ORLANDO, Fla.,None — There has been one delay after another since the case against Casey Anthony first began. Now, the state says it doesn't think the trial will start until at least May 2011, almost three years after Caylee Anthony's murder. That's about three times as long as it took for the entire trial and verdict in one of the nation's most publicized murder cases ever, OJ Simpson.
BILL SHEAFFER: Analysis Of Delays In Case
Eyewitness News compared Casey Anthony's case to the most high-profile cases in the country to find out why it's taking so long to get justice for Caylee.
From beginning to end, OJ Simpson's murder case in California took 16 months. Eighteen months have already passed in Casey's case and the end is nowhere in sight.
The state just announced the case needs a lot more time, another year and four months, which is exactly how long the case against OJ took from the day of the murders to the day of the verdict. But, there are big differences between the two cases, which explain some of the delays.
OJ Simpson was arrested, tried and back home in Brentwood in the same amount of time Casey's been in jail after being indicted for her daughter Caylee's murder and OJ's trial lasted eight months.
Prosecutors now say Casey's trial might not start until almost three years after Caylee was murdered, but Casey faces a possible death sentence, so you're seeing the judge, prosecutors and especially the defense take extra care.
"You literally have another human being's life in your hands and you are the only thing standing between the state executing your client and your client living," WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said (full interview).
And, Sheaffer says, the judge wants to make sure the case only goes to trial once.
When Caylee's body was found two months after Casey's indictment a lot more evidence needed to be tested, and even the first evidence collected in the case is taking more time to deal with.
State of the art air testing showed evidence of chloroform and human decomposition in Casey's car trunk. Both sides need to understand it and make good arguments about whether it should come into the trial and whether it means Casey is guilty.
"You have to, in effect, become an expert in a field in addition to being an attorney," Sheaffer said.
And the case doesn't stop changing. New evidence that's come to light might also delay the trial, because it's still under investigation and the defense might not find out about it for some time.
It's not just the OJ Simpson trial. Eyewitness News compared Casey's case with other high-profile trials.
It took less than a year and half to convict one of the nation's most notorious serial killers, Ted Bundy, in the death of two Florida women.
Scott Peterson was sentenced to death less than two years after he killed his wife and unborn baby.
And, in a case, similar in nature to Casey Anthony's, John Couey's trial for killing 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was done in about two years and that included a change of venue.
PROSECUTION SAYS TRIAL WON'T START UNTIL 2011
In the case against Casey Anthony Wednesday, prosecutors revealed they want to meet with Judge Stan Strickland privately to get his permission to hold back information from the defense.
READ: Proposed Order | Motion For In-Camera Hearing
Repeatedly, the defense has asked for more information from federal investigators before moving their case forward, but it's unclear whether that's the evidence at issue.
Prosecutors also argued that, if the defense questions every material witness under oath, Casey's trial won't start before May of 2011.
CASEY ANTHONY'S DEFENSE MISSES DEADLINE
Casey Anthony's defense team missed Monday's deadline to provide its witness list to prosecutors for the murder case.
SPECIAL SECTION: The Case Against Casey Anthony
The judge had set a February 1 deadline for the defense to provide information or witnesses to back up its claim that it has proof someone else, other than Casey, put Caylee's body in the woods near her home last year.
The defense recently blamed prosecutors for the delay, claiming it still needs more information from the FBI.
BAEZ: NO PLEA DEAL IN CASEY'S MURDER CASE
A member of Casey Anthony's defense team says there will be no plea deal in her murder case.
Eyewitness News was in court Monday when Casey Anthony pleaded guilty to check fraud. Monday night on CNN, Jose Baez said that does not mean Casey would be pleading guilty to murder.
Baez said Casey is not guilty and the case would be going to trial. A trial date has not been set.
Casey is accused of killing her daughter Caylee Marie Anthony.
CASEY: "I JUST WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW I'M SORRY"
Casey Anthony arrived in court just before 1:30pm and entered a guilty plea to check fraud charges followed by an apology. Casey, who is charged with killing her young daughter, was wearing a light blue button down shirt and a pair of grey slacks, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail (see images).
During the hearing, it came out that prosecutors had offered Casey a 5-year sentence on the charges she stole and used checks from her former best friend, Amy Huizenga; it's more than she wanted and it's more than she ended up getting. She got credit for the 412 days she's already spent in jail. She also has to pay almost $6,000 in court and prosecution costs, which she says is too high.
CASEY APOLOGIZES, CRIES: Watch Raw Video | See Images COURTROOM PICS: Casey Arrives | Anthonys, Others WATCH COURT HEARING: Part 1 of 2 | Part 2 POST HEARING INTERVIEWS: Bill Sheaffer | Jose Baez VIDEO REPORT: Casey Apologizes MOTIONS HEARD: Kronk's Ex | Modify Order | Compel
Casey sat at a table with her attorneys, Jose Baez and Andrea Lyon. Judge Stan Strickland presided over the hearing. Also in court as the hearing got underway were Casey's parents, George and Cindy, their attorney, Brad Conway, WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer and WFTV reporter Kathi Belich.
Casey Cries Brighter Pic 012510 CASEY APOLOGIZES, CRIES Watch Video | Images The hearing started quickly, with attorney Jose Baez, Casey at his side, offering a guilty plea to the court on the 13 charges related to check fraud. Casey was immediately sworn in.
"Please state your name," Judge Strickland told Casey.
"Casey Marie Anthony," she replied.
The judge then asked Casey questions about the submitted plea and confirmed that she was aware of the meaning of the plea she was entering, that she's giving up the right to go to trial and that she wasn't coerced into making it.
"Five years [in jail], in our position, is extremely absurd," Baez argued regarding the sentencing the prosecution requested with the plea. "We simply ask that she receive equal justice under the law."
Baez went on to explain the circumstances and made arguments about the type of sentence any other person in this situation, with no prior convictions, would get and then stated what he was seeking.
"Because of Ms. Anthony's status, her situation and her unpopularity we find ourselves in a muck," Baez sad. "We ask the court to withhold adjudication on the counts, issue time served and, due to statutory requirements, give a short probationary period of approximately one year."
After Baez stated his case, the prosecution argued their points and made their request for sentencing.
"We are asking for adjudication on all [13 counts] and a straight prison sentence," state prosecutor Frank George stated.
"She's charged with 13 separate crimes or offenses as a result of the four stolen checks," Judge Strickland said after hearing both sides' arguments. "On counts 3, 6, 9 and 12, those are the forgery counts, there is going to be an adjudication of guilt and time served is 412 days."
Strickland also adjudicated guilt on counts 1 and 2 with time served.
"As for the four counts of uttering a forged check, 4, 7, 10, 13, and as to counts 5, 8, 11, three of the four fraudulent use of identification counts, the court is going to withhold adjudication with time served and one year of supervised probation," Judge Strickland said. "I've done what I think is fair based on what I know."
Judge Strickland then gave Casey an opportunity to make a statement.
"I just want to let everyone know that I'm sorry for what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions," Casey said, referring to the check fraud (watch video | see images). "And I'd like to sincerely apologize to Amy. I wish I would have been a better friend."
"It was a good tactic on the part of the defense to have her plead guilty and show some emotion," WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said (full interview) .
Casey Anthony and her defense team now have 30 days to appeal the sentences. Casey's defense attorney told reporters afterward he won't appeal, that Casey had always intended to plead guilty to the check fraud charges, but he wanted to make sure the she was treated fairly. He says Casey will always be victim Amy Huizenga's friend.
"Should Amy ever want to contact my office, she has an open invitation to," Baez told Eyewitness News after the hearing (full interview) .
Eyewitness News called Huizenga to find out whether she still wants Casey's friendship, but she didn't want to talk about it.
Now, Casey Anthony's focused on trying to convince everyone that she was a better mother than one who would murder her own child. But Monday's plea, and convictions on six of the 13 felonies she admitted to, might make that more difficult.
Casey now goes into the murder trial as a convicted felon. Baez said he's not worried about that possible disadvantage going into her murder trial.
"I'm not really concerned," Baez said after the hearing.
But Sheaffer says, when jurors hear that a defendant has been convicted before, they could view the defendant as a liar.
"Any competent attorney should worry about that," Sheaffer said.
Two other motions were also addressed during Monday's hearing relating to the murder case against Casey.
The judge granted the defense's motion to get testimony before the trial from the ex-wife of Roy Kronk, who found Caylee's remains. The defense has said Kronk should be a suspect in the murders, because his ex-wife claims he bound her with duct tape years ago.
"He probably was the one who murdered Caylee Anthony or had something to do with it," Jill Kerley, Kronk's ex-wife, said during a deposition.
There is no evidence of any prior connection between Kronk and Caylee Anthony.
"That's a very thin correlation, especially when you examine the remoteness of the time frame," Sheaffer told Eyewitness News
Prosecutors say Casey is the one who layered tape over her daughter Caylee's nose and mouth, possibly to suffocate her.
The judge also granted the prosecution's motion to get a schedule together for discovery and a preliminary witness list in an effort to move things along towards a trial. A date was not set.
Meanwhile, the defense's motion to stop the Orange County jail from taping Casey when she meets with her attorneys was denied late Monday.
Casey's lawyers said the jail's video-only recordings violate her attorney-client privileges and could be released as public record. But the county says it has a responsibility to provide security there, even to Casey during her attorney visits.
Previous Stories: February 4, 2010: Casey Case Prosecutors Want To Withhold Info February 2, 2010: Casey Anthony's Defense Misses Deadline January 26, 2010: Baez: No Plea Deal In Casey's Murder Case January 26, 2010: Casey: "I Just Want To Let Everyone Know I'm Sorry" January 22, 2010: Casey's Defense Wants Focus To Stay On Kronk January 20, 2010: Casey Defense May Bypass Prosecutors On Plea Deal January 20, 2010: EXCLUSIVE: Casey To Be Offered Deal In Fraud Case
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