeant Moonsammy




Concluding testimony of Kronk, Judge Belvin Perry dismissed the jury for the remainder of the day and a proffer was held to determine the validity and relevance of three more witnesses for the defense. A correctional officer for Casey Anthony, Mr. Moonsammy, and a former correctional officer for the cell block, was called to the stand. There questions were short and simple. Defense asked, "How is Casey Anthony's demeanor in the correctional facility?" Mr. Moonsammy stated he does not have direct contact with Ms. Anthony and that he would not know unless there was a disturbance, which there had not been any to his knowledge. The former correctional officer stated Anthony was "pleasant". Judge Belvin Perry ruled during the Proffer that neither witnesses testimony was relevant to the case. 



Jesse Grund

 Enter the surprise witness, ex-boyfriend Jesse Grund. He was also questioned during the proffer about Casey and anything she may have told him that would bring about questions in her home. Grund stated that on two separate occasions, Casey told him that when she had woke from her sleep, Lee, her brother, was standing over her and on one of the occasions, he was groping her. Again, struck down by the judge as his testimony was irrelevant to the trial.

A sidebar commenced after that to determine the need for a grievance counselor who had spoken to Anthony on an occasion. Judge Perry dismissed the court with instructions to the attorneys to look up cases (specifically case law) in which grievance counselors were used to validate testimony regarding the issue.

All in all, nothing was established by the defense. However, the prosecution managed to turn a few witnesses their way. And the defense has a long way to go if this gets out. (@ 2:16-2:25)... Much different that their opening statement. (@ 0:23)...

Hope this gets you up to date... Stay tuned for more of the continuing saga!
Until tomorrow,
LaVonda

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