it was quite a good day (God Bless Mr. Kronk)

Today’s parade of defense witnesses, in the State v. Casey Anthony trial, didn’t perform too well for the defense, however, they were colorful and in some instances, provocative.

In short, today’s defense witnesses were quite good for the State of Florida.

Here was today’s line-up:

1. Joe Jordan – He was a Texas EquuSearch volunteer who served as a team leader, and originally thought he’d searched the area where Caylee’s remains were found, but admitted later that he was mistaken. He was subsequently rabidly pursued by the defense who wanted to use his original testimony to prove that the body could not have been in those woods at the time because Joe Jordan said he didn’t see a body.  In an email, Joe Jordan had told Yuri Mellich that Caylee’s body couldn’t have been there because he was sure he and his team had thoroughly searched the area.  But, the defense is STILL pursuing his original testimony in the hopes it will give rise to some reasonable doubt. There came a time when the defense was pursuing Mr. Jordan for his story, which troubled him so much he decided to tape his conversation with Morton Smith, investigator from the defense, without his knowledge.  It is against the law for a citizen to record anyone without their knowledge (law enforcement may do so).  Mr. Jordan, when questioned by Cheney Mason about being possibly charged with a felony, it scared him and he began to plead the fifth, which the State objected to.  There were lengthy side-bars regarding this issue, and ultimately, the jury was asked to disregard the question and answer.
2. George Anthony – He was asked if he knew River Cruz aka Crystal Halloway.  He was asked if he had a romantic relationship with her; he denied this.  Note: I believe that River originally denied there was a romantic relationship, too.  George was very defensive on the stand and it appeared that he was hiding something.  And, uh, there was no mention of molestation, drowning, or duct tape!  Hmmmm.
3. Cindy Anthony – She was asked about whether she had told Dominic Casey and James Hoover to search off of Suburban Drive for Caylee based on a psychic’s tip.  I clearly remember that Yuri Mellich wrote in his police report that Cindy Anthony had claimed she’d sent people out to those woods and Caylee was not there.  Today, she completely denied it.
4. Lee Anthony – Lee said the exact opposite of Cindy.  He did have an argument with his mother about sending Dominic Casey in the woods to look for Caylee.  Cindy told Lee that she’d gotten a psychic tip and he was very angry.  It was the first time his family was going to look for a “dead Caylee” and he was very angry. Frank George asked him if he was completely sold on his sister’s lies at that time.  Strangely, Lee smiled, shook his head as if amused, and said, “yes, and no.”
5. Yuri Mellich – he agrees that Cindy Anthony told him (as he’d written in his report), Cindy told him she’d “sent her people walk in that area and there was nothing in the area then.”
6. Roy Kronk– Mr. Kronk was a FANTASTIC witness!  He made
   

   Roy Kronk - Caylee's Angel on Earth

   Cheney Mason, who questioned him, look like a bumbling, mumbling fool!  Mr. Mason did his best impression of a tough as nails but folksy and smart lawyer, giving “knowing” glances to the jury, as if to say Mr. Kronk was a big ole liar when, in truth, Mr. Mason looked like the big ole liar.  Oh, it was a beautiful thing.  Mr. Kronk is Caylee’s angel; were it not for Roy Kronk no one may have found Caylee Marie Anthony.  Thank you, Mr. Kronk, and GREAT JOB today!

7. David Dean – Another meter reader, expressed to Roy Kronk that the area off of Suburban Drive “would be a great place to put a body.”  During cross, Linda Drane-Burdick asked Mr. Dean, “Why did you feel this area was a good spot to maybe look for Caylee?”  To which Mr. Dean indicated that in the jail videos of the family visiting Casey Anthony that she had told the family she felt Caylee was close by.  This was not good for the defense!   Meter Readers are now all heroes in my book, by the way.
8. Alex Roberts – Roy Kronk’s supervisor, a senior meter reader, supported the series of events.
9. Corrections Officers – Two officers were there to testify that Casey Anthony was a model citizen.  This is totally irrelevant to this trial and the Judge did would not allow their testimony.
10. Jesse Grund – Out of the presence of the jury, Mr. Grund said that Casey had told him Lee Anthony had “groped” her on two occasions.  The defense would sure like to have this self-serving hearsay into evidence.  They’d like to have the chance to have Casey’s allegations into the record.  The judge is going to rule on this tomorrow.  There’s no way this is coming in, but the defense can dream – let ‘em spend the night dreaming!

In other news today, we learned that the State, in their rebuttal case, is going to call people from Cindy’s former workplace, Gentiva.  The individuals are from the Internet Technology (IT) group.  No doubt they are going to dispute Cindy’s recent testimony about not being at work the days the chloroform searches were performed on the family computer.  (You may remember, Cindy claimed that she was home that day and most likely made the “chloroform” searches – not Casey.)

Cindy claimed the only way to tell if she was at work would be to go back and look at her emails, but she’s sure those emails are no longer in existence.  Hah!  What Cindy doesn’t realize is that nothing on the Internet is gone forever!

The defense team told the Judge today they have only about 6 or seven witnesses left to testify, one of which is a grief counselor (who never met Casey, by the way), but Jeff Ashton was not able to depose the witness on a Saturday as he was dealing with other defense witness depositions (Furton and Rodriquez).  Jeff Ashton is going to be at a disadvantage as a result of not having the opportunity to depose this witness.  It remains to be seen if this witness will be allowed to testify.

Judge Perry advised the defense that when the defense is ready to rest their case, he will advise Casey Anthony that she has the right to either testify or not, and it’s solely her decision.

The defense case is going downhill so fast, and so completely, the only way to get the evidence of accidental drowning and the molestation out there, she will have to testify.

It’s a bad idea, of course, but, hey, when you’re very life is on the line, maybe it’s not such a bad idea after all?