ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.,None — Casey Anthony's murder trial continued on Saturday, and as a forensic expert testified about her daughter Caylee's autopsy, she became emotional.
Casey's accused of killing her 2-year-old Caylee.
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Saturday marks day 33, including jury selection, of Casey's murder trial.
Casey entered the courtroom just after 8:30 a.m. and court was called to order early at 8:45 a.m. Casey was wearing a white button-down shirt and khaki pants. She had her hair pulled back in a bun. Casey's parents, George and Cindy Anthony were present.
Casey's lead defense attorney, Jose Baez, called his first witness, Dr. William Rodriguez. He's a forensic anthropologist with the U.S. Department of Defense Armed Forces Medical Examiner's Office. Baez began questioning Rodriguez about the video that the jury saw of the duct tape on Caylee's photo.
Rodriguez said it would be impossible to determine the exact position of duct tape on a corpse. Because tape loses its stickiness, it may have shifted, and animals could have come into contact with the body.
Then, Chief Judge Belvin Perry threatened contempt of court against Baez for intentionally violating the court's order for trying to get a witness to give opinions that weren't previously disclosed.
Perry told the state and the defense that both sides have taken part in game playing. He said, "this is not a game."
"It appears to me that this was quite intentional. This was not some inadvertent slip. It was not inadvertent. The question is whether Ms. Anthony should be punished because of this," said Perry.
"This is what we are going to do. We are going to stop today at 1 'o clock. This witness is going to step down and you are going to take his deposition this afternoon," said Perry.
He said Rodriguez would testify next week. Perry said, "Mr. Baez, this is not my first rodeo."
Perry said he will reserve ruling on Baez's violation. He then dismissed Rodriguez for the day, telling the jury they will take another witness.
Renowned forensic expert, Dr. Werner Spitz was then called to the stand. He's a forensic pathologist and an expert in autopsies.
Spitz has been an expert witness in several high-profile cases, including that of O.J. Simpson.
Spitz showed jurors a picture of the inside of Caylee's skull and talked about the secondary autopsy he conducted on her remains. He said it was a failure that Caylee's head was not opened during the official autopsy.
As he showed a skull to the jury, Casey looked as though she was disgusted and became emotional. He said he examined the interior of Caylee's skull.
The doctors' testimony was key for the defense as it is a direct contradiction to the findings of Orange County's medical examiner Dr. Jan Garavaglia, who determined that Caylee's cause of death was a homicide.
Spitz talked about duct tape found across the front of Caylee's skull. Prosecutors have suggested it was used to suffocate her, but Spitz testified that he believes the tape was placed on the skull after the body had decomposed.
"It was a later, later event not an early event," said Spitz.
That testimony played right into the defense theory that meter reader Roy Kronk altered the remains.
Spitz said the autopsy done on Caylee was "shoddy."
When prosecutor Jeff Ashton took over for the cross examination, he attacked Spitz's testimony that the state's autopsy was botched.
"When you say Dr. G's failure to remove skull botched autopsy, you are referring to the way you think it should be done," said Ashton.
Ashton asked Spitz if he broke Caylee's skull when he opened it. But, Spitz replied, "I didn't know I broke it."
The court adjourned Saturday afternoon. The case will resume Monday at 9 a.m.
Casey is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child and four counts of lying to law enforcement. She has pleaded not guilty and faces the death penalty if convicted.
The state says Caylee was suffocated by Casey with duct tape. The defense contends she drowned in her grandparents' swimming pool.
Caylee's skeletal remains were found in the woods behind the Anthony home on Suburban Drive in December 2008.
Previous Stories: June 17, 2011: Casey Court Drama: Sparring Lawyers, Fighting Spectators June 16, 2011: Mistake, Objections Spark Fireworks In Casey Trial June 15, 2011: Defense Motion For Acquittal Denied In Casey Trial June 14, 2011: WFTV Duct Tape Video Used As Evidence In Casey Trial June 13, 2011: Prosecutors Almost Finished In Casey Murder Trial June 11, 2011: Crime Scene, Insect Experts Testify In Casey Trial Day 27 June 10, 2011: Casey Gets Angry, Cries As Caylee Autopsy Pics Shown June 09, 2011: Casey Becomes Sick During Testimony On Remains June 08, 2011: Expert: Casey Searched Neck-Breaking, Death On Web June 07, 2011: Deputy: Cadaver Dog Alerted To Playhouse, Casey's Car June 06, 2011: Expert: Tests Show Body Was In Trunk Of Casey's Car June 04, 2011: Forensic Expert Testifies On Evidence In Casey's Car
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