Why did the Casey Anthony murder trial captivate the nation?
(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Like millions of Americans, I got sucked into watching the Casey Anthony murder trial. Over the July Fourth weekend, I spent several hours engrossed in watching the closing arguments, fascinated by the skill of the lawyers, particularly of the prosecutors, as they practiced their craft at the highest level in pursuit of justice for a 2-year-old girl who couldn't speak for herself.
It was the stuff of high drama. And for six weeks, the country has been riveted by the goings-on inside the courtroom in Orlando, Florida.
Our sister networks, HLN along with Tru TV, have mined ratings gold from trial coverage, garnering some of the highest numbers in their history.
But why?
This isn't the first time a mother has been put on trial for the death of her child. This isn't the first time television cameras have been allowed in a courtroom. Or the first time a defendant has been caught in countless lies and cover-ups or been depicted as a less than stand-up person during testimony. Nor was it the first time a defendant showed little emotion throughout it all. But for some reason, the country couldn't get enough. It was almost like O.J. all over again. Right down to the outcome.
The verdict left a lot of people scratching their heads. After my weekend on the couch watching the proceedings, I would have bet on a guilty verdict. And I would have been dead wrong.
Here’s my question to you: Why did the Casey Anthony murder trial captivate the nation?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
John:
The story itself is reality TV. As TV viewers, we like train wrecks. Hot body contests, people who don't exist, and an over-the-top family. Jerry Springer couldn't write a better script.
Virginia in Atlanta:
I think Nancy Grace is responsible for our interest. We all waited for Caylee to be found. We were all astonished by Casey's response. I was impressed with the prosecutors and somewhat disappointed with the defense - I hated that their main defense was to discredit apparently good people in their zeal to win. But the jury saw something I didn't.
Kevin in California:
Wrong. It captivated the media.
Marty:
The state did not prove their case. And the people still want her blood. Now, what happens if they prove it wasn't Casey but someone else? Will the media give her a public apology, since they publicly tried her?
Angela in Charlotte, North Carolina:
It was totally media driven, and sadly the more gruesome, shocking and heinous the crime appears to be, the more interest there is. Bring on the gladiators, Jack. Society appears to be ready for them again.
Tonya:
The fact that a child was murdered is enough to captivate people. Look at Jon Benet Ramsey, no one has been arrested in her murder, either. When a child gets murdered and their photos get put on television, it is hard not to get caught up in the story.
Ronda in Canastota, New York:
Jack, if you think the trial captivated the nation, the verdict got the nation's attention even more. Although the jury returned a "not guilty" verdict, that doesn't mean Casey Anthony didn't kill little Caylee. Most people think she did. Like the O.J. Simpson case, the message this case sent is that juries don't reach verdicts solely on the evidence presented, but on which side has the most convincing attorney. Baez proved to be more clever than the prosecution. Justice has failed Caylee, and her mother will be able to go back to her partying without her child being in the way. Very sad.
Wilhelm:
Anything "tabloid" sells, Jack. The fact that you have two questions about the trial proves that. As the kids say, "Well, duh!!!"
@jackcafferty on Twitter
Because a certain broadcaster on your sister network spent way too much time obscessing on this one case. Sadly, there are a number of children who are killed that do not get the coverage this does.
The news channel ccontinue to evolve into Tabloid News channels.
We Americans are adrenaline junkies who love sensationalism and dirt.
This trial captivated the nation because MSNBC and HLN decided to televise all Casey all the time. It boosted their ratings. This is a tragic case and one that the media thoroughly and shamelessly exploited. If I were the judge, I would have thrown out the press and that would have been the end of it.
Jack, was it "captivation by the nation or media driven?
One has to wonder what social redeeming value is obtained by the nearly hourly coverage of this case.
I personally put the blame at the media's doorstep; I guess to them ANYTHING FOR RATINGS, EVEN IF IT IS OF MARGINAL SOCIAL VALUE OR IMPORTANCE.
Beats the hell out of me!
Simple Jack, Media Hype. Without that hype it would be like the hundred of thousands of trials that go on every year in this country.
Why did the Casey Anthony murder trial captivate the nation?
That's a really good question Jack. It's not like other chilren's parents aren't on trial for killing them today.. No cameras, no on lookers fighting at the chance to sit in the court room.
Could it be becaue the media is trying to sheild the GOP from letting the nation see how they care nothing for Americans (them) and only corporations?
What happened to investigative reporting, holding lawmakers including Supreme Court Justices to OUR laws and Ethics, and TRUTH IN BROADCASTING?
Come on Jack, you've been in the business long enough to remember..
Jenna
Roseville CA
Because the media said it did and covered it like it did.
I think it captivated the media more than it did the nation. Kind of ghoulish if you ask me.
Because that is how short sighted this nation is. You don't hear about Iraq anymore do you Jack? The USA has the attention span of a Gnat.
because most americans are idiots more interested in sensationalism than hard issues that actually matter.
It HASN'T captured the nation; though it has captured the attention of the news networks who can't go 5 minutes without broadcasting the trial.. Every time you guys switch to coverage of that trial I turn the TV off.
Most Americans, like myself, were tired of Ozzie And Harriet and Father Knows Best reruns and now wanted to watch a family reality show. Unfortunetly, for most Americans, after watching the Anthony saga unfold, they went back to Ozzie and Father for the reality they needed in their lives.
Sick puppies. I wore the paint off of my remote trying to escape the madness.
You must be kidding. An attractive women, a beautiful child goes missing, stories of partying, parental abuse, all the stuff of soap opera. The sad thing is that a child is dead and we are no closer to the truth than before the trial started. Personally, I think the jury reached the correct verdict, there was just too many loose ends to find culpability in the child's death.
Because, Jack, it breaks our hearts to see children hurt,
mistreated, neglected etc. We wanted justice for Caylee, but
now, I'm reeling from the "not guilty" verdict, stunned you could say.
Only the jury knows, and since we were not there 24/7 I look
forward to hearing their reasons.
We salivate with each salacious detail of anything macabre. We are a nation of 'gawkers'...sick, sick, sick!
Olga
Austin, Texas
Because people wanted to see justice for a poor, defenseless little girl and all we got was a slap in the face and proof that our system of justice isn't as good as everyone thinks. I can't believe how angry I am and how disappointed I am in the judicial system and the intelligence of the jurors. I'm also completely disgusted with the low morality of her defense team. It's times like these that only confirm the public's dislike of the law profession. It's filled with people that have little interest in justice and a profound interested in money and fame. President Obama wants "social fairness" in the healthcare industry but you'll never see anyone in congress attempt to strive for fairness in the justice system. If you have money like OJ or you are a high profile defendant you can get high priced lawyers while if you're poor you get some public defendant fresh out of law school. Is that fair? Congress is filled with lawyers so you'll never see anything done about that. That's why President Obama (lawyer) refused to push for tort reform during the health care debate. I wish people would wake up and realize that the justice system is also about life and death and needs a drastic overhall. Casey Anthony is laughing while Calley Anthony was abused and discarded like a piece of trash and there will never be justice for her now.
Jack I think it is because this murder trial has all the ingredients of a good Hollywood movie. You have a good looking woman accuses of murdering her child. The child was missing for a month before being reported missing while the mother was out partying. She is accused of being a habitual liar who is very good at it. She accuses her father which happens to be a retired policeman and brother of molesting her. It is like watching a soap opera, you can't wait to see what is going to happen next.
Maybe because the media knows best and they know that most people would rather watch a 'soap' than hear about the war, or the thousands of homeless from the floods along the Mississippi or in N.D. or Iowa, or the tornados in Alabama, Missouri or Indiana or how many marines were wounded today, or how bad the economy is, or any of the other less news worthy items. I mean, you can't spend all of your time watching American Idol or America's Got Talent. You have to have some 'educational TV' to watch from time to time.
Jerry
Blairsville, GA
Because we have too many unemployed people who have no money and a lot of time on their hands.....
Many remember other mothers killing their offspring, the mother of five in Texas, and Susan Smith who drowned her two sons.
Casey Anthony was found not guilty. Casey didn't strike out, a jury did, and a little girls murder goes unsolved.
It was the ultimate soap opera.
Bizarre personalities that were more unreal
than even the most fertile imagination could imagine.
It was captivating because of all the hype from the networks. Now, as a result of her aquittal, the whole dam country will be beside themselves for the rest of the week.
Because a little girl was murdered and thrown away like a piece of useless garbage. If there is a God where is he hiding.
A 2 year old little girl died at the hands of her mother and she knows that she killed her baby regardless of the verdict. She'll pay for this crime someday. The sad thing is that the little girls death will go un-punished.
tampa, fl like most of america, wave something shiny in front of them and they are captivated for hours. we no longer live in reality, we seek it out on tv rather than live it. you can bet there will be a movie of the week, a book deal, and most likely a reality show for her. killing your kid can be most profitable.
Who is Casey Anthony?
No one would ever have known a thing about this case if the media didn't blow it up to supersized. I'd say Casey will have a long haul on this with a lot of people wound tight because she was awarded a not guilty verdict.
Because many Americans are easily distracted by mindless infotainment that the media dishes out for higher ratings. For example, I only know Nancy Pelosi has a regular news conference because it was "BREAKING NEWS" during Weinergate. She announced she was there to discuss jobs and the economy and ALL of the media dropped coverage because she wasn't going to mention Rep. Weiner! Aren't jobs and the economy important?
Justice for Caylee is the reason this trial captivated the nation. Alas, no justice was served. A sad day for our justice system.
After the not guilty verdict it appears to have captivated the nation to show the world that we support class warfare. Many people have spent years in jail for crimes that they did not commit, but with the Casey Anthony case it appeared to everyone that the only thing left to decide is whether she received a life sentence of the death penalty, and the very least sentence should have been manslaughter.
I am confident that Casey learned her lesson, and I have questions about the reason for the 30 day rant she was on when the murder took place, possibly someone drugged her, but that type of evidence is not allowed in court and the jurors can't use personal feelings for decision making.
I guess you can commit murder along as you set in court and sob through the trial.
Actually, this member of the "nation" wasn't captivated, Jack. It's a shame that this is what our news media resorts to at a time when we're in a depression and have at least four wars going on. It's Anna Nicole Smith over and over again, ad nauseum. Is asking our new infotainment media to behave a little more honorably, and give us real news, and a whole lot less sensationalism, too much to ask?
Jack,
We all like to believe we live in a safe place ... that our neighbors are folks we can trust. When that trust is violated, we want solutions ... now! The more brutal the crime, the more shrill is our need for swift justice. No matter our personal thoughts about the Anthony case, America today witnessed courage in twelve people who will go home to their own circle of family and friends ... all of whom likely had forged judgements themselves.
Rick,
Medina, OH
Hell Jack, everyone comes home turns the TV on and watches CNN or some other crime show and with the media hype it's just another good show
John T the fl keys
None, the jury just wanted to go home and a not guilty verdict way the easy way out
John T
she didnt get away with this, the state didnt prove it. The spent the WHOLE trial proving she was an idiot and waste of human space not a murderer. They spent WAY to much time focusing on the IDIOT chargged with the crime and not the BABY who was the victim. EPIC FAILURE by the State of Fla. First George Bush now this, NICE LEGAL SYSTEM FLA
not enough people saw the movie 12 angry menso they tuned into 12 stupid people.
Jack: Because it was a "A CHILD'S GUIDE TO INNOCENCE"-–and now it is "INNOCENCE LOST." Jose Baez spoke for Casey Anthony---who spoke for Calyee?
because sensationalist garbage like this is cheap to cover, so media outlets play it for 16 hours a day on cable news. plus, it's summertime, and nothing else is on anyway. same deal with OJ.
because there were no sports worth watching on t.v. That court case is the most entertaining thing on at the moment.
Dee
Houston TX
anything "tabloid" sells, Jack.
the fact that you have two questions about the trial proves that.
as the kids say, "Well DUH!!!"
The death of a small child and the mass coverage by the media.
Because it is such a horrible crime to murder a beautiful, precious baby girl.
Maybe Casey Anthony can now join O.J. Simpson on the trail of the real killer.
Fran
Escondido
Maybe it has something to do with being a nation of morons.
Think that might be it ???
The same reason why O.J Simpson case did.
Well, if O.J Simpson can get away with it so can Casey Anthony.
The Casey Anthony murder trial captivated the nation because an innocent little girl was murdered by her mother. I know the jury think differently but prrof is in the mother's actions after her daughter went missing, or maybe lack of cocern for her missing daughter and all the tons of lies. Now it is captivating the nation even more because it clearly says that a mother can kill her daughter, lie about it, and get away with murder. Were is the justice in our judical system. One thing that was never uncovered was the fact; was her daughter fathered by the brother or father? I think that is important factor in the case. Think about it? It is truely a sad day in America, when innocent children can be killed by their parent's and the parent gets to walk away not guilty.
Jack, if you think the trial captivated the nation, the verdict got the nation's attention even more. Although the jury returned a "not guilty" verdict, that doesn't mean Casey Anthony didn't kill little Caylee. Most people think she did. Like the O.J. Simpson case, the message this case sent is that juries don't reach verdicts solely on the evidence presented, but on which side has the most convincing attorney. Baez proved to be more clever than the prosecution. If this verdict taught me one thing, it's that if I ever find myself arrested in Florida on a felony murder charge, the "one phone call" I'd be allowed from jail will be straight to Baez's office. His career is far from over, justice has failed Caylee, and her mother will be able to go back to her partying without her child being in the way. Very sad.
Because YOU and the media turned that molehill into a mountain. Its on the news daily, more so then any other news item. Its why I really get all the news i need from Jon Stewart, cant get it anyplace else. Too busy with murder trials.
I think it was popular because the news media kept having coverage about it. I am puzzled as to why this case was so popular and the only reason I think it was reported so much was to divert attention away from the real news stories such as the bad economy and especially the rising oil prices.
Today, people just love a good soap opera and the more characters involved, the better. People don't really care, they just want entertainment at someone elses expense and the media provided them with it.
None of this should have happen. The mother recieved way too much attention from the media and she loved it. Shame on us.
Many cases of this type only have a couple of the four ingredients you listed. This one had all of them and it all started when the body was found. Up to that point it was just another missing kid. We weren't burned out on it. I think most of us like to be judgmental at times and just know she is guilty and want to see her get her just desserts, like with OJ. It's called morbid curiosity.
The fact that a child was murdered is enough to captivate people. Look at Jon Benet Ramsey, no one has been arrested in her murder, either. When a child gets murdered and their photos get put on tv, it is hard not to get caught up in the story.
For myself, I am a Crime Detective junkie. I love Crime Dramas and anything to do with Forensics. Caylee Anthony gets added to Jon Benet Ramsey's, Nicole Brown, and Ron Goldman's names as well as numerous others who may never get justice in this life time.
Nancy Grace convicted the Tot Mom years ago. People have followed this nightly. They want to lynch Casey now! She partied for 31 days and got a tattoo, so she had to be guilty.
Because people really do pay attention to serious matters.
It was totally media driven, and sadly the more gruesome, shocking and heinous the crime appears to be, the more interest there is.
Bring on the gladiators Jack, society appears to be ready for them again.
It captivates because we’re a nation that need to be in everyone else’s business. Instant gratification no matter what it cost we’ll pay later or even better we’ll make someone else pay. We make up our minds too quickly never mind the data or the facts. We jump to conclusions, stab others in the back run down our others if we think it will make us look better. We believe we’re smarter than the next person and we should have the right to tell others how they should live, eat, spend and most importantly pray.
We all wanted to see justice for the innocent child who lost her life and the outcome is not what any of us wanted. The only looser in this case is the poor baby who was snuffed out to short.
A diverson from the real challenges facing us.
We all wanted justice for a child's life that was lost for no appaernt reason.We just wanted that child's death to not be in vain....
Wrong ... it captivated the media.
Jack,
I suspect it is a combination of things, including but not limited to a sick interest at looking a sociopath in the face, to the dramatics of what could have caused her to murder her child, but especially because the media picked this up and ran with it non-stop for all of this time. I also wonder how much of this is race-driven too....and how much attention the media would have given it if the mother had been African-American or Hispanic.
I'm suprised and not surprised at the verdict–but now that the trial is over, I hope that the media will get back to reporting other news.
Because the media believes we love watching someone else's tragedy unfold before our eyes. And, for the most part, they would be right. How many other murder trials go on every day without the benefit of non-stop, live coverage, broadcast to an entire nation of TV junkies? Bottom line, it captivated us because we were told to be captivated, and not given much choice.
I think Nancy Grace is responsible for our interest. We all waited for Caylee to be found. We were all astonished by Casey's response. I was impressed with the prosecutors and somewhat disappointed with the defense – I hated that their main defense was to discredit apparently good people in their zeal to win. But the jury saw something I didn't – perhaps the prosecutor's grimaces affected them.
Jack, this trial is the ultimate in reality T.V. This country has become addicted to watching people fail. If anything, we should be tuning in on congress as they debate the debt crisis. Certainly some of of the clowns in congress need to get "kicked off the Hill."
Tom – Baltimore
Jack: It captivated our attention because we are parents, or grandparents, or future parents. I can not believe Casey Anthony, the Anthony's, and the Department of Human Resources are not all behind bars. One of the first three counts should have been a guilty verdict. If we collectively as a nation did what Casey Anthony did we all be behind bars.
People are fascinated by the crap that goes on in court and how 'idiotic and stupid' some in law enforcement and in prosecutors' offices really are.
Jack
We know she hid a dead child in a garbage bag and hid bag and body for thirty days before dumping her only child in an empty lot.
Honestly, I would rather kill somebody first.
It just doesn't get much worse.....
Innocence is NOT glamourous or captivating, but guilt and murder are, and you thought you had guilt. Our system of justice is that a person can just sit there and say or do nothing and still be innocent, but a prosecutor has a larger wall to climb than most people realize. You were captivated because a good prosecutor can make a circumstancial case seem convincing, but circumstantial evidence alone is tough to cross the "beyond a reasonable doubt" threshhold.
Jack
It didn't captivate the nation, it captivated the tabloid news media including CNN to endlessly cover it over real news. When catch phrases and talking points are taken from the likes of tabloid folks like Nancy Grace and alike, then we know it isn't news but just more sensationalistic nonsense.
John
San Jose, CA
Why does Casey Anthony get 3 yrs in prison, when senators and congressmen lie to the nation, it is seldom one will get time in prison? — and then it is not for lying. Guilty or not, why did Casey Anthony get 3 yrs?
It was that a lovable, beautiful, innocent child, the product of a dysfunctional family, and a lying deceitful party animal of a mother was murdered by the one person she trusted and loved most in the world. And that the murder was the most despicable we’ve seen in a long time. Just because that sociopath of a mother wanted to live the good life, she covered her child’s nose and mouth with duct tape, let her body rot in the trunk then tossed it in the woods, like a sack of garbage, a block away from her home. I will never be able to get out of my mind that poor kid’s last moments in life, especially now that her mother will be a wealthy celebrity living the good life way beyond her wildest dreams. So much for crime and punishment in Florida.
It's a diversion. It takes our collective attention away from the fact that our country is lurching towards a cliff, a forever altered US economy where there is no middle class, no way for the average American to pay for college, no way for the average worker to bargain collectively, no way of getting ahead except for the privileged top two-percent, and the people who we put in charge, regardless of party affiliation, just don't seem to give a damn. Welcome back Jack, hope you had a great diversion, I mean holiday!
If anyone didn't think she was not guilty has no idea about the laws of this country especially Constitutional Law just has to get in the uneducated boat, row out to sea and become al Qaeda or capsize. Why? You are the norfs who portend to be American without knowing it takes about a 7th grade education to do so. Probably the 58% of Americans that don't know what date the Declaration of Independence was signed. But it is not illegal to be stupid.
It's also hard to believe that legal frauds like Nancy Grace are spending time trying to cover her predetermined conviction months ago. You guys get sucked into this all the time.
Get a life or do something for someone instead of sitting on you obese rear ends in front of the TV becoming excited for fulfillment. as they say: "The greatest sin is that of a wasted life". Dipwads
Guilty is based only on the evidence. Actually there was no evidence and what the state called evidence anyone could have done. Not one piece of this so called evidence connected anyone to any murder let alone this poor child.
Honestly, Jack, it didn't captivate the nation at all. it captivated CNN.
It was a literal show trial. People need to stop listening to the media when forming their opinions regarding anyones guilt.
Well it is the truth that you can agree on if you get off your visceral bandwagon.
bust these attorneys and straighten...o.k, then judiciary system....it is so corrosive, and rusty....with bribes...too many sections, too many loopholes, are causing culprit escape.....don't they know, culpable homicide not amounting to murder is also a murder....???????where are they getting law school degrees?????
The State did not prove their case....and the people still want her blood. Now, what happens if they prove it wasn't Casey but someone else!!! Will the media give her a public apology, since they publicly tried her????
Don’t forget that this news also had a lot of internationally coverage. I believe that the reasons are that she was ok looking, Caucasian and because the media got so obsessed whit this story that us the public had nothing else to watch.
it's all smoke and mirrors. if the media actually were to report on the real issues (which they allegedly report on being 'very important'), we'd be hearing more about the economy, security, and the debt. no, all of this sensationalism about these cases is just a way to keep people fat, stupid, and unemployed.
For me personally it was because I have a toddler about Caylee's age at the time of her death and to see the callous attitude of her mother and the blatant disregard for this baby made me want to see justice enacted, even if just this one time. But it wasn't. And we're all worse off for it. God Bless little Caylee.
Jack,
I watched a few minutes here and there, but was more interested in finding out what happens in regards to the debt ceiling. I actually became frustrated with HLN because every time I tuned in, the programing was all about the Casey Anthony trial.
The nation was not captivated by the Casey Anthony trial. The media was captivated by the trial. There are many other murder trials going on at this time but for some reason the media focused on this case. Then if you see it on TV several times everyday, you do then become interested.
Two words ... Nancy Grace.
When a news "network" chooses to have a enraged harpy nightly try and convict the accused what do you expect.
There are lots of other dead babies out there why hasn't see focused on them with as much fervor.
It captured the nation because I think everyone had a feeling it was going to end close to how it did. Even though we all know she is connected to her daughters death in some way, at the very least. So we watched in hopes that justice would somehow prevail, but again our system let us down and instead let lies and deceipt rule due to the burden every prosecution faces, "beyond a reasonable doubt". Plus, Casey Anthony's behavior and all the other stuff surrounding the case added to the interest. It had all the characteristics we often love in movies....sex, lies, murder, and many plot twists....
Much focus was put on how happy , well dressed, and healthy the child always appeared to be, so that must mean that Casey waws a good mother ...In my opinion, the grandmother was the primary care giver not Casey..she was too busy going out , etc.
Jack, it's the same reason that reality TV, P.T. Barnum, Rush Limbaugh and television preachers, among others, have always attracted such an audience. Humans are attracted to the macabre, the sensational and any shrill bit of rhetoric that offers titilation and inflames the senses.
Jack,
The story itself is reality TV. As TV viewers, we like train wrecks. Hot body contests, people who don't exist, and over the top family. Jerry Springer couldn't write a better script.
By the way, where's the dad?
I did *not* watch nor get obsessed with this over the 4th of July weekend. Spent my time enjoying the great Montana outdoors instead. Get a life, folks. You don't need to be puppets dancing at the end of strings pulled by CNN and the rest.
She was the antithesis of most women in america, and it made her easy to hate. Most women, past their youth, sacrificed much of themselves and their social life in order to care for their children. She, young and beautiful, seemed to put fun above her children. She made the deal with the devil that most women will never make. Herself over her children. And most women are both appalled at what she gave up, and envious of what she got in return.
2 words...NANCY GRACE...for some reason she jumped on this case right away, and she had this young woman tried and convicted before the remains were found.
Because it was force fed to us. After a full day of very thorough coverage Nancy Grace, Joy Behar, and that Velez Mitchell woman would take the story and rehash it for no good reason. Here is the truth – the prosecution tried a capital murder case based on circumstantial evidence and they lost, instead of waiting for solid evidence to ensure her conviction (remember, murder has no statute of limitations). You won't air this since I speak negatively about three of your associates, but they are responsible for most of the circus we experienced. Who do you think will play Casey in the movie?
The reason the trial was popular is really quite simple. Americans are bandwagon jumpers, and in this instance, jumped on the "Casey Anthony is a murderous slut" bandwagon. People have exploded on Twitter/Facebook with "No Justice for Caylee," "Die Casey Die," and "Who picked this jury?" as some type of stance against the verdict. It's easy for Americans to jump on this bandwagon of "justice" against one single civilian; I find it amazing that a far less number of people are willing to call for justice of those murdered at the orders of our President Obama and former President Bush. Both of these men have shown themselves guilty of illegal wars and war crimes as a result, and yet, virtually no American's will demand that justice be brought to them.
Despite those final lines of "The Star Spangled Banner," the USA and it's people are no longer free or brave.
Pete
Jack – I tried my best NOT to watch the coverage because the details that I heard over the years clearly pointed to Casey. No brainer. I think everyone was captivated because of the emotional roller coaster that the OJ case put us through, and the immeasureable dissapointment that it's decision caused the American people. We were captivated again because, oh my gosh, the legal system certainly would not allow this to happen again – an obvious killer get away! So we watched ...and they did...again.
Simply put, all of humanity is lowered when our young children are not protected by society at large. And thus we look for answers when we fail.
In this case, specifically Nancy Grace. She sensationalized it to no end. I paid little attention to the story and thus have no opinion on the verdict. However, I am familiar with the inappropriate amount of time Grace devoted to this story. She drove the story.
I Think It Captivated The Nation Because Everyone Always Felt That Casey Anthony Was Guilty In Their Own Minds And Im Included. This Is A 2-Year-Old Little Girl And Somebody Knows What Happened And I Always Felt That Either Casey Killed Caylee Or Had Somebody Do It And Then They Had George And Cindy Anthony Help Cover It Up! In The End It Is What It Is She's Not Guilty And Can Never Be Tried Again, Just Like O.J. Simpson Another Murderer Goes Free In The United States Of America-Some Justice System Huh Jack?
Scott Stodden (Freeport, Illinois)
At the end of the day, no matter what we believe in our hearts, there really was NO EVIDENCE that placed Miss Anthony with Caylee when she died nor at the dump site. I was watching in hopes that SOMETHING would be brought to light that would actually merit a guilty verdict.
I think, in part, because Casey's attractive. If she's an average looking woman, the interest is not nearly as significant. I know that's partially to blame for my interest.
seriously? you are joking, right? because the media–especially your news station– made it a story you dimwit. i could have cared less about the coverage...if only we spent half as much time cand energy oncerned about kids living in poverty and desperation
You're right, Jack. this is not the first time a mother has been charged with child murder, nor is it the first time the news media has been allowed in the court room.
But like other high profile trials and murder cases (OJ, Jon Benet Ramsey, Chandra Levy) the MEDIA kept hold of the story like a pit bull holding on to a rag doll.
Kids are killed EVERY DAY in this country, MANY by their parents abuse or lack of good parenting. But most of them do not have their lives and deaths splashed all over the TV. The MEDIA decides which cases are high profile. And once the MEDIA starts reporting any case, ad nauseum, it takes on a life of its own.
IMHO the jury made the RIGHT decision. They saw what I saw when I looked at the news coverage of the entire Anthony family, and maybe saw that the family was throwing Casey unde the bus! And the MEDIA was helping.
This case had everything that made it a great "story". A good-looking WHITE girl, who liked to party, parents and a brother who added to the sensationalism, but most of all the relentless MEDIA attention.
In all this even those who claim to be sorry for the poor CHILD are now sort of angry that the sideshow is over.
Little girl dead! Rest, Cayley.
Verdict-not guilty. Obsession? Media driven. Do you think there would have been as much coverage if the majority of people felt the mother was innocent? Jack, You all but said the jury didn't know what they were doing. Now lets spend some media time on helping the mother get her life back.
There's something about a mother "murdering" hey're own child that always seems to make us addicted to what is going on in that case. The Casey Anthony trial is almost an exact duplicate of the Susan Smith and Andrea Yates trials, with one major difference; the outcome. Susan was found guilty, Andrea was found not guilty by reason of insanity, and Casey was found not guilty on murder but was found guilty of lying to the police, which in of itself is pretty hard to ignore.
Because the media knows a cute little white girl being killed (especially by her attractive young mother) is ratings gold so they ratcheted up the coverage and told us we were interested. These kinds of things happen all the time and have been turned into a form of entertainment. It's sickening.
Everybody likes a train wreck. She killed her child just like OJ killed his wife and her boy friend. People want to see justice and we rarely get it in high profile cases. Everyone knows she is guilty of murder but it never seems to matter in cases like this. One wonders why everyone hayes defence attorneys until you need one.
Malvern, PA
Pretty Female mother......check
Nice middle class family.....check
Murder cover up.....check
Hot body contest.....check
Possibility of death or life without parole....check
Why do you even pose this question? It's everything that all the reality TV shows are after and get views for so why not this?
I don't think there has been a day for the past 3 years that this wasn't a feature story on the evening news in Orlando. The case was overplayed and over analyzed by the local TV personalities.
Almost everyone involved seemed to be in it for 'their 15 minutes' of fame.
If the jury had taken their direction from the local TV folks, Casey would have been found guilty.
The whole circus atmosphere created by TV is disgusting.
Why did it "captivate the nation"? I don't think it did, unless 'captivate the nation' means the story runs nonstop on all cable news outlets. I think it's just the reality of the 24hour cable news networks feeding us what they find newsworthy. This story seemed to get as much coverage as the OJ trial, yet who is she? The girl next door, not a celebrity.
Well, it shows us that the pundits don't influence a criminal court system. I wonder what these people are going to scream tonight on the propaganda network....liberal, socialist, elitist democratic society lets guilty mom off the hook for "lack of evidence." Who ever heard of such a thing?
I became interested at first due to intense media coverage as with many stories of this nature. Then I was drawn in farther by the incredibility of the story. Next came then family disfunction and lack of ability to see the truth. Finally, to see if justice would and could prevail. I am sorry to say that it failed again, as it has many times before. I thank GOD each day that I have never had to rely on it for justice. Our system applauds not truth seeking, fairness and equality, but tactical manipulations, drama, omissions, half truths and much bravado.
Bread and circuses, Jack. Bread and circuses.
The family used the media when Caylee first disappeared to their advantage – taking every opportunity to ask the public to look for her. After that exposure, when the body was found so close to the grandparents we all were hooked, and the family couldn't do anything to shut it down. Hopefully this will raise awareness of child abuse and neglect and at least help another child, even if no one could help Caylee.
I totally don't understand the justice system. I can sit back and think maybe.. just maybe she would not be charged with Murder but Child neglect/abuse... your child is missing for a month and you don't report it and when you do, you fabricate a whole lie. In the BRONX, that's child neglect.!!!!
Why does the media over-report stories and then ask why there is so much interest? You should let the audience vote online on what they want covered and proceed from there...before you create the headline.
Because the media knows a cute little white girl being murdered by her attractive young mother is ratings gold so they ratcheted up the coverage and told us we were interested. This kind of thing happens all the time, but this is the most entertaining case the media could find so it could cash in. It's sickening. What's more sickening is the "reporters" trying to build their career off the death of this poor girl. The "news" is a dishonest profit machine that turns horrible tragedies into disgusting entertainment programs to make easy money.
Everybody likes a train wreck. She killed her child just like OJ killed his wife and her boy friend. People want to see justice and we rarely get it in high profile cases. Everyone knows she is guilty of murder but it never seems to matter in cases like this. One wonders why everyone hates defense attorneys until you need one.
Malvern, PA
Because it was on TV... why else?
It held your interest because she waited thirty-one (31) days to tell a lie. What she did to her own innocent baby is just unbelievable. The child is dead and only the selfish mother knows what happeded. This baby would have been better off given up for adoption. She killed her child to get back at her parents, and so she could be free to party and go from guy to guy. Eventually, she will pay for her despicable act. The jury did NOT do their job; they just wanted to go home.
It is ridiculous that we are in three wars, about to default and this story is the only thing that i see on TV. I have never been more disgusted with American news networks.
Hmmm...for all of those claiming that it's the media's fault – "they covered it to get good ratings, that's all!"...did you forget that the media only gets ratings when we tune in?
I wasn't force fed anything, what about you?
Now, we need a redo of the Salem Witch Trials.
The nation seems to have too much time watching sensational television, thanks to the illusion that there are no other bigger problems such as the debt ceiling and other minor issues like 3 wars.
The Jurors got the last laugh over the prosecutor and Nancy Grace.
Justice WON!!
We were captivated because people like Nancy Grace made it topic
number 1 for 3 years on her show.
I think we all new in our hearts she was guilty but the evidence didn't support it. Because of the doubt, we truly didn't know what was going to happen. That, and it was all over the news for the last month.
I think part of it is the "great unknown" and cliffhanger element of it. People like to be surprised by endings of things (whether it's a move or a book or a trial). And I think, too, it's interesting for me, anyway, to see the technical aspects of the trial – which we don't often get to see anymore – at least on a gavel to gavel basis like in this case. Fascinating.
All signs pointed to "guilty" and people wanted to be "amazed" to find if the jury would actually convict her of "not guilty." We all became the jury of America, and we won't stop judging her here. Justice will be served, and she WILL get what she deserves! Just wait....
because we were inundated by it.
Because Casey Anthony is an obvious liar. Shocking how this turned out.
It's pretty simple,Jack. Like it or not....LOOKS go a long way on how we judge people. If OJ Simpson was born ugly with a crazed look on his face like Charles Manson I'm pretty sure he would have been found guilty. If Casey was ugly to the bone she too would probably be found guilty..
Because as a people we are bored. Rather than reading about financial prosperity and finding solutions to real world problems, we'd rather entertain ourselves with the tragedy of this poor 2 year old. -Ahmad, parsippany, nj-
Its been so captivating in my personal experience after reading how many lies and pictures put out there when it was proven that her two-year daughter's body was decomposing. We were engaged because of what the masses recognized as a way of Casey digging her own grave but I guess the opposite was "true".
This is definitely not the first time a mother has been charged with murdering their child. However, just like those high-profile teacher/student molestation cases, Casey Anthony is a good looking woman. The question was, did this woman look like she can commit such a heinous crime?
It didn't captivate me. I didn't watch any of it. As a matter of fact, I don't want to deal with commercials. That's basically all there is on TV. I get my info from the internet.
Michigan
because its not often that a young, cute white mother kills her child, and its a stupid thing that the media obsesses over this because if casey was unatracive or not white, no one would care at all.
I think the fascination is Casey's web of lies. I think people were interested and wondered why she waited almost a month to report her daughter missing, her partying, and her lies. In this case I don't think we have ever seen so much lying this scenario seems like something you would seem in a movie. Lastly this has been on the news for over three years people want to know what is going to happen.
I am not sure that the "Trial" gripped the nation....Just that the Trial
enslaved the media.....The average American, I don't think, was particularly engrossed......At least no one I know cared very much about
it....Another case of the media self-importance...
Boredom.
it is said a picture is worth a thousand words; Caylee's eyes...the photo captured all of us
Thats Easy Jack, she's hot, and her father is somewhat suspect, I mean really, he smells a deadbody, and what does he do? he airs out the car and goes to work
Largo fl
The uncertainty and the very lies surrounding the dissapearence of Caylee made this case a national spectacle. I still think Casey knows exactly what happened to her daughter but do feel that her attorney Baez did an outstanding job defending her. The questions now is where will Casey go? How will her life look like now? This is the most interesting part of the aftermath of this case.
Lies, sex, drama and of cos press. are u kidding me it's like a movie. i feel bad for saying but it's what it's
Not sure why the obsession. I thought it was ridiculous and this comment is actually the most attention I've paid this whole case/trial. Who cares?
Casey Anthony is a murderer, and this won't be the last brush with the law with her. She will get the same due as OJ Simpson in time.
James J
Mn
Apparently, it was the only thing the news wanted to show us. I tried to find any real news on all news channels with no avail.
It captivated us because we saw the anguish in the grandparents who so desperately attempted to resolve this crisis while the mother sat expressionless... Our hearts were with the little girl and grandparents.
It didn't. But I have wondered WHY it captured the media & C.N.N's attention SO MUCH??
The reason that this case was made into such a major deal was because she was good-looking, white, young mother. Such events happen all the time, however they are not blew out of proportion as this one was. We always hear about that child who was threw in the garbage can, and was found by a stranger who heard tears.
No racism intended.
When you have no facts to prosecute a person what would happen.
Just to watch if they would burned that which.
Nancy Grace hammered on it for months. It became a mystery game.
Why? Unsolved murders are compelling. From the Lindbergh kidnapping and murder trial, where people in line for public seats came to blows and hawkers sold tiny wooden getaway ladders to the hordes of souvenir hunters outside the courtroom, to the Casey Anthony case, we watch because we seek to see the truth.
Who the heck is Casey Anthony?
Because that woman on your affiliate picked it up and ran with with it like a dog with a rotten bone. Trial by media....sack her ....
As a mother of four, I can not for the life of my rationalize how a mother could misplace a 2 year old child for 31 days and not have an explanation for her wherabouts!!
We have become a nation that's fascinated by "reality tv". What's more real than witnessing a woman on trial for her life? The story was destined to be ratings gold.
-Theresa, Washington, DC
I imagine the Salem witch trials were popular in their day. Anthony has been found NOT guilty by 12 women and men who left their homes and families to spend over a month hearing and poring over the details of this case. They found her not guilty. Whether lack of evidence or reasonable doubt - we have no right to stand against these jurors and Anthony - post atrocious comments condemning this woman to hell or judging her. We were not in that courtroom - Unfortunately, this the damage the media do. They fixate on a case and find the most flamboyant story - they don't dig for the truth. They inflame the masses, and then you have a woman who has been acquitted, but who will suffer the repercussions the rest of her life because the media used her tragic story to fuel the kind of hatred I've seen on facebook and other websites today. If we were in Old Salem, Nancy Grace would be pouring gasoline on the fires that burned the innocent women there.
Because the media shoved it down our throats!
I feel like I took "crazy pills"! What went wrong here? I understand "reasonable doubt" but this woman did not report her child missing for 31days! If she didn't do it, who did? We know it wasn't the grandparents – it wasn't the nanny – WHO did she leave the child with that did this? I know we did not see eveything that happened in court but there is no REASONABLE explanation to this!
News Networks across the nation thought that they could try to get a bunch of publicity if they put a case on the air that confused almost everyone with an odd story.
In answer to your question.....For the same reason people facinated with certain reality showe.....Mainly, SEX, DRUGS AND ROCKN'ROLL.
It's a slow news Summer, Jack. Those watching the trial today are the same people that will be watching Law and Order tomorrow. In a way, though, this was HLN's Gulf War moment. Every network has their moments, but in reality, the ratings will go down as people change the channels, some will stay, and we will move on to events that are actually news.
I just wonder how much money the family is going to make from the girl's death? Looks like every member of the family has options for book deals, interviews, and movie deals.
This case gave Americans a common enemy. We were united against her like we were against Bin Ladin, even more so. All people from various cultural backgrounds feel for this child. It united Americans in empathy for the child and hatred for Casey Anthony.
As much as the basic dramatic elements of the case, I think Americans have needed a target for all their rage, stemming from the US economy, loss of jobs, homes and lack of bolder leadership in Washington.
A huge amount of media hype on every word, every expression, predictions of outcomes that caused interest in something that they may not have even known about. There is something to be said about juries in this and other high profile cases that they have been able to come to their own verdict in spite of all the coverage. I hope the media does some some self evaluation from all of this.
Because tabloid networks like CNN, constantly hyped that trial.
the media insisted on speculating and re-speculating to keep people confused and unknowing. i remember when the media had integrity and simply reported the facts as they knew them, usuing a calm and measured tone of voice. now they add all sorts of drama to their voices and parse out their opinion as fact. and stupid people believe it. i hope one day the media will again have more people of integrity than people who just want to get attention for themsleves. it's fabulous when a good story is written – and we are left to think about it.
I think that people could not conceive that a young mother could be so vile in partying and drinking for a month while her daughter was "missing". I think Casey Anthony was so infuriating, I tuned in to watch the mounting evidence lead the jurors to charge her with Caylee's murder. In the end, the joke is on me. She walks and proves to the world that you can be a callous, heartless liar and not be held accountable. It sickens me.
Jack, there was child that lost her life. That pulls at our heart strings.
Jack:
I am glad you asked this question?
The answer is simply that the media circus, mainly Nancy Grace on CNN (HLN) and all the other legal personalities and psychiatrists on her show had this case tried over the past 3 years and most people had Casey Anthony hung based on emotions and not real facts. Similar goings on was done by Fox News with lawyers and psychiatrists.
It is never the fault of the prosecution for the mistakes they made. If she was put to death, and later found out that it was an accident or someone else did it. The prosecution would be the first to say, hey, I anin't the only one who made a mistake, the entire jury of 12 found her guilty.
The jury was picked from an out of area group (great move) by the Judicial System for the most fair trial process. The jury did not comprise of lawyers and psychiatrists open to out of space fantasies, but a pretty much across the board intelligent group that did their part for justice..
Hey, look now, this is the USA. All are suppose to be presumed innocent until proven guilty BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT sheesh, AND its a mom being on trial for killing her kid, that is harsh stuff, but here is the deal..........
Like it or not, Casey was tried in a Court of her Peers, even chosen out of the county so as to not be bias, which is how it is suppose to be.
You dont have to like her, you dont have to like her behavior, you dont even have to believe her, all you have to know is there is even the littlest doubt that she/herself killed her daughter. As good as the prosecution was, they could not do that. So, we live in a country where, when a jury of your peers finds you innocent, like it or not, thats the way it is. period. to doubt, is to question the Constitution itself.
We were 'fascinated' because we couldn't escape the coverage. Was there nothing else worthwhile to report?
Because you guys keep covering it. On its own merits, it's not such a "captivating" story.
I believed Casey was guilty of complete selfishness. It's the idea that Casey could give chloroform recklessly to her child, and that she could be so selfish to do such a thing, that her partying was more important than protecting her own little girl.
Jack, the trial was interesting and came straight out of a movie or TV show, but the reason we were captivated by it is the simple fact that Americans were, and always are looking for a fresh news story. The tsunami was replaced by the Arab Spring, which was replaced by the oil crisis, then by the deficit issue, now down to the Casey Anthony trial. What next?
Clifton, NJ
I was captivated by little Caylee, so sweet and innocent. Could not believe that Casey – up to this moment – has not told the truth of what really happened. Her behavior has made it into the big story this has become.
Because nothing of real value was placed on the network news. America has become a short attention span society focused on the macabre. If the media would post more positive or useful and factual news items, the ratings might drop, but a more educated America could do more proactively to help reshape their nation.
Because Nancy Grace and Jane sensationalized it and choked the audience to just think about this and nothing else!
I believed for several factors. First being that whenever a child is missing we have sympathy for the family and the child. We followed it just like many missing children. Sara Ann Wood, Polly, Elizabeth Smart, Hailey Dunn...Always looking for the best outcome and them to be home. Casey Anthony distorted the investigation and instead of ASSIST authorities in whatever it took to bring her child home it was VERY evident IMMEDIATELY that she was hiding something and obstructing. So perhaps the question shouldn't be why the public was so captivated in finding out answers, but rather, Why was her own mother not?
That precious little girl is what captivated me. My only hope is that none of the media companies will pay her big time bucks to tell even more lies. I certainly wouldn't buy any book or movie that she is involved in EVER.
Jack, it captivated the press because it was cheap and easy news that was sure to "captivate" the least intelligent among us. It played on our emotions rather then enlightening us with reason. It was tabloid journalism at it's best, you guys telling us what you want us to hear, at the lowest possible cost. I'm just glad that in the end the jury applied reason rather than emotion to their deliberations.
The Casey Anthony trial in my opinion was so captivating because Casey does not look like a murderer. She is an attractive young 26 year old woman that possibly killed her beautiful daughter. The case to everyone seemed so clean cut and obvious but it would take unexpected turns and so much drama was thrown into it... it was a real live reality show when she would hit the stand. I feel sorry for the baby girl, because now we will never know. ~Shame on Casey~
simple answer..it is like a car crash.everybody wants to see a disaster..with the trial,.everyone wanted to see her get death penalty..nothing more ...nothing less.. not many people thought she was innocent
The nation had no choice but to be captivated, Jack. We could not escape it. CNN, FOX, and MSNBC- you all played Casey Anthony 24/7. One might think there was nothing else in country to be reported. As truly tragic as this case is, and as much as I feel for that poor little girl, I think it's disgraceful that one legal case could distract us (media and public alike) from the true issues that need to be addressed in this nation. How much faster would the debt ceiling problem be solved if the media gave as much attention and placed as much pressure on Congress as they did on this case? Perhaps now that this story is over, we can refocus our priorities.
she's hot
not guilty
Laugh out loud but you know I am correct
People just love suspense. Its entertaining. Not as great as public executions or gladiator battles.
I also remembered the Idea of Individualism.
Contrary to what you suggest; that the country was captivated by the trial of Ms. Anthony, I believe we were held captive by the cable networks where we usually turn to get important news. Instead, we were treated to 24/7 CSI Florida. Irrelevant and a waste of time. I tuned out.
Please try airing important news that will actually affect people in their daily lives. Then I will tune back in.
The entire Anthony family was/is so disfunctional that I believe millions of people recognized their own family disfunction: teenage pregnancy, older brother slightly strange, Daddy a cheater, Mother helping coverup. And lies, lies lies. And the media tried and convicted over and over and over.
The media, Cnn included has mastered distracting and confusing the american people. Instead of worrying what cliff the country is going off, we are worried about a young woman and her daughter. The nations problems are much greater that her.
Is was Florida’s “Sunshine Laws” & the chance to get an inside view of a life or death trial – the ultimate reality TV
The media forced us – that is all they wanted to cover!
I told myself after the OJ travesty...that I would not get caught up in another trial......and I didnt......
Oh Jack you're so dramatic. America has been captivated? It's more like America's been held hostage by the media's obsession with the Anthony trial. Can we move on now?
Because so-called "news" has morphed into entertainment tonight and people like sensationalism. Get back to serious news Jack. Strive to be like Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite.
this "show" was the ultimate reality show....where else can the contestant
(accused) face death.....there simply is no other entertainment that can give us all a jolt and a peel behind the curtain
Someone at one of the media outlets decided that this was going to be the "trial of the century," that it would garner big ratings, and so it was spoon-fed to the public. Even the Weather Channel was covering it, for goodness sake. It was completely media-driven, as most of these kinds of stories are, and I, for one, am glad it's over. Now, maybe we can watch some REAL news for a while, at least until the next big ratings spectacle presents itself. How I long for the days when so-called "news" channels really covered the news.
Some of us believe in our justice system....and that is what happened here. Our states should never be able to make such serious charges against it citizens based on such ATTROCIOUS evidence that these people trumped up. I think the prosecution and the sherrifs office botched the investigation, thay got caught by the jury and I think they should be the ones in jail. Their acctions should not be tolerated in America. They are horrible, horrible people. And I think the news media is also to blame. You people are not doing your civl duties to report the news, instead you are trying to execute a young woman based on shoddy and untrue trumped up eveidence that in my mind is criminal behavior on it own. You people are all creeps and you should be reporting how our jusstice system works.
Nation's attention was captured by the constant coverage.
Sadly, this jury's fatigue probably did not allow them to really consider the evidence.
Casey Anthony's lies were not even a concern to them.
At the very least, she was negligent and contributed the the aggravated manslaughter of her child.
I don't blame the jury for not wanting to be in front of the public now; they let a murderess go free.
Very sad.
This trial captivated the nation because we rarely see what goes on in a courtroom, unless you are a juror, victim or the prosecuted..They say justice is blind and it is we never see it. We always rely upon someone else's interpretation, and now we get to see for ourselves.
Had I been on the jury I would have come to the same decision, the only thing the prosecution proved in this case was that Casie was a liar and that Caylee is dead. I was appalled at some of the so called lawyers who are questioning the jurys' decision. They should know, if the guilt was not proven, the the verdict has to be not guilty!!!
The moment I saw the prosecutor laughing during closing argument, I told my husband she would get off.
The media should not have spent so much time on this. It was no more important than other child murder cases. Shame on the media, including CNN. Yours is not supposed to be a tabloid news station.
because the media as much as forced it upon us!
At first, Americans were obsessed with the trial because a cute two-year old white girl was (potentially) murdered by her fairly attractive young mother. Then, after the news gained traction with the public, the media played it more , which then caused more people to become involved. The trial was a self-licking ice cream cone. Americans were obsessed because the media made us obsessed. The media obsessed over it because Americans were obsessed with it. Goes back to which came first–the chicken or the egg?
what's next for Casey?
dancing with the stars !!!!!!
what a great country...............
Some people just cannot turn away from watching a train wreck. It started with the Scopes "Monkey" Trial and continued with the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, the OJ Simpson trial to this trial. All of them captivated the country because of the "sordid" details and innuendo that they all had. This won't be the last time such a trial captivates the country.
Oh and to those who believe Nancy Grace brought it to the nation. Orlando is populated area with MANY tourist and it was headline news there prior to HLN coverage.
Why did the Casey Anthony trial fascinate the nation? This trial was the classic story of good versus evil. We, the viewer, were left to root for the beautiful, young child, who could not speak for herself while her very family members seemed to lie and constantly change their stories. At the same time, our country is being further divided into haves and have nots. Millions of people who have done everything right have been unemployed for over a year. People who've never missed a house payment have had their homes repossessed. We related to this powerless, innocent, young victim. We so desperately needed, as a country, to finally see good triumph over evil. We did not. Evil won, even though evil had an attorney who was barely competent and, in the past, nearly disbarred.
The Casey Anthony trial has been so pervasive on sll televison news media – local to national. The only way this case could not captivate, is by watching something other than the news. Which isn't a bad idea!
Who knows why the fascination? But I must say that Jose Baez is one crooked lawyer. He knows damn good and well that she's guilty. But who cares...he's gonna be rich. Isn't that what it's all about in the end!
Jack, the media including CNN decided this non-story of no significance, that's not news, was worth wasting our time and effort instead of covering the real news. I don't know anything about this trial, I don't care about the verdict, and I can't understand why the media and CNN covered this garbage. Why are you guys still talking about it? Blah blah blah. How about some real news for once? Can any real news professional look in the mirror and feel good about this complete waste of resources?
We all wanted to know why it takes a month to contact authorities that someone is missing...and who is dumbing up for who. Now only they may ever know until they cash in on the books and television series sure to follow. Follow the money, just another sad human story.
What surprised me most was that my normally soap opera averse husband got sucked into the closing arguments this weekend, too. Real reality. Real lawyering. Brilliant articulate arguments. We got up at 8:30 yesterday to see it again. Crazy but compelling. Husband said reasonable doubt on one, doubt on all three. Then after the arguments, he was swayed 180 degrees. So, yeah, Jack, our weekend took an unexpected turn as well. Glued to the tube.
Carol in Northampton, MA
Let's be honest. A pretty young white girl with all the drama.
It was "Must See TV", Jack. You know like when the Romans use to watch the gladiatorial games. Besides, there was nothing else on that was as entertaining. [Note: Sarcasm]
-Stephen
Yarmouth, NS Canada
Speak for yourself. I did everything I could to avoid watching. By the way, I'm probably one of the few people who also avoided watching the O.J. trial. As far as I'm concerned allowing cameras in the courtroom does nothing to serve justice. It just sensationalizes the courtroom process turning potentially fair trials into show trials. And no one should kid themselves; fair trials and show trials are worlds apart. A show trial is only a step and a half away from televised executions. I suppose that'll be next.
Personally, I think media should be restricted from reporting on trials, especially in the case where they seem to be forecasting an outcome or suggesting one. What happened to reporting facts? There are too many ways for so much circumstantial evidence to be misleading and misused in cases like this. This woman may or may not have killed her daughter. The simple truth is that there is not enough evidence to prove it.
But the media pushes everyone to a premature decision and now this woman's life is twice as difficult. So many people are assuming that she is guilty, but that 'the system set her free', but what if she is really innocent? What if those 12 people who sat and listened and watched and heard not only meant that there wasn't enough evidence, but also that she was innocent? Now put yourself in her shoes. You're free to grieve and try to piece your life together (which was as we all know already not perfect) but now half the population believes you're a baby murderer and knows your face on sight. Good job, media.
Captivated millions – – – perhaps tens of millions – – – but I doubt that it is accurate to state that it has captivated the Country.
Our nation is full of stupid people. This case just showed that the Prosecutor and the Nancy Grace's of the world cannot convict a trial on television. There is plenty of blame to go around and it starts with the media and the sensationalism it fuels with stories like this. Unfortunately, a little girl died for simply having a Mother as a Monster who should have decided to put her for adoption to someone or her parents.
The media will sell us whatever we will buy. Are we the only country that turns our attorneys into celebrities by giving them t.v. shows and book deals? There is a certain population that connects to these tv personalities and gets caught up in the drama of "tot mom" and "Little Cayle" What could be more tragic than a mother killing her own 2 year old? Unfortunately it happens all the time but the media picks and chooses the case that they can sensationalize, advertise, and get ratings on.
I'll bet I'm not far off on this. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that things are so damn depressing these days. We hear about teeth-grinding injustices going on all the time every night – on the news, in the paper, online, etc. Most reasonable people looked at the case and thought she was guilty. They needed, really needed, to see justice handed down somewhere. To many, it was a forgone conclusion that she would be convicted but they needed to see it anyway. Now that she's been acquited, the irony is that the injustice factor just got multiplied tenfold.
Sensationalism, plain and simple. The media sensationalized this case above all others and some of the commentators on your sister network, HLN, should be very ashamed of themselves for their biased journalism in this matter. We no longer get news from the media, we get opinions.
She's pretty, young and has the looks for a "made-for-tv"movie. If she were fat, ugly and a minority, the media would not have touched it. Sex sells. Shamefully, it's the culture that runs the 5th Avenue culture, telling America to nail her to the cross. Sure, she's a lire, a bad mother, party animal. Julie Andrews she is not. I am just saddened that my fellow man eats this up with 2 big spoons.
Karma will win in the end Jack.
I am absolutely appalled by this ridiculous verdict! I mean if she wasn't guilty then for the past 3 years why was she so intent on proving her innocence rather than trying to find the murderer of her innocent toddler?? The entire defense is out celebrating while there is still a deceased child with nobody to answer to her horrific murder, Jose Baez is steady talking about "murder is not right" and "stop to trying to kill our people" why are you defending a murderer then?? If the jury felt so strongly that there wasn't sufficient evidence then they should have called a mistrial because there was not enough evidence to prove guilt OR innocence. Now shes found not guilty and our "wonderful" judicial system won't let the state appeal, yet if she was found guilty she could appeal over and over again until her eyes popped out. What a wonderful system we live under.
-Ria Nicole from Los Angeles
Seriously, you watched? We're a nation gone insane. I live in Orlando and we've been bombarded with this story for three years. I'm happy it's over, and I'm happy that the jury (against all the speculation by every pundit in media in this town) realized that the prosecution proved the child was dead, but never proved who killed her.
There were idiots at the site where the child's body was found - some had driven from New York and Tennessee and Texas and heaven knows where? And then there were the tourists standing in line for hours trying to get tickets to be in the court room instead of spending time with their children at resorts or theme parks. We're a society gone mad.
I agree with several of your commenters that Nancy Grace and others on your sister station spent way too much time on this case to get ratings. I applaud Nancy for reporting the child missing, but I think she and the others were guilty of trying to dispense too much legal hokus-pokus for months if not years in end. I find myself wonding if all this media attention is not the reason the case turned out the way it did. Think maybe Nancy and others would do better reporting the facts and keeping the childs face in front of us with out all of the commentary and personal opinions, leave that to the trial.
Nothing hits at the heart and soul of this country like it's love for it's children and the ever present dangers we are constantly made aware of when it comes to their safety. We all wanted to know the truth. With no penalty hanging over Casey's head now, maybe we will finally learn it. On the other hand, her expected book title could be..."The Truth (And if you believe that...)"
Because they're pretty people. Pretty people make the news all the time. Because that's when the ratings go up. Especially if crime is involved. This murder case was a gold mine for some media. You have a cute, young mother who could have possibly killed her cute 2 year old daughter. Don't get me wrong, this is horribly tragic. But I'd like to see if the media would have still covered this if the mother and late daughter were fat.
We were captivated by a beautiful child thru her photos & videos in the same manner we were captivated by Laci Petersen. The media exposure made us feel as if we knew them personally & we became attached to these victims of senseless crimes. Justice was served for Laci but sorry to say no Justice for little Caylee Marie Anthony, may she rest in peace.
Reasonable doubt. Prosecution put up junk science and overcharged the case. Baez pointed out all the conflicts in interpretation of the evidence and the jury had no choice. It doesn't matter whether Casey Anthony "did something" or just covered up a bad accident. What matters is that the state of Florida failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
you said it yourself Jack, you where hooked on it. This was not a trial for a womens life, this was the new fom of entertainment, or the next stage of relality TV. Trial by public opinion Jack is dangerous. Nobody gets a fair trial in the court of public opinion. The state could not prove a murder had taken place period, the jury saw that. Trials should not be televised at all, and its disgusting that they are made in entertainment. Hundereds of child murders happen every day in this country, where is the outrage there.
I think we the viewers were so captivated because of the continuous drama from Casey's parents...from Casey's own behavior throughout this whole ordeal...alll the obvious lies...and from a deep need to see justice for this poor little girl...I for one had no empathy for the mother...how could I!!!!!
The Casey Anthony case was fed to the public like pap so the liberal mainstream media didn't have to grapple with the failed policies of Pres. Obama or the looming debt crisis.
Why? because sensationalism is a merchandise with buyers and sellers
(1) Americans are addicted to morbid sensationalism. They crave it day and night. It is a drug and Americans junkies are instantly hooked if it is of the kind of "a white little girl murdered".
(2) The media produce morbid sensationalism cheaper than real journalism and they sell it at a higher price. Sensationalims and Tabloids gives higher ratings than serious journalism and so the media profits from feeding the beast. Sensationalism sold for profits by the media in every corner like alcohol, cigarrets or crack.
News media outlets like CNN and others are to blame for the nation's captivation. Quit being a knuckle head Jack, you should know this.
I think we're all media junkies, we're looking for a story to follow, we wanted to play juror. It shows that the justice system in our country does indeed work. There was no doubt about her lying to a law enforcement officer, but there was obviously reasonable doubt in the other three charges. The jury did their job.
And furthermore, whether she did it or not, whoever did has to live with that for the rest of their lives, that should be punishment enough, and if they are indeed out there running free, and it is not her, they'll trip up and be caught. What comes around goes around.
Remember, this case is not closed until until someone is proven by the justice system to have been proven guilty of the crime, so one little girl still has a voice and is still whispering in some investigator's ear to find her killer.
First...lets not forget litl Kaylee...she is gone....We watched the trail everyday, thankfully the jury could not hear the reporters during and after each day...because if they could, she would have been found guilty by media's bias opinion... it captured the nation because of people like Nancy Grace and her extremely biased reporting...people are drawn to her negative comments, she convicted her and after hearing her again today always will...Now that is sad....is she guilty of meditated 1st degree murder...NO...Is her father involved more than he let on...I think so...Maybe reporters should remember a key sentence in the USA... INNOCENT until PROVEN Guilty !!!!!!!
I watched none of the trial and none of the media shows about the trial. But I happened to catch the verdict live today. It seems justice was served. I trust the jurors. But I don't trust lawyer pundits and columnists who get all passionate about the woman's guilt.
It became a media circus because the media knew the material could grab hold of people's basic instincts. By doing so, the media could get a lot of views and raise advertising prices to make more money. Mr. Cafferty, you are doing this, as well, for your show.
In the big picture, it doesn't matter that the media did this, because it will all be forgotten soon enough, and the trial brought some excitement into people's lives. So no real harm done.
She is such a sociopath and her mother and attorneys are such liars, it was almost a work of fiction.
It was like watching a meteor coming and knowing there is nothing you can do to stop it . It was so obvious that she was guilty just like it was when O.J. gave his suicide letter and led a high pursuit chase on national T.V. The same way we all knew he was guilty we knew she was , but with the lack of evidence and the judge looking as if he was instructing the jury to think a certain way (abiding the law) you had a feeling that another killer would walk . Then she did .
Tucson, AZ – Unlike you, I have been trying to avoid watching the coverage of this trial. There are compelling elements from a show-biz perspective – a mixed-up family, an apparent cover-up of a child's mysterious death, a distraught grandma calling 911, a body found in the woods, so forth. However, while the medical examiner called it homicide, there was no actual evidence of anything except improper disposal of a body. The verdict does not surprise me – there was no real case here, just innuendo and suspicious behavior. I am glad the show is over. I hope you in the media get back to covering real stories, like the debt ceiling, the war, the economy and the deadlock in Congress. The Anthony case is of real concern only to the Anthony family; this other stuff is life and death and wealth for all of us.
You can blame or thank 24 hour news. Most of us are too busy trying to survive this economy to waste time on watching this.
The country was captivated by the story due to our short-attention spans and thirst to diversionary stories that get repeat coverage on all news outlets that draw us away from real issues such as the growing nation's debt, the weakening of the U.S. currency, two imperialistic wars, high unemployment, the growing disparity between rich and poor, and the declining overseas' opinion of the country.
To see if the jurors have the courage to convict a murderer (Casey) by issuing a death sentence. People keep committing murder knowing that they will never be placed on death row. Shame on those jurors; no justice for Calee.
Very few will admit this, but Casey is attractive and more importantly WHITE.
Attractive white female = ratings gold.
Its the way she was murdered Jack, the so-called "mothers" indifference, the lies they’ve all told, including the parents in a what appears to be a cover up. No matter how Caylee meet her end, this woman was responsible for that child’s life and well being. It’s over now and no one will ever find out what happened to Caylee; hell the prosecution won’t even continue the search for the truth. However when the dust settles, this family will have to face each other and deal with all of their lies. They're going to tear each other apart. I doubt this is the last we’ve heard of the Casey family
The web of lies, 31 days of not reporting/ allowing the body to decompose so evidence would be lost. It makes the case even more of a mystery. This is why we wait to see what the verdict will be.
This is just a sample of America fed up with the justice system. Just because a case and a rush to judgement is brought forth, you really need to have some proof that these things really did happen. If we were all to have our lives brought to the center stage we might all look bad too. There was more proof George molested Casey than casey killed kaylee. Ashton did not help the state either he's a smuck and needs to check himself, bottom line State did a rookie's job against a guy who never had a capital murder case before won, People 1 State 0.
Jack the media didn't cause this. Thirty one days of Casey's silence and bogus bull about her daughters absence. That gets anyones attention.
Jack,
I think that the reason that these courtroom dramas captivate us in the United States is because we can absolve ourselves of our own shortcomings as humans and in this case as parents. We can watch this and say, "Well I might be a bad parent, but at least I didn't get charged for killing him/her" I was really surprised at this verdict.
Jack,
Watching the Casey Anthony trial is a bit like going to the Zoo. We're watching a sociopath who almost certainly did kill her two-year old daughter and then throw her father and brother under the bus in a desperate attempt to save her life. And now she walks amongst us again as a free woman with her entire life ahead of her. I fear that before we blink, Casey Anthony becomes the star of the #1 watched reality TV show of all time. And if/when that happens, I daresay the soul of America has finally rotted to the core for good.
Jack, I can only speak on my behalf, my obsession with Casey Anthony Trail is in fact I (we) are mostly parents ourselves, and we can't grasp why a parent could kill their own children, the media made it easy for me to follow the case and ultimate finally, now I can get on with my life, good luck to the Anthony family,
Mr. Cafferty,
I am not sure why the nation became so engrossed in the case. It smacks of Euripedes' Greek tragedy–Medea murdering her own children and every major media organization piped the drama into our homes daily. However, the verdict brings to mind another dramatist,William Shakespeare: "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." (William Shakespeare, Henry The Sixth, Part II, Act IV, scene ii).
We're captivated by it but not by choice. Our newspapers, televisions, the internet, cellphones, and every corner of social media has covered this trial as if it were the second coming of Christ. It has been plastered everywhere and it impossible to NOT hear about it. Hell, you hear about it enough you actually become interested in it. Sad really, because now a murderer stands to make millions of dollars in book deals, movies, interviews and the like, while a little child lie dead...and nobody knows who did it.
You gotta love the power of the media. It'll make you annoyed, interested and then down-right angry...and I'm sure that's how 99% of people "captivated" by this trial felt today. Weird huh?
Brian Dagg – Dearborn, Michigan.
I think this case captivated the nation because children are innocents and their murders strike our hearts as particularly heinous. Interestingly, there was a very high-profile child murder case going on here in Boise for almost the exact amount of time as the Anthony trial. Ours involved the death of an 8-year-old boy (Robert Manwill) at the hands of his mother (Melissa Jenkins) and her boyfriend (Daniel Ehrlick, Jr.). It got a lot of press in Idaho, but not anywhere else. The circumstances were fascinatingly similar – only circumstantial evidence, a lot of lies and inconsistencies, a child who was "missing" but found dead – but in our case, the jury found the boyfriend guilty of first degree murder with torture and in the commission of an aggravated battery on a child, as well as failure to report death to law enforcement. (The mother pled to aiding and abetting a second-degree murder.) I think the interest a case garners nationwide is a crap-shoot - I certainly think the characters in this Idaho case were compelling enough to hold the attention of the media and the public. (And hearty congratulations to the Ada County Prosecutors who achieved the guilty verdict in the Ehrlick trial – the closing argument especially sealed this man's fate.)
I do agree with Brett (New Jersey) in many ways, as we allow ourselves to be manipulated constantly by the media and the journalists' own mini quest for making their mark from other people's implosions. Like vultures. Jack Cafferty won't have the nerve to read these comments online.
That being said, we, as humans, are captivated by other people's tragedies–those that are self-inflicted or not–hoping for our perception of justice to be carried out–and the hope we'd never be involved in such human destruction. This family was real and it all fell apart, ending in the death of a defenseless little girl. Let's hope there really is justice upon our deaths. Maybe then it'll be served.
From the very 1st 911 call by Cindy Anthony, nothing in this case made any sense. Everything appeared to have been scripted! I felt there was a direct connection with George Anthony and his knowledge of the judicial system, and a love from his daughter, was persuaded to hide whatever really happened. The whole case reaped of coverup from the biginning. Someone or several in the family escaped revealing the true cause of death.
Captivated? In all the time this has been in the news, I never once heard anyone mention it except for the media. The whole story was just another media creation, meant to boost ratings. The Republican financial terrorists are threatening to destroy the economy, yet the whole first half hour of this "news" program has been taken up by this silly trial. Pathetic.
Dan
Santa Barbara
America should follow the British system of no coverage until the trial is over...let's get rid of this "media circus"!
I think the case was so popular because I believe 99.99% of the population would report a missing child or an accidental death of a child, most especially their own. I think it goes against the grain of common sense. Unfortunately, the jury is not allowed to use it's common sense in deliberations.
Hello Jack, In my opinion half the nation had already convicted and sentence Casey not giving her the least bit of doubt or sympathy. I believe that people grieve in different manners and who's to say that Casey wasn't grieving and trying to escape the situation with all that partying she did. Perhaps when she's older she will relate the truth of what happened. I am happy for her that she was not executed and hope she makes a good life for herself.
Because all of the key characters are so completely dysfunctional. Had the Anthony family, Roy Kronk, and Casey been even slightly normal, people would have felt some sympathy. Instead, it was a circus of dysfunctional personalities.
First of all it was with the help of Nancy Grace. But i would like to give my point of view in this case. I do not think that it is right at all to give any one, or at least try to give Casey the death penalty if no one knows who killed little Caylee Anthony. If there is no physical evidence, no need for the death penalty. i am actually for the defense, but even if Casey was the murderer, there would need evidence. NO sympathy was showed towards Casey at all. If there is no evidence there would be no reason for anyone to want her to die, unless people were just being heartless. At least give her a lesser charge, if she were to be guilty. And what i cant understand is that people act as if they were better than Casey Anthony. All of us make mistakes. Yes i do understand that she lied and all, but........
It is possilble that people of this country wanted to witness the outcome of this trial since it was always displayed in the media. secondly people wanted to see how the the great judicial system of this country works. In most countries there is no fair trial.
It didn't, at least not for educated Americans that hope to see real news. The media sensationalized it by shoving the gruesome details down our throats, making the news unwatchable for days.
None, thank God. Everything HLN and FoxNews did failed to get their desired outcome. Ratings bonanza, ratings gold, indeed.
This is a deplorable injustice for the little Casey. Her murder killed her and got away with it. Despite the fact that we do not know the time and the motive she was killed the overwhel ming circumstancial evidence proves that her mother killed her to enjoy her partying life because she has become an obstacle to the life style of Kelly the mother.
By the time this case went to trial, Caylee Marie Anthony had become a surrogate, child, grandchild, niece or loved on to us all. Thanks to Nancy Grace for the exposure we all really cared.
Jack, I think the trial captivated the nation because it touches the lives of many young women like Casey Anthony and addresses the struggles and the challenges that they face when they have children outside the wedlock. Many of these young women are teenage kids and are not ready to be mothers when they give birth to their children.
Jack....
Because enough people in this country have become infatuated with death,suffering, destruction and mayhem as a form of entertainment.
The media...tongue in cheek... knows it........and covers every last gory detail...24/7...ratings go up, every one's happy. ....as the Republicans say...."It creates jobs, good for business".
My guess, the return of a Circus Maximus is not to far in the future
Well Jack, to start it off The Casey Anthony trial was in fact another child murder. And it is a good question... why was the nation so fascinated with this trial in particular? The media played a HUGE role in that. We were introduced to a 2 1/2 year old girl who was as sweet and innocent as could be and she was murdered. We the public got to know Caylee and loved this missing girl and to find out she was murdered. Her mother Casey Anthony was the last person to be seen with Caylee. In our opinion she obviously knew and knows what happened to Caylee and during that 31 day period what was she doing? She was partying!!! The day before they found Caylee she got a tattoo that meant "beautiful life". The Prosecutor had a good point, who's life was better without Caylee? We think Casey. Her story never added up, and it still doesn't. This is why. Casey got away with it, and even if she shouted to the whole world that she killed Caylee nothing could be done. No double jeopardy. This trial has not recieved justice.
If this had been called the Media Anthony Trial, like it should have been Jack, you wouldn't need to be asking that.
The American people are stressed to the max these days. This case was a chance for evil to be punished by good. We all knew a terrible wrong was committed and wanted someone to pay, to make ourselves feel a little better. Oh well, a little girl is dead and absolutelhy nobody is to blame. Kind of like the whole American way of life these days it's a terrible mess, but you can't find a single person to blame. Sad, isn't it?
It really seemed to captivate the main stream media. The main stream media, in turn, shoved it down the American people's throats. It was a lot of hype and no substance. I'm not surprised she was found Not Guilty, there wasn't enough evidence against her. What I do find surprising, however, is that now the media is comparing this case to the OJ Simpson Trial. Once again, they're trying to make this bigger than what it really is. The media really does make John Stewart's job very easy, in fact easier every day, can't wait to see how he bashes you tonight.
I think people viewed this trail–as heartbreaking as it was–as a way for our justice system to redeem itself...for justice for this precious little girl to really be served and for all to be witness it to, to celebrate it. We got screwed.
"Captivate the nation"? I don't think that's valid. I was never "captivated". With the whorish grabbing for ratings by your sister station, proclamations of her guilt before the trial was over by vicious virago nancy grace and others, it became almost impossible to avoid it. Most people today are upset about the not guilty verdict. I don't know whether Casey Anthony killed her child, but I'm certain the prosecution failed to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. Unlike OJ Simpson, who got off because of his celebrity, Casey Anthony had a good jury who refused to convict her without proof which, in this case, has always been lacking.
I believe that the jury convicted her because there wasn't enough evidence to convict. Perhaps their gut feeling was like mine; I felt she was guilty but I didn't see the evidence to convict. A good jury but sad for justice in America.
The prosecution failed to present enough evidence for a guillty conviction.
I do beieve the cameras in the courtroom and the media whipped up a frenzy that caused people to fight in line for seats. Really disgusting!
Because Casey is a young, good looking woman who is also a compulsive liar.
Because of her bizarre behavior while her child was missing for 31 days.
Because she murdered her own child with no motive.
I seriously hate this woman. As someone who desperately wants children and has suffered two miscarriages, I can't believe Casey could murder her own child with chloroform. Now she walks free. What a joke.
It is a relief to watch a disfunctional family implode in court.It is really not my problem, but..... When I watch the cafferty file I watch a disfunctional Congress implode in our capitol, that is my problem.
I know a lot of people, in this nation, who just don't tune in to media blitz. So, I don't think the nation was captivated, I think the media made the trail the only thing that was available to watch. I'm a parent and I work with parents, and most of us just work hard learning and doing the right thing by our kids and don't really have time to get involved with the perverted lifestyle of this wrong-doing family and the attention given them for "doing the wrong thing."
I suppose the obsession is closely akin to the motivations of those who crowded around the guilotine during the French Revolution; mob psychology is usually cruel and irrational. The most irrational aspect of many of the commentators re the Anthony case is the assumption that a murder was ever committed. The prosecution failed miserably to prove there had been any murder at all, much less that Casey committed murder. All the people who were 'shocked' at the verdict need some basic lessons in rational thinking.
The media "hype" turned this into a one ring circus... when will the media butt out of our "justice" system! There a thousands of trials everyday,
that the media doesn't blow out of proportion, wh
This case has been judged, the verdict is in, the jury has decided, there was NO proof of guilt! The prosecution did not prove guilt...
The media needs to report the NEWS not speculate, have "experts" or annalist ...Do the job of the Journalist .Report the FACTS...there is thousands of programs on to "Entertain" the masses
This is still America where a person is INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty!
Because we have nothing better to do, than to be worried about somebody else's problems.
This trial captivated the nation because people love crime and punishment. People are let down by the abundance of randomness and of accidents in nature and want simple cause and effect answers. They want a victim and a perpetrator. They want to find a perpetrator for just about every bad outcome which is accidental or unfathomable in order to find the bete noir responsible for their own real or perceived victimhood.
I am disturbed that Casey can go on partying for 31 days and never report her child missing. If my child was missing for 5minutes , it would be reported. She was out paryting, using drugs, knowingher child was missing, Come on....what is our world coming to. Casey's day will come some day. GUILTY OF LYING...WOW. She was in the wrong and what she had done. Families are disturbed with this. As a mother of four, I am always disturbed when I hear mothers or fathers possibly killing their own children, but with this case this mothers child was missing for 31 days before she reported it. She had plenty of time to think about what happened and said nothing. Went on with her life as if she had no child. Again, i am sick to my stomach. However, if her mother was capable of doing this, then Caylee is in a better place and in some point of time, Casey will pay for what she has done. Rest in Peace little Caylee.
Jack, it became a media shark frenzy. The death of a young child is terrible to say the least. I resent the media taking a position an individual is guilty in any situation and too many times, a picture goes up and immediately the public responds, "Yep, looks guilty". The Jury heard the evidence and made a decision. By the way, how many similiar cases can you find in Baltimore, or Chicago or where ever that claws at the same emotions. Leave Law in the courts not on telivision. Thanks Craig, Annapolis, Maryland
Only CNN knows for sure. Now I hope the city re-opens this case and tries to find the real killer or killers of this child. They should start by asking the parents of this young child and then the family where was the child on a certain day. This usually produces good results.
Because of the media as always influenced the jury. You got the women on HLN just going on and on and on. I think we just got tired of the coverage and the jury was tired to. Its a real shame that the crime of this precious child's murder has so much attention but no answer.
Buying tickets to a child's murder trail. What a mockery of our justice system. Sure our founding fathers facing the new country breaking apart in a small room in high heat really thought about this trail, when they form our Constitution. I see several post talking about the media coverage. I will be very surprised if any of them make your news.
Hey Jack,
Is it any suprise that we as Americans are fixed to all our media gizmos and gadgets and become enamered and quite addicted to what ever high drama happens to be playing out on its screens. I mean I only had re-runs of Perry Mason on a black and white TV to entertain me as a child. Now I have a CNN App on my I-phone and a 60 inch HD TV to watch Cheney Mason on an entire HD Network HLN channel to make a fool out of the talking heads and the prosecutor. The only thing better than watching pretend people sweat for their lives is watching real ones do it. The Romans had the Gladiators. We have Reality TV. Now we can thumbs up or down all day long in living color. Technology-Gotta love it.
Jack, the picture of that little girl captivated anyone who watched. We all wanted some form of justice for that little baby who had no voice. For this jury to not see what the nation saw is a travesty of justice. If their verdict is the system, it's broken. A trash bag in the woods; a mother who didn't report it until 30 days later and lied about it to this day.....and a jury who said they didn't see it. A travesty. No one has spoken for this little girl who is gone. A travesty. The prosecution did their job. The defense did their job. The jury was the only voice that little girl had. They blew it. I hope this jury stays silent and unknown forever.
We the public, were not surprised by the verdit. Nor were we obsessed Again the Constitution won out and although the medium sold lotsof advertising. Our country was the winner. We believe in free and impartial courts of law.
Sir,
I was captivated by waiting to see Nancy Grace violate the judicial code of ethics and AGAIN make a fool of herself.
I do hope Mr. Mason persues this as he said and gets this idiot off the air or at the least, disbarred.
Perhaps she can form her own Hang 'em High Luddite cable network with the Florida AG and the rest of the idiot talking head so called 'lawyers' with Glenn Beck as CIO*
*Chief Idiot Operator
Regards,
Vince
Hey Jack, why wouldn't we be intrigued? This was a perfect example of
"trickle-down justice, finally a middle-class person got treated like a CEO.
P.S. Do you know when Casey is going to start dating again?
New Mexico
Crime without consequences (wall street, congress et al) has the blessing of a corrupt system.
Because I look at pictures of Caylee and I see my own precious daughter. I can't imagine how a parent could do this to their own child. Horrific.
It was due to the possible horrible death in which a beautiful child died. The duct tape, the lies by the mother, and the emotions displayed captured people. The child was beautiful, and the picture of her dying by what ever means by a lying mother broke people's hearts. Because of the lies by the mother, most assumed she did the dastardly deed.
because the media made it into a money making spectical and turned good people into an uninformed blood sucking mob.
law should be changed to like britain where no reporting is allowed untill after the trial.
Because of yellow journalism, which equates to sensationalism, advertising dollars and Nancy Grace.
In reading almost all of the comments, most people think it's because of the media. The drama of it, but in reality, a little girl life was snuffed out to early and by whom? Most people think by her mother and I too, think Casey killed her daughter. I don't think she meant to kill her, but since her little plan failed to try to make her sleep for a while so she could go out to party, she had to lie and cover or try to cover her tracks. So to answer your question, two words, Caylee Anthony! People watched to see if justice would be served in her death.
Jack...welcome back from your R&R....
Towards the conclusion of the trail the closing arguements had my attention.
Perhaps it was, as facts came to light of a child not being reported missing for over 30 days, the lies told by the mother, etc. etc. and so much coverage. How could anyone escape the trial news ?
How can Casey Anthony possibly live in Orlando...perhaps even her parents after all this? They will be hounded for some time to come, and the neighbors have got to be totally fed up....it is one clown short of a circus, and NO I do not agree with the verdict....depends on who one might ask as to whether the justice system works fairly.
Time to turn the page..............
although the media played a significant role, the fact of the matter is that there wasnt enough hard evidince. Only theories and fantasies. the nation wanted to see if someone would get convicted on circumstantial evidence that didn't link her to murder.
We have become a nation of people that want to always judge the other guy. No thought was given to the fact she was still a teen and irresponsible and less then creditworthy, but did she deserve to die for this. Reasonable doubt was everywhere-her lawyers did their job and the jury theirs when they recognized this outside of the circus that unfortunately the media helped to create. This was a tragic situation all the way around, what good would have come from having Casey put to death? One life was already gone. We are ghouls.
She is someone the nation loved to hate.
Ferdinand, IN
Jack- The Anthony trial captivated the nation because it was like watching a Road Runner/ Wile E Coyote cartoon. Just watching how Anthony would lie and spin and her legal team would throw out hair-brained scenarios just to see if anything would stick. America watched knowing justice would be served and the coyote would get hers' in the end. But somehow justice failed, not America but instead a 2 year old baby girl. The only thing I learned from this travesty of Justice is that O.J. could have saved himself a fortune if he was a pretty, young, white girl that could cry on command.
Green Valley, Az
Jack:
As has been said previously, the media is trying so hard to find a case to follow-up the Goldman-Brown murders as they found it to be a ratings "goldmine".
Why do I think some (and I think it really is "some", not many) people got caught up in this trial? Because it was so obvious that this pathological liar murdered her child...I've heard all the "naysayers" say there wasn't enough evidence...I know that there is such a thing as "common sense"...I know that doesn't stand up well in a courtroom but I think as a society we are still hoping it does. More importantly I think we are still looking for some proof that America hasn't lost it's mind...
Sadly today we found more proof that it has...
Because much of the nation is excactly what they are accusing
Casey Anthony of being, Jack.
People lined up for miles to push, shove, fight (yes, maybe even kill) their way in to a place where they were going to judge another human being
for murder, and some in hopes of seeing that human being also put to
death. As the defense attorney stated, "Murder is wrong, no matter who
does it".
The ultimate judge will judge Casey. And believe me Jack, It ain't us.
Peace.
This case results proves how gullable Americans are.
Too many people along with dogs confirmed a DEAD body in the trunk of defendants car.
Jackson J
nevada