Casey Anthony and Jose Baez: Cheating Justice
The jury spoke today, July 5, 2011, regarding the guilt or innocence of Casey Anthony in the murder of her two year old daughter, Caylee Marie Anthony. In a development that stunned the nation, the verdict was not guilty. Upon hearing the verdict, I asked myself if the jurors had heard the same evidence that I had heard. Like many others, I felt that justice had been derailed. I told myself that everyone deserves due process, and the jury had spoken, but still, I felt a sense of anger. Most of all, I felt as though Caylee Anthony had been lost in the shuffle.
During the trial, Casey’s attorney Jose Baez, pulled out all the stops in the defense of his client. Casey’s father, George Anthony, a grieving and heartbroken grandfather, was vilified and humiliated. To believe Baez’s defense, is to believe that George Anthony is a monster. I don’t buy it. Casey Anthony is the monster. A monster wrapped in a pretty package. She is a sociopath, and as is typical of a sociopath, she’s willing to blame everyone and anyone in her path to save her own skin. I know a thing or two about sociopaths. I was married to one for eleven years, and my psyche still bears the scars of that relationship. Sociopaths lie, abuse, and manipulate, yet somehow, in spite of compelling evidence to the contrary, they manage to convince others that they are innocent of all wrong doing. Thus, three years later, after an enormous strain on the tax payers, and a valiant effort by the state to bring justice for Caylee, Casey Anthony will soon be a free woman.
After the verdict, Baez and his defense team went to a nearby restaurant and drank champagne, toasting to their success. For those who feel that justice was not served, it was a difficult scene to watch. Later Baez gave a speech. To my ears, he was vapidly eloquent. He said all the right things, but his words were empty. He indicated that the not guilty verdict was somehow justice for Caylee. Perhaps in his twisted universe, he actually believes his own propaganda. Baez used the occasion to speak about being anti-death penalty. I too, am against the death penalty, but it wasn’t the time, or the place to pontificate about such matters. Of course, that didn‘t stop the ever grandstanding Baez. Humble creature that he is, he indicated he would go home that day, and tell a family member that, “he saved a life.” Why didn’t someone just hand him a horn to toot? I suppose that Baez did have a lot to celebrate. This courtroom victory will greatly benefit Baez. In terms of his success as an attorney, he’s now on the map in a big way.
As I watched Baez speak, I wanted to know more about him. I did some research and came up with some thought provoking information. Jose Baez is a self made man. I’ll give him that. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Rather to a single mom who more than likely worked hard to pay the bills. He worked his way through law school, but upon graduation, was not admitted to the bar. It would seem that Mr. Baez had trouble paying his child support, and various other financial difficulties. He waited eight years for admittance to the Florida state bar association. In the meantime, he worked as a paralegal and sold bikinis online. By the time Casey and Baez became acquainted, he had been waiting a long time for the sweet smell of success.
Casey Anthony heard about Mr. Baez from a fellow inmate when she was initially incarcerated for her various criminal charges. At that time, Baez was an unknown attorney waiting for his big break. Well, he got one. Casey went on to retain Baez as her attorney, in spite of his relative lack of experience. As well all know now, it was a gamble that paid off.
After the advent of the verdict, Casey’s defense team has been described as a, “dream team;” however, when Casey initially retained Baez, he and Casey were merely two scrapper’s intent on beating the odds. I would submit that to some extent, Baez had nearly as much to prove as Casey did. Granted, his life was not on the line, nor was he facing long years in prison. Professionally, he has been more than vindicated.
During the trial, Casey sat surrounded by her defense team as Baez accused George Anthony of molesting her, but that wasn’t enough. According to Baez, Casey’s brother Lee got in on the act too. In regards to Casey’s strange behavior when Caylee went missing, it was simply Casey’s way of expressing grief. Eh, okay. Yeah man, dig. Certain adjectives crossed my mind as I listened to Baez explain away Casey’s shenanigans. Adjectives such as slimy and self promoting. I told myself that he was just doing his job. Nevertheless, I didn’t exactly hold Baez in high regard.
Now the trial is over, and Baez has been transformed to defense attorney extraordinaire. Casey will walk free, and I have no doubt she will financially prosper from the entire sordid affair. Book deals, interviews, and the like. She will smile pretty, and like the creature that she is, a sociopath, convince many that she is merely a victim of unfortunate circumstances. I get the sense that she’s been conditioned for a long, long time that negative behavior has no consequences. She has now received the ultimate reinforcement.
There has been an entire cast of colorful characters associated with the case. Bounty hunter Leon Padilla, River Cruz, and the bumbling meter reader, Roy Kronk. River Cruz in particular, women scorned, could hardly wait to go to a well known news agency to tell the world about her liaison with George Anthony. She had her fifteen minutes of fame and her day in court, yet, that wasn’t enough. In this day and age of mass media, it would appear that no one cares to be discreet. So glad she had her day at the circus. Hope it was worth it.
Like many others, I have followed this case for the past three years. The verdict was not what I anticipated, though my husband predicted the outcome, but the case has been decided. It’s difficult not to focus on what I perceive as a gross injustice. The vicious way Baez attacked a grieving George Anthony, or the adorable toddler who lost her chance at life. Furthermore, in all likelihood, we will never really know what happed to Caylee. I can’t and won’t focus on such issues.
When all is said and done, I still advocate for our legal system. An institution in which all persons are entitled the right to due process, as afforded to each citizen per the 14th amendment in our bill of rights. Lady Justice may not always get her way, but we must focus on the big picture, rather than the isolated event.
We must keep on believing that justice will ultimately prevail. In the meantime, I will say a prayer for the little girl with big brown eyes, and take comfort that she’s now in a place where injustice and lies have no dominion.
