ORLANDO, Fla.,None — Chief Judge Belvin Perry is expected to issue his rulings Thursday about pioneer scientific evidence prosecutors want to use in the case against Casey Anthony. WFTV also obtained transcripts of depositions the defense took of Casey's now ex-boyfriend and her former best friend two months ago.
READ DEPOSITIONS: Anthony Lazzaro | Amy Huizenga BILL SHEAFFER: Analysis Of Released Depos VIDEO REPORT: Depositions Released In Case
The defense was focusing on Casey's allegations of abuse. Her boyfriend, Anthony "Tony" Lazzaro, told her lawyers that Casey said her father George had physically abused her. He did not remember her saying it was sexual in nature, as Casey later claimed in a letter to her jail pen pal.
Lazzaro told the defense under oath two months ago that she claimed George was physically abusive, that he remembered her saying George had hit her; the public has seen George get physical with protesters.
But Casey made a different allegation against her father when writing to one of her jail pen pals. She claimed that she believed she remembered George sexually abusing her, but that she definitely remembered her brother Lee sexually abusing her.
Lazzaro said he remembered nothing about Casey accusing Lee of sexual abuse.
Lazzaro also told defense attorney Jose Baez that it was hard to answer Baez's questions, because of all the lies Casey told him. He said she had told him that her parents were not living together, which was not true. He also said, at the time Casey was living with him, that she would go grocery shopping and cook dinner for him.
But WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer says Lazzaro most likely will not be able to tell the jury anything that Casey told him, because it's hearsay and inadmissible.
"I would expect the judge not to allow any third party to tell Casey's story," Sheaffer said.
Sheaffer also said Casey apparently wants to try to use some story of abuse to try to explain why she didn't report that Caylee was gone for 31 days until her mother made her do it. He said, even if Casey does not testify, the defense could ask George and Lee whether they had ever abused Casey if they're called to the witness stand, which would raise the issue in front of the jury.
Previous Stories: April 21, 2011: Judge Expected To Rule On Key Evidence In Casey Case April 21, 2011: Defense Wants Someone Else To Tell Casey's Story To Jury April 19, 2011: Prosecution Files Depositions On Casey Defense Witnesses April 18, 2011: Evidence Rulings Expected This Week In Casey Case April 16, 2011: Tattoo, Sticker In For Casey Trial, Mental Health Experts Out
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