Is Casey Anthony Really Not Guilty?
While this is most likely the question on Americans’ minds right now, no one has the true answer aside from what has been provided from the results of Casey Anthony’s not guilty verdict. A jury decided on July 5, 2011 that Casey Anthony was not guilty of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee.
According to an ABCNews article, one female juror stated that she did not say Anthony was innocent. Instead, she said that there “was not enough evidence” and, “If you cannot prove what the crime was, you cannot determine what the punishment should be.” Anthony will be sentenced tomorrow morning for the four misdemeanors for lying to law enforcement she was found guilty of committing. She could even be released from jail as early as tomorrow.
While it is being argued that the jury could not prove how the 2-year-old girl died, there are several complex matters surrounding her death, including that her body was not found until after six months of her disappearance. And of course, there are other factors. However, jurors are responsible for basing their verdict on evidence. It may be easy for us to judge Anthony’s behavior after her child died, or even judge the jury’s verdict and show our disapproval, but the burden of proof in the criminal justice system is on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a certain crime or incident occurred. This is instilled so that innocent people are not convicted of crimes that they did not commit.
Citizens’ faith in the justice system and juries should not falter based on this verdict. You could argue that aspects of the case were not prosecuted strongly or effectively enough, but you could also argue that a strong and effective defense was built.
The judicial system in this country has served its people for decades and juries make their decision based on the evidence provided, not based on their personal feelings or bias towards the issue at hand.
Although the Casey Anthony verdict will certainly go down in history, we cannot forget the foundations of our judicial system and how it is still functioning to the best of its ability as long as people are abiding by the law and fulfilling the obligations of their jobs justly.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/US/casey_anthony_trial/casey-anthony-juror-sick-stomach-guilty-verdict/story?id=14005609