ORANGE COUNTY, Fla.,None — Casey Anthony's ex-lover told a court on Thursday during day 14 of her murder trial that she used to bring her daughter Caylee along for their trysts, and the little girl would sleep in the bed with both of them. On Thursday, a jury heard from the men in Casey's life, including her father and two of her ex-boyfriends.
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Casey entered the courtroom around 8:55am, wearing a light blue striped button-down shirt and grey pants. She had her hair pulled back in a tight bun.
One of her ex-boyfriends said he saw a lot of Caylee, night and day and even after Casey had a new boyfriend.
All the men in her life, and more of Casey's acquaintances, testified Thursday that Casey never showed any signs of distress during the first 31 days that Caylee was missing, except when she fought with her mother on the phone.
Casey's former boyfriend, Ricardo Morales, said Casey and Caylee stayed over four to five nights a week soon after they met.
"I slept on one side of the room, Casey in the middle, Caylee on the other side," Morales said.
He said Cindy once made Casey take Caylee home in the middle of the night.
Casey cried when her former boyfriend Tony Lazzaro talked about how Caylee could count to 40 in Spanish.
"Where did she learn that?" Lazzaro was asked.
"From Dora the Explorer," he replied.
"Did there seem to be a lot of love between Casey and Caylee?" Casey's attorney, Jose Baez asked.
"Yes," Lazzaro responded.
Baez asked him to explain.
"All I can remember, it was, she had a book, she had her teddy bear. We went down to the pool, teaching her how to swim," Lazzaro said.
An acquaintance, Melissa England, testified that Casey bragged about her lies.
"When she hung up she just kind of threw the phone down and said, 'Oh my God, I'm such a good liar," England said.
Tensions ran high as George Anthony was brought back to the stand on Thursday. There were several tense exchanges between Casey's lead attorney, Jose Baez, and George Anthony.
George was asked to describe the day that he tried to look for gas cans in the trunk of Casey's car. Prosecutors contend she reacted by running past her father because Caylee's body was in the trunk.
Baez went around and around with a defiant George Anthony over the gas cans.
"When you get into this thing between you and I, you're trying to get me more upset and I don't think it's fair. Treat me with a little respect, and I'll treat you with a little respect," George said to Baez.
George was clearly frustrated with Baez.
"You are badgering me," George said to Baez.
Baez continued to spar with George, trying to trip him up and asked what WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer calls an "unnecessarily cruel question."
"You called police to report gas cans missing?" Baez asked George.
"Yes," he replied.
"Not your granddaughter missing?" Baez asked.
"My granddaughter was not missing at that point," George replied.
"One could argue that the move that he pulled on George was in fact a sleazy maneuver," said Sheaffer.
The defense claims Caylee accidentally drowned and Casey's sexually abusive father made her cover it up, to avoid facing a child neglect charge.
WFTV found video from a jail house meeting between Casey and her parents in August of 2008, where Casey seemed to just brush aside the drowning theory as if it's completely ridiculous.
"Someone just said that Caylee was dead this morning. That she drowned in the pool," Cindy said to Casey in the video. "That's the latest story out there."
"Surprise, surprise," Casey replied.
Sheaffer points out that if Caylee had actually drowned, and Casey was trying to keep it a secret, she would have seemed surprised.
Sheaffer believes the video will make it into the trial. He said it will have a big impact on the jury and perhaps convince them the defense theory is nothing but a sham.
"She's 'poo-pooing' that that ever happened at all, in the manner of what she said and in what she said," Sheaffer said.
Chief Judge Belvin Perry scolded Baez about trying to question George about a picture that was never submitted into evidence.
"The photo you're referring to is not in evidence. It's kind of hard to question someone about a photograph that's not in evidence!" Perry said to Baez.
WFTV legal analyst Bill Shaeffer said George Anthony was clearly in control of Baez's cross examination.
"Really, George took over the cross examination away from Jose as far as tempo mood and testimony," Sheaffer said. "George is a very powerful witness for the state. I believe the jury is starting to realize that this fabricated story of George being involved in the accidental death and cover up is nothing more than fiction."
Judge Perry was becoming increasingly impatient with Baez's stunts.
"You've been told three times he can't remember. Move on!" stated Perry.
"You asked your lawyer..," Baez attempted to ask George.
"Do not go there! Next question! Baez, approach," Perry firmly told Baez.
Perry admonished Baez repeatedly about asking improper questions, and once even sent the jury out to do it.
Sheaffer said sending the jury out to scold an attorney is extremely unusual and that even graduate law students wouldn't have made the kind of mistakes Baez made on Thursday. Sheaffer said Baez was not playing fair.
Late in the afternoon, defense attorney Cheney Mason stepped up and took command of the defense and questioned a witness for the first time.
Mason conducted the cross examination of a friend of Casey's, Matthew Crisp. He asked a few short questions, and then the witness was dismissed.
Toward the end of the day, Lazzaro was called back to the stand around 5:15pm. Baez questioned him about Casey's accusations of sexual abuse by her brother, Lee Anthony. Lazzaro said that she mentioned to him that Lee tried to "feel her up."
Judge Perry then asked Lazzaro about Casey's father, George, about whether he abused Casey.
Lazzaro said he only recalled hearing about physical abuse.
Since testimony began on Tuesday, Baez has been doing the questioning of witnesses.
Casey is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter. If convicted, she could be sentenced to death. She has pleaded not guilty.
Previous Stories: May 25, 2011: Casey Friends Say They Never Knew Caylee Was Missing May 24, 2011: Casey Murder Trial Brings Tears, Blame And Shame May 23, 2011: Legal Analyst Previews Casey Trial Opening Statements May 20, 2011: Casey Anthony Back In Orange County Jail May 20, 2011: Details On Jurors For Casey Anthony Trial May 20, 2011: Casey Jury Sworn In, Opening Statements Start Tuesday May 20, 2011: Woman Yells "She Killed Somebody" During Casey Trial May 19, 2011: Judge Plans To Swear In Casey Jury On Friday
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