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    Casey Anthony Jurors' Names Should Not Be Released

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    COMMENTARY | As upset as I am at the Anthony jury, who I think dropped the ball big time, I don't think their names should be released.

    Rachel E. Fugate, an attorney representing four local Florida news organizations and the Associated Press, went before Judge Belvin Perry Thursday demanding the release of the names of the jurors in the Casey Anthony trial. The Orlando Sentinel, The Tampa Tribune, the St. Petersburg Times, WFTV-Channel 9 and the AP claim that case law backs up the view that the public's right to know is more important than the jury's right to privacy.

    I totally disagree with that argument. If the jurors choose to go public, that's their decision. However, Judge Perry pointed out at Thursday's hearing, covered live on HLN-TV Thursday, that one juror received a threat to filet him. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Perry noted, "Our landscape in this country has changed. People have no reservation -- about walking up to an individual, pulling a gun or knife -- .and because they disagree with them, hurt them or kill them."

    When the attorney claimed that the judge was in just as much in danger, he answered that he chose to be where he was; the jury didn't. And it is my belief also that that lack of choice on the part of the jurors gives them more of a right to privacy than the other players in this trial.

    Fugate claimed that an anonymous jury could "undercut or delegitimize the verdict." In whose eyes? The press? The public who wants their blood? Who cares whether they think the verdict is undercut or delegitimized? I don't believe keeping jurors' names anonymous is against our Constitution or violates the public's right to know. No one, myself included, will want to serve on a high-profile jury if they think their safety afterward will be in jeopardy.

    Perry got in a little jab that he "had better things to do this afternoon" before deciding that "the best he could do" is instate a cooling off period. While he did not specify how long the cooling off period will last, seven to 10 days was discussed. The problem with that is Casey Anthony is set to be released July 17, right after the jurors names would be released. This would be a disaster.

    To the press, I say please: leave these jurors alone. Deal with the ones who want to talk. The rights of these jurors to safety is more important than your right to sell papers or draw viewers.

     

    69 comments

    • Red™  •  10 mths ago
      How did Jennifer Ford's name get out? Oh yeah she did an interview. I agree not to let the names out but the money hungry jurors will reveal themselves anyway!
      • bethie 10 mths ago
        Those who want to run their mouths & risk getting killed just to make some money-let them otherwise leave the jury alone-considering what little they had to work with to decide the case they did what they could.
    • why is this  •  10 mths ago
      Ms. Sicilia-the writer of this column-is another one who just isn't fit to address the public; she isn't capable of facing the truth whatever it happens to be. She would hide the identities of the jurors no different than the jurors hid from their primary duty to their fellow Americans..to ferret out justice for caylee's sake. They want to hide from their failure to see justice done. They utterly failed to act as a jury was intended to. Under the spirit of equal rights and equal protection...we know who casey is...and since these are casey's 'peer's...we have a right to know who they are. We have a right to hold them accountable for their lack of humanity in assigning fault in this case. They cannot commit such an injustice and expect to remain anonymous.
      • Patricia Sicilia 10 mths ago
        I agree that these people failed in their duty and I'd like to personally slap all of then. However, if people think serving on a jury on a high profile case or any other kind of case for that matter, will put them or their families in jeopardy, no one will want to serve on a jury, including me! There are scads of trials where the jurors identities were withheld and with good reason.
      • Interested Observer 10 mths ago
        They committed nothing but their duty to follow the law and the judge's instructions. This is another stupid article exposing the public's ignorance, and missing the real blame back in August 2008, the police who blew the case by not getting the evidence only month after. Poor babies, afraid of snakes.
      • Interested Observer 10 mths ago
        But the American attention span cannot contain so much information at once it seems.
    • Greg  •  10 mths ago
      So if Bill O'Reilly releases a map of the jurors' neighborhoods with little target symbols on their homes and they end up shot or firebombed, can he claim they were surveyor's marks???
    • bud  •  10 mths ago
      You were not setting the jury how would you know if the jury was wrong? All you got was the news reporter on tv you didn't set for eight weeks day in and day out listening to the people on the stand like they did. You peole make me sick cutting down the jury like you doing and never being in the court room. How do you know if she was guilt or not guilt by the news reports. You say by the way she acted have you lose a child or a close love one like that it take months and years to get back to normal even if you get back to normal a lot of us don't get back to normal. So judge not if you have never walk in any one shoes like that.
      • DeboraS 10 mths ago
        I lost my son in a house fire. I went out because I tried to put something and anything in that vacant place, Of course it took a couple of months to figure it was not working! Nothing but time really works. I know its a cliche, but its true! I was 24 yrs old when Justin passed!
      • Ernest Bethea 10 mths ago
        Bud, you're gonna hurt yourself. Sit down. I've been following the case since DAY ONE. I've watched Casey spread lie after lie after lie. In the trial, I've watch her mother bawling on the witness stand while that woman (and I use that term loosely) sit there stone faced. I watched her father, the same man who accused her of molesting her when she was a child, crying on the stand and she sat there stone faced. The only time she cried was when it had to do with her. Not her mom, not her dad, not even her own DAUGHTER!!! She is a sociapathic person and she's as guilty as sin. The evidence was there, but the jury chose to ignore it. I want to know from them what made them vote Not Guilty. In the meantime, we will remain angry and another killer walks free.
      • halfpecker 10 mths ago
        hey bud! The whole thing was on TV, I needn't be a juror to see EVERYTHING they did.
    • BigM  •  10 mths ago
      Somebody on that jury should have had the guts to stand up to whoever took control in there to make the verdict so quick. All it would have taken was one person to hang the jury.
      They let Caylee down.
      • VC 10 mths ago
        "...they let Caylee down"? The little darling is in the spirit world where justice is of no concern for her. The only one let down is YOU and others who think like you.
      • Interested Observer 10 mths ago
        I doubt there was any "taking control" (but I did see that happen on one my juror experiences, a civil case only needing 9/12). The case appears so poor (blame the police in August not the jurors) that I am sure I would have done the same. There was nothing else to do within the law. Without a cause of death, there is no way to find a strong homicide verdict. It is sad but the jurors have nothing to apologize for.
    • Philip  •  10 mths ago
      The price for living in a democracy,take ownership for your decisions.
    • Lynn  •  10 mths ago
      I don't agree with the jury's decision, but then again, I wasn't on the jury to know what they heard or didn't hear. And I wish I could smack that smile off Casey's face! BUT I do NOT think they should release the jurors' names. IF they choose to come forward and talk then okay. If not, then okay. Leave them alone, you crazy NEWS people!!
    • SunShine  •  10 mths ago
      Think about it: do you really need their names and even if you had their names, what the heck would you do and why turn the morons into instant reality stars. Isn't it bad enough we're going to see a reality show, a bunch of bookds, interviews, moves and made for tv shows from a baby killer whof fooled the system, went free and now stands to live the life she was determined to have: Bella Vita. Casey forgot about Karma though.Let's be good 2 oneanother.
    • Heidi  •  10 mths ago
      It should be made public. It's a public trial, a jury is made up of casey anthony's peers. This is all public and if you serve on a jury, your name should NOT be withheld for fear of retaliation. There is no excuse for this, the jury made a bad decision, or something else happened behind the scenes that we didnt' know about and THAT is why the jury is scared. Why be scared about something if you know you've done nothing wrong? It's because they know that they did the wrong thing and let a crazy psychopath go...They weren't ashamed of their decision when they made it, why shoudl they be afraid or ashamed of their decision now?
    • JustUs  •  10 mths ago
      you are wrong, this is a jury of our peers and public judgements should be public including those who sit in judgement. Now, it doesn't give the right for people to hurt people, like Casey Anthony alledgedly did to her child. But the judicial system must be open.
    • ChrisC  •  10 mths ago
      I believe that if the jury members want their names out there then it is their decision but the should know that most of America is mad at them and they should be prepared for the ridicule and disrespect that comes with it.
    • SunShine  •  10 mths ago
      For those who say there wasn't enough evidence tell me why after viewing over 346 pieces of physical forensics and hundreds of testimony you concluded it is wiser to believe the lies set forth from a client that even her defense attorney said she was a liar. You had NO evidence presented to substantiate shocking claims on opening (ps: never heard any more either). The 2nd pt is: Reasonable doubt often involves some common sense to connect it together. Reasonable doubt does not translate to no doubt. Logically, some doubt will Always remain. Reasonable means use your brain and any sense of logic. I've served on Many trials and never have seen jurors who didn't ask questions or review evidence. I got yur number.
    • Ingrid Spencer  •  10 mths ago
      that %%#%# shouldnt get release its very unfair when they giving these $###$# life and $#$% and prison for selling drugs when the economy is bad u gotta get money some kind of way hello no jobs so u mean to tell me it took her 30days to call da cops wow.... I MEAN ITS NOT RIGHT WHEN SOME PEOPLE CANT HAVE KIDS IN SOME OF THE ONES WHO DO DONT APPRECIATE THEM...
    • Paulina  •  10 mths ago
      As a runny away in a big city, a bad person told me to inhale cloaform, I did it, I passed out and fell off a pourch.If Caylee had her mouth coverd with a cloaform soaked patch,she would pass out and die.
    • miki  •  10 mths ago
      This jury are losers... In the Scott Peteson's case there was less forensics and the jury took one week to go through the evidence. This jury eleven hours. Pathetic
    • jackyblue  •  10 mths ago
      I agree with BigRoy that their names should be released. They have to own up to their decision. I don't think they gave the case any thought at all. Not one piece of evidence was asked to be seen.
    • Paulina  •  10 mths ago
      I don't care what any legal person say's the JURY was wrong. If u lie bout one thing u lie bout everything,If u love ur child ur not going to wait 30 days to call the cops..
    • grandma  •  10 mths ago
      By the way for all the young mothers that wants to live LA VIDA LOCA) and enjoy sex and have babies at early age ---IT IS NOT LEGAL TO SEDATE UR BABIES WITH CHOLOFORM ..IS A CRIME
    • Susan Moger  •  10 mths ago
      Casey's father said that it was an accident which spun out of control. She didn't mean to kill her, but she was using chloroform to sedate her so she could party. The car smelled like it because while the body was decomposing the chloroform was seeping out of her pores. I don't think her mother knew until the end when she learned she tried to make it sound as if she had looked it up. The jury discounted the chloroform as not important.
    • BIG Smokey  •  10 mths ago
      The prosecution dropped the ball plain and simple. They were too arrogant to give the jury option B or C. It was Murder One or nothing at all, and with all the holes in the case, there wasn't enough hard evidence to convict on a Capital crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Reminds me of "My Cousin Vini" , in that a supposedly second class defense attorney makes the prosecutor look like a putz. All they had was enough evidence to convict on manslaughter; but, they got greedy, rolled the dice and lost. Don't blame the jury...they did their job given the case the prosecution delivered.to them. Tough job and I'm satisfied they found her not guilty which isn't the same as innocent. She was found to be not guilty of the crime the prosecution alleged. Remember freedom lovers, we don't have to prove ourselves innocent in a court of law...the prosecution has to prover we're guilty of the charges they file. This isn't Taliban country!
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