A Chinese airport was shut down for more than an hour last month because air traffic controllers saw what they believed to be a UFO buzzing the airport, according to reports out of the country.
It is the eighth time since June that UFOs have been reported in China.
In the latest episode, several passenger jets were diverted from the airport at Baotou in Inner Mongolia for about an hour arond 8 p.m. on Sept. 11.
The alert was triggered by bright lights in the sky that moved erratically, but reports claim that air traffic controllers at the Hohhot Air Traffic Management Bureau spotted the object on their radar.
After about an hour, the object and the lights suddenly vanished and passenger jets were allowed to land.
The Chinese government had said on previous occasions that the lights claimed to be UFOs were military exercises, but the government denied the Sept. 11 incident happened at all.
This summer another UFO report caused a sensation and forcedXiaoshan Airport in Hangzhou, to cease operations on July 7.
A flight crew preparing for descent first detected the object around 8:40 p.m. and notified the air traffic control department. Aviation authorities responded within minutes, grounding outbound flights and diverting inbound ones to airports in Ningbo and Wuxi.
Eighteen flights were affected. Though normal operations resumed an hour later, the incident captured the attention of the Chinese media and sparked a firestorm of speculation on the UFO's identity.
Hangzhou residents released photos, taken in the afternoon before the delays, of a hovering object bathed in golden light and exhibiting a comet-like tail. Less than an hour before the Xiaoshan airport shut down, residents said they also saw a flying object emitting red and white rays of light.
Investigating the Phenomenon
Resident Ma Shijun was taking a nighttime stroll with his wife when he saw the object.
"I felt a beam of light over my head. Looking up, I saw a streak of bright, white light flying across the sky, so I picked up the camera and took the photo. The time was 8:26 p.m. However, whether the object was a plane, or whether it was Xiaoshan Airport's UFO, I don't have a clear answer," Ma told the Xinhua news agency.
The photos taken by Hangzhou residents may be unrelated to the UFO that shut down Xiaoshan Airport. According to Hangzhou meteorological authorities, residents in the afternoon probably saw light reflecting off of an airplane. As for Ma's nighttime photo, Beijing Planetarium curator Zhu Jing told Xinhua that the object looks just like a plane shining its strobe lamps.
A spokesman from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) confirmed to ABC News at the time that the matter was under investigation. He declined to disclose further details.
A day after the sighting, however, an anonymous source told China Daily that authorities already discovered the identity of the UFO after an investigation but could not publically disclose the information because "there was a military connection."
Mutual UFO Network symposium teaches fundamentals — keep an open mind, take copious notes, get proper paperwork. Attendees also discuss alien-human hybrids, time travel and anti-gravity propulsion.
Cynthia Crawford holds one of the sculptures she had for sale at the conference. She says this figure of an extraterrestrial child is modeled after her own memories of meeting similar beings. (Robert Gauthier, Los Angeles Times / July 31, 2011)
By Rick Rojas, Los Angeles Times July 31, 2011 It's the first rule of thumb for any aspiring UFO investigator: Keep an open mind.
"We all want to believe, we all want to believe bad," said David MacDonald, a certified investigator with the Mutual UFO Network. "But you've got to look at the evidence. You've got to come at this like a scientific researcher."
On Friday, MacDonald and dozens of like-minded individuals filled an Irvine hotel conference room to discuss the finer points of investigating the inexplicable — or at least that which cannot be explained in terrestrial terms. As part of the network's annual symposium, attendees were given a crash course on what it takes to become a certified field investigator.
Approach all alleged sightings objectively, they were told, and with the precision of a scientist. Pack recording devices, a Geiger counter and a respirator.
The would-be UFO investigators were also urged to follow protocol: Always have the "percipient," or witness, sign proper paperwork. Ask thorough questions. Document everything. Always carry the Mutual UFO Network badge — a laminated identification card. And, most important, always be professional.
Many of the unidentified flying objects reported to the network can be easily explained — satellites traveling through the night sky, atmospheric reflections, or even a paraglider with a peculiar parachute. But there are occasions when no answers can be found. That's when it just might be a visitor from beyond.
Of course, one of the occupational hazards UFO investigators face is a certain lack of respect.
The common lament among many symposium attendees was that they were viewed as being on the fringe. "We do have what we consider evidence, but the scientific community doesn't want to consider that as evidence," said Barbara Lamb, a psychotherapist who works with "experiencers" — those who say they've been abducted. "There's a kind of booga-booga about ETs and UFOs."
Richard Dolan, a leading UFO researcher and author of several books, added: "Just below that level of snicker, snicker is fear."
The question of what happens if and when extraterrestrials visit Earth was the symposium's main topic of conversation, but other lectures included "Secrets of Antigravity Propulsion," "Time Travel Is a Fact" and "Mars, the Living Planet."
Many of the few hundred attendees were baby boomers, children of the space race who grew up casting an eye to the heavens and never stopped questioning what could be out there. Others came with a more spiritual outlook. They view extraterrestrials as omnipotent protectors who often beckon them in the night.
Cynthia Crawford, 61, an artist who sold sculptures of aliens, said there was no reason to fear contact by extraterrestrials. She said she has a spiritual connection to her alien guides, who have made medical ailments disappear and once manifested a crisp $20 bill.
She told others they could experience the same.
"Send the light and the unconditional love, and they will come to you," she told one young man. "When you start seeing your star family — oh my God — you'll love it."
Sometimes an article may reveal more than the title implies. I was reading an article recently about reports of UFO sightings over British Colombia, Canada, when about half way through I saw a report that was new to me.
The article discussed a 2001 report detailing an event that halted traffic at the Vancouver International Airport. An object looking like a "ball-bearing" was hanging in the air, and reported by four separate members of the ground crew.
They radioed air traffic control tower, and asked, "Look, do you guys see this?"
Apparently, operators at the tower saw the object, but it did not show up on their radar. This has happened in many cases, although no scientific explanation has been offered to explain the phenomena.
Well, here is another video that is really causing some discussion in UFO circles. On late July 23, early July 24, a number of eyewitnesses watched what they are calling an unbelievable sight; a spinning, wheel-like UFO with a separate center.
At least they carried it on local news. See what you think about this one at UFO Video - Sao Paulo, Brazil, and give us your comments.
There has been a lot discussion about the terrible tragedies in Oslo, Norway lately. As in many tragic situations, someone seems to always catch a UFO in a video or photograph.
No exception here. Here is what the videographer says:
UFO at Oslo explosion on Friday, July 22. One minute it's there, the next its gone. The question to be asked is, is it involved with the strange explosion without a crater or much fire damage. You decide, but one thing is for certain we are not alone.
State prosecutors originally had a July 1 deadline to argue why convicted killer Gary Bennett should not be re-tried for the 1983 murder of a neighbor, Helen Nardi. Causing angst for Bennett's family, that deadline has been moved to the end of August. / File photo
The Casey Anthony case is having an effect on a local man's efforts to win a new trial.
State prosecutors originally had a July 1 deadline to argue why convicted killer Gary Bennett should not be re-tried for the 1983 murder of a neighbor, Helen Nardi. Causing angst for Bennett's family, that deadline has been moved to the end of August.
Because State Attorney Norman Wolfinger briefly represented Bennett while working in the public defender's office, he asked the Orange County State Attorney's Office to handle Bennett's motions. But prosecutor Jeffrey Ashton was preoccupied with the Anthony case. He has since retired. His replacement will have to be briefed on this particular case before taking over.
"Because of the seriousness of the (Anthony) case, the state requests an extension of time until Aug. 26 to adequately address the claims," Ashton wrote in a motion for extension to Brevard Judge David Dugan before Anthony was found not guilty of murdering her daughter.
Sentenced to life in prison in 1984, Bennett, now 54, has long maintained his innocence. He passed a lie detector test. He could not be tied to the case by a rape kit examination. And several people testified he was elsewhere when Nardi was sexually assaulted and murdered.
Caylee Anthony song unleashes tirade on radio airwaves
By Eric Deggans, Times TV/Media Critic Posted: Jul 28, 2011 06:27 PM
It started mostly as a way for Tampa radio jock Cledus T. Judd to vent on how little attention was focused on deceased 2-year-old Caylee Anthony after her mother's acquittal on murder charges.
But Judd has seen interest in the ballad he wrote, She's Going Places (Caylee's Song), becomesupercharged by passions over the Casey Anthony trial. It's spawned more than 700,000 hits on various YouTube videos, attention from R&B singer Brian McKnight and a profanity-laced fight Thursday between local radio guys Orlando Davis and Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.
"I never dreamed in a lifetime that it would cause this entire community of people who do what I do to start this gang war in a five-mile radius," said Judd (real name: Barry Poole), a co-host on the morning show at WQYK-FM (99.5) who could barely contain his anger over Clem's attacks on the song.
The local controversy erupted as gossip web site TMZ reported Casey Anthony may be seeking up to $1.5-million for her first media interview.
Judd, for his part, hopes to raise one dollar more to keep the memory of Caylee Anthony's tragic death alive.
"This was done as a labor of love," Judd said of the tune, fashioned from a song he originally co-wrote with Rascal Flatts singer Gary Levox for the hit country band. Levox contributed a few lines to the rewrite, which was sung as a ballad by studio vocalist Shane Hines.
"Bubba made the comment, 'How can you love (Caylee); you didn't even know her?' " Judd added. "But this song is just my way of standing in front of the courthouse steps and saying 'Don't forget about this girl.' "
And the message is about to spread further.
McKnight recorded an R&B version of the song Wednesday and Thursday, after Davis sent him a copy of the tune. Davis, who serves as program director and morning host on rap-centered WLLD-FM (Wild 94.1), said McKnight's rendition should appear on iTunes within days, with proceeds from the song's 99-cent fee going to charity. (Both WQYK and WLLD are owned by CBS Radio).
On Thursday, Judd appeared on CNN's sister channel, HLN, to talk up the debut of the country version on iTunes and Amazon.com last week, promising that all his proceeds from the 99-cent price will go to the anti-child abuse advocacy group at Protect.org.
But Clem, who has criticized the song on his show for WHPT-FM (The Bone 102.5), also took aim at the charity behind the website Thursday, insisting the National Association to Protect Children spends too much money on salaries.
Citing figures from the group's 2009 tax returns, Clem's producer Brent Hatley noted the NAPC spent about $319,000 on salaries and benefits on revenues of $489,031. But that category also includes "program service expenses" which could involve lobbying and advocacy. (The charity posted a note on its website saying it does not redistribute money, but works to lobby for new laws and law enforcement resources).
The conflict exploded over Tampa Bay area airwaves Thursday, as Davis confronted Clem over a call that aired on both hosts' respective morning shows.
"You do everything for attention ... you're a hack," Davis said to Clem, unleashing a string of insults accusing the rival host of unfairly criticizing Judd.
"First of all, you're a liar," Clem retorted. "Play the song on your air and let your listeners decide how ... cheesy it is."
ORLANDO, FL (NBC) - Offers are rolling in for one of the most iconic pieces of evidence in Casey Anthony's murder trial: her white Pontiac Sunfire.
The car is still in the possession of the Orange County Sheriff's Office, which says the car can be picked up anytime by George and Cindy Anthony, who own the car.
Their attorney, Mark Lippman, says he's been getting calls from people interested in buying the car. The car was thought to be key to proving the state's murder case against Anthony.
Numerous witnesses took the stand to say how the car smelled like it had at one point carried around a body.
"There are collectors of macabre things. Apparently this falls into that category now," Lippman said. The Kelley Blue Book lists the normal value on a used Sunfire at about $3,000, but Lippman said it could go to a collector for more than that.
The money would be donated to the new foundation the Anthonys are establishing in memory of Caylee Anthony.
"I've had multiple offers to purchase it, but George and Cindy do not want to profit off it by any means," Lippman said.
Where would the car go? Not to the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, D.C., according to the museum's CEO.
The museum has items like the so-called Bonnie and Clyde car riddled with bullet holes and vehicles belonging to Ted Bundy and John Dillinger.
"There wasn't any proof it was part of a crime. It's not a true historic artifact, so its value should diminish in the wake of that," said museum CEO Janine Vaccarello.
She said she can understand why plenty of private collectors want to call the car their own.
Lippman said Tuesday the Anthonys have not yet made a decision on what to do with the car.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Prosecutors filed a nearly 300-page report late Thursday detailing how much it cost them to prosecute Casey Anthony.
Their grand total of more than $141,000 includes everything from court reporters for depositions to consultation time with experts and detectives.
Hotel and travel expenses for out-of-state witnesses and court appearance fees are also included. The state's forensic entomologist, Dr. Neal Haskell, who testified about bugs found in the trunk of Anthony's car, charged more than $32,000. The bug expert claimed this case had the most samples he's ever had to analyze in 25 years.
The case's costs are nearing a quarter million dollars.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation released their totals Wednesday, adding up to more than $71,000 and $10,000, respectively.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office has yet to release its final tally for the costs of the investigation. A hearing is scheduled for Aug. 25 to determine what costs Anthony will have to pay back. She is not expected to be present.
Casey Anthony Jurors to Be Identified This Fall The identities of the 14 Pinellas County jurors in the Casey Anthony trial will be revealed on or after Oct. 25.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that Judge Belvin Perry made the ruling this week.
Names of jurors are usually public record in Florida, but Judge Perry had decided to seal their names to protect them.
The Orlando Sentinel reported that when he issued the ruling on Tuesday, Perry said, "No one spoke for the jurors and no one provided evidence concerning the jurors' safety or privacy concerns... No one argued the public policy consequences of releasing juror information."
A Pinellas county jury found the Orlando mother not guilty in the murder of her daughter Caylee in July. News of the not-guilty verdict prompted negative responses from the public and even drew some threats to jurors.
Three alternate jurors in the trial released their names, including Russell Huekler of St. Petersburg, who was the first to speak about the case. Huekler said he supported the jury decision.
Palm Harbor resident Dean Eckstadt also served as an alternate juror. Alternate juror Jennifer Ford, who is a nursing student at St. Petersburg College also spoke to the media about her experience.
In Clearwater, Judge Tom McGrady said the attention regarding the Anthony trial makes it difficult to find good jurors.
“Jurors are being criticized for doing their job,” McGrady said. “They are the only ones that heard all of the evidence and only the evidence. The jury made their decision based on the law.”
Casey Anthony Mask Fetches Nearly $1 Million on eBay
Apparently the public’s thirst for all things related to Casey Anthony knows no bounds as a latex mask resembling the recently acquitted “tot mom” sold on eBay for nearly $1 million.
In the item description of the latex Anthony mask, the seller said it was one of only nine “sculpted to precision for a parody video by enigmatic pop artist/sculptor Torro.”
“Forget Freddy, Jason, Meyers, here’s your chance to scare the *#&% out of everyone and win every costume contest with this amazing Tot Mom latex rubber mask, possibly the most frightening mask on the planet. And I can almost guarantee it’s the ‘only’ Casey mask on the planet,” the eBay description read.
The mask itself shows a relatively expressionless Anthony – a look that she became famous for as she stood on trial for the the death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee – staring straight ahead, lips and mouth closed and her hair tied back in her signature pony tail.
The winning 105th bid, which was placed on Wednesday at 6:33pm EST, was totaled at $999,900. The buyer’s identity was kept confidential by eBay for obvious reasons – he/she has more money than sense.
Casey Anthony's defense team has billed the state of Florida over $147,000 to defend the woman acquitted of murdering her daughter, Caylee.
Anthony's lawyers, led by Jose Baez, have tallied their costs at $147,018.60 so far, according to records from Florida's Justice Administrative Commission. The state has already paid $118,847.75 of that bill. They've refused to pay nearly $12,000 of the defense's cost.
Things that the state refuses to pay for include some of the costs for deposition transcripts, the use of independent contractors and some of the defense team's travel costs.
None of the money paid by the state of Florida will pay any of the defense attorneys' salaries.
Casey Anthony, who lied about having a job at Universal Studios, was ruled indigent in March 2010 and the state took on the cost of her defense.
The largest expense was more than $67,000 on independent contractors to aid their investigation.
Another $21,000 was spent on expert witnesses. The state is paying all of those costs. The defense called several witnesses to cast doubt on the state's forensic evidence concerning the car abandoned by Anthony when Caylee disappeared, Caylee's remains and the wooded area where the 2-year-old girl was found.
Casey Anthony's Parents Announce Creation of Caylee's Fund
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The downtown Orlando restaurant where Casey Anthony's defense team celebrated the jury's verdict still faces controversy, even though it immediately claimed no association with its clientele.
Cheney Mason is pictured showing his middle finger to a reporter from inside the Terrace 390 restaurant shortly after his client's not guilty verdict was read.
The celebration captured by cameras following the trial led to an internet assault against the restaurant, which is just steps from the Orange County Courthouse. The restaurant is operated by University of Central Florida alumni.
At least two "Boycott Terrace 390" campaigns were launched on Facebook and threatening letters were posted on Craigslist.com's rants and raves section. http://www.wesh.com/r/28667651/detail.html
July 25, 2011 No Heaven or Hell for Casey Anthony
James Kirk Wall, Author of Agnosticism: The Battle Against Shameless Ignorance
We need to have faith that our justice system will provide the proper verdict to the guilty. We need to have faith that jurors will not reasonably consider an accident as cause for a taped and bagged dead body. We need to have faith that when our justice system fails, adjustments will be made to prevent the same failures from happening again in the future.
There is no heaven or hell waiting for Casey Anthony. We cannot trust in fantasies to appease our fear of death nor eternal damnation meant to scare us into believing in falsehoods to provide justice. We cannot trust in a magical karma counter to uphold righteousness. As a society, we need to do everything we can to make sure that justice is served in this lifetime.
Caylee Anthony was robbed of the only life she had. Some feel the need to lessen the sense of loss and horror by believing that Caylee is in heaven. For the non-religious, we accept this atrocity at full face value. We swallow the jagged pill and face the raw reality of this crime.
Caylee no longer exists except for in our memories. This is the way it is for all humans before they were born and after they die. In the big picture very little matters as everything in temporary, but we live in the little picture where this is our time on this world and our lives matter very much. We owe it to ourselves to live deep and meaningful lives to the best of our abilities and promote the same for others.
Typically in life, the people who cause misery to others will bring misery onto themselves. Typically what goes around does come around though a natural course without any supernaturalism required. Often we can feel helpless as individuals in a world of billions of people. We watch disasters unfold with a sense of desperation to interfere and provide some kind of help. We must do what we can to fight the good fight and have faith in justice regarding the many things that are beyond our control.
You will not always have an opportunity to confront people who were intentionally harmful due to many circumstances including timing, location and politics. You will not always have an opportunity to thank people who have been kind and generous. When situations like this occur, we need to have faith that there will be a balance. What goes around comes around. One way or another, justice will be served.
Casey Anthony's Parents Reach Out to Rascal Flatts
7/25/2011 12:56 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Casey Anthony's parents are trying to arrange a meet-and-greet with the band Rascal Flatts -- all to give the lead singer one big thank you for writing an emotional tribute to Caylee Anthony.
TMZ has learned ... George and Cindy Anthony reached out to the band's reps this week after hearing the song, "She's Going Places" -- which lead singer Gary LeVox (right) co-wrote with another singer named Cledus T. Judd.
But the band isn't exactly in a hurry to respond -- a rep for Rascal Flatts tells us the band is mulling it over and has yet to decide if they'll meet up with the Anthonys.
If you haven't heard the song, the lyrics are pretty heartrending -- "She was just a baby, barely 2 years old / A story that shouldn’t have to be told" -- so if you're in the mood to tear up, take a listen.
Legislation similar to measures introduced in Florida after the Casey Anthony trial could come to Virginia.
State Sen. Edd Houck, D-Spotsylvania County, said yesterday that he will introduce a bill to enact "Caylee's Law."
The law would make it a felony if a parent, guardian or caretaker of a minor child fails to notify law enforcement officers within 24 hours of when a child is discovered missing.
By JOSHUA WOLFSON Star-Tribune staff writer | Posted: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 5:00 am
Public outcry following Casey Anthony’s acquittal has prompted Wyoming lawmakers to explore legislation that would punish parents who fail to report missing children within a certain time frame.
The Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Interim Committee will study the need for a “Caylee’s Law” when it meets next month in Sundance, a committee chairman said.
More than 20 states are considering versions of Caylee’s Law, which would make it a felony for parents or guardians to wait more than 24 hours to notify authorities of missing children. Other states are also contemplating making it a felony to wait more than an hour to report a child’s death.
An Oklahoma woman proposed the legislation in an online petition created after a jury acquitted Anthony of murdering her daughter, Caylee. Anthony waited a month before reporting her daughter missing.
The online petition has collected more than 1.25 million signatures. Many state lawmakers have also received emails from constituents urging passage of a Caylee’s Law in Wyoming, said judiciary co-chairman Sen.
Drew Perkins. Instead of individual lawmakers pursuing a bill, the Legislature’s Management Council assigned the judiciary committee to study the issue.
Perkins said the committee will first examine whether existing laws already address the issue. If they don’t, the committee could draft a bill to be considered during the 2012 legislative session.
If the committee decides not to sponsor a Caylee’s Law, Sen. Dan Dockstader, R-Afton, plans to introduce a bill on his own during next year’s session. The Casey Anthony case raises questions about why it took so long for people to acknowledge a child was missing, he said.
“We should have something in place,” Dockstader said. “It will be difficult because we are going into a budget session, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take a look.”
Others question whether the law is necessary. Wyoming already has laws that protect against child endangerment and neglect, noted Linda Burt, executive director of the Wyoming chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Burt questions the wisdom of adopting a new law in response to one high-profile case.
“It’s not really something that I see as a problem,” she said. “It seems to be a knee-jerk response to a unique circumstance that is not something that we see happening in any other instances. It is just not something that happens.”
Rep. Keith Gingery, R-Jackson, suggested the judiciary committee explore drafting a Caylee’s Law after receiving at least 20 emails from constituents.
Gingery, who works in the Teton County attorney’s office, said sending the bill to the judiciary committee will give lawmakers time to adequately study the issue and confer with experts before next year’s legislative session.
“They may get to the point where they say, ‘It’s not really needed here,’” he said.
Perkins agreed there are dangers of developing legislation in the heat of the moment. But the Casper Republican doesn’t expect Wyoming to simply enact the national proposal without study.
The committee will have a number of issues to examine, he said. A parent who fails to report a missing toddler puts the child at risk. But what about a teenager who doesn’t come home one night after a fight with his parents?
Judge Perry sends man with pamphlets to jail The case involving Mark Schmidter is expected to be a free-speech battle with Chief Judge Belvin Perry presiding.
By Anthony Colarossi, Orlando Sentinel 12:33 p.m. EDT, July 26, 2011
A man who violated court rules by passing out pamphlets outside designated "free-speech zones" during the Casey Anthony trial violated two of Chief Judge Belvin Perry's orders, the judge said this afternoon.
Perry found Mark Schmidter in "indirect criminal contempt."
Perry ordered him 141 days in the Orange County Jail for violating his first order, regarding jury pamphlets, and 151 days for his second order, regarding free-speech zones. These sentences are concurrent. Perry also gives him $250 fine for each violation.
Sudbury said he plans to appeal and wants Perry to set bond. Perry tells him to file a motion and he will get to it as soon as possible.
Perry's ruling came after hearing hours of arguments from Schmidter and his attorney, Adam H. Sudbury about free-speech issues.
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Perry this morning denied Sudbury's motion for judgment of acquittal. Schmidter is now on the stand in his own defense.
Schmidter just told Judge Perry that he thought the order regarding free-speech zones only applied to the Casey Anthony protesters and not him.
That's why he continued to distribute the flyers on June 29.
He said a strict reading of Perry's order "means nobody could carry on a conversation outside the free speech zone" and he said he is sure Perry did not intend that.
Schmidter also read aloud the First Amendment after pulling a copy out of his pocket.
Earlier, Sudbury had one of the court deputies familiar with Schmidter read the First Amendment aloud in court.
Sunbury is arguing that Perry's order is overly broad.
Perry noted that the 5th District Court of Appeal recently denied a motion arguing that the order was overly broad.
This trial is not being heard by a jury — just Judge Perry.
On June 29, Perry ordered the arrest of Schmidter, a local roofing contractor who was handing out leaflets at the Orange County Courthouse.
Schmidter was handing out a one-page flyer, which read that "juries had the right to find defendants not guilty if they disagreed with the law in question."
By far the most popular recent story in the news that’s also about the news is the one involving the British Parliament and Rupert Murdoch. But the second most popular involves “sealed evidence” in the Casey Anthony case, including photographs of Caylee and search warrants for computer files. Unlike the Murdoch’s NewsCorp matter, the Casey Anthony murder trial is a story about the news because of what the media is not doing to find out what’s hidden in those sealed files. The public has a right to know, and the media is supposed to be the people’s advocate for full disclosure.
Information can be kept hidden while a trial is pending in order to protect the rights of the accused. These interests disappear when the trial ends. This is why, after the acquittal, The Patriot Ledger sent a public records request for full access to the sealed evidence – or an explanation for why such evidence would continue to be sealed now that the case is over.
The Ledger asked the prosecutor’s office, in writing, for a copy of the entire docket sheet as well as copies of “all search warrants,” and “all documents ordered under seal prior to and/or during the time of trial.”
Consistent with Florida’s public records law, The Ledger reminded the prosecutor that objections must be identified with specificity.
The prosecutor responded by directing The Ledger to an Internet link to records already available to the public.
In other words, they refused to comply.
A follow-up phone call got The Ledger’s request bumped up to a higher authority. They said that information available to the public is that which has already been released and that while they know nothing about information “under seal” such evidence could not be released without further order of the court. They left an email address for further questions.
The Ledger then sent an email reminding the prosecutor of its obligation to explain why information is under seal, and pointing out that they could not claim a lack of knowledge of “sealed” evidence because documents in the public realm already reveal the prosecution’s “agreement” with the defense to “seal” certain information. Nonetheless, the prosecutor again declined to comply but noted that materials would continue to be sealed because the case was still “active” in that “a portion of it” is “on appeal” and “costs hearings” are pending.
So The Ledger sent yet another email wherein it was pointed out that Florida law is clear that a post-acquittal “hearing on costs” and Anthony’s appeal from convictions for lying to law enforcement are inadequate to justify nondisclosure. The prosecutor must assert with precision why the pendency of these things would require particular information to remain “under seal” after the trial ends.
How could a “costs hearing” justify nondisclosure of a search warrant for computer files when a search warrant for the Anthony home has already been released? Likewise, how could a “costs hearing” justify nondisclosure of sealed photographs of Caylee when grotesque images of her dead body have already been released?
Nor does Casey’s appeal from her convictions on the lying charges justify keeping any sealed information under wraps. Casey confessed to lying and has already served the maximum punishment. There is no legitimate basis for any appeal, much less a reason to worry that such an appeal might be negatively affected by the release of sealed evidence.
The prosecutor’s most recent attempted excuse for noncompliance with The Ledger’s request was that the public is only entitled to documents that have been “provided to the Defendant” as part of discovery. Say what!?
The prosecution and defense entered into an “agreement” to “seal” certain evidence, including photographs of Caylee. Clearly, the information has been “disclosed” to the defense if they agreed to seal it.
The Ledger pointed out these absurdities in another communication with the prosecutor and re-emphasized its original request for the release of sealed photographs of Caylee and sealed search warrants for computer files.
Perhaps not surprisingly, this frustrating situation came full circle when the prosecutor responded in a terse final email, “You have our written answer to your request, this is still an active prosecution …”
At least The Ledger was able to confirm that sealed documents do, in fact, exist, even though law enforcement officials ducked the issue in a press conference after the verdict.
It’s time now for other news organizations to join the fight for full disclosure of all the evidence, not only on behalf of a little girl who cannot speak for herself but also for the millions of people who came to care about justice for Caylee Anthony, and who believe that the truth about how and why she died matters. http://www.patriotledger.com/opinions/opinions_columnists/x1510861942/WENDY-MURPHY-Casey-Anthony-trial-secrets-cannot-go-unchallenged Man Puts Foot Through TV, Says We Are All Like Casey Anthony The Menomonee Falls man then allegedly went through a residence smashing things with a German helmet. By Joe Petrie
"We are all the same as Casey Anthony" That was the drunken epiphany a 37-year-old Menomonee Falls man shared with his roomates after a night of drinking. He followed up his statement by putting his foot through a television and smashed up a residence with a German helmet.
Shane A. Budiac was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Monday with one count of disorderly conduct domestic abuse. If convicted, he faces up to 90 days in prison and $1,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint, at 7 p.m. July 5, Budiac came home from a bar and put his foot through a television while telling his roommates “we are all the same as Casey Anthony” and then continued to complain about them living with him. He then continued to rant and started to throw items into the empty area where the television screen used to be.
The complaint states Budiac then continued to yell and grabbed a German helmet, which he then used to smash a glass coffee table and call a woman living with him a “whore” and that she “doesn’t know anything about the world.”
He then took the helmet and threw it against several horror movie action figures that were on a shelf and then took a gas mask that had been near the figures and smashed it against a wall. He then took the helmet and began using it to destroy a cat play land.
GASTONIA, N.C. -- No one would mistake tall, lumbering Christopher Horton, a former Scout leader facing charges of sex offense and indecent liberties with minors, for the petite Casey Anthony.
But Horton's attorney, Jim Carpenter, worries that Anthony's acquittal on charges of killing her daughter may hurt his client’s shot at a fair trial. Carpenter is afraid people still outraged about the not guilty verdict in the Anthony trial in Florida may find a seat in the jury box in Gastonia.
Channel 9 found several people Monday in the area who still feel strongly about the Anthony trial and said those feelings could affect their future judgment if they were chosen to serve on a jury.
Johnny Kale said if he served on a jury in a case in which the defendant was accused of crimes against a child, he would be very critical.
Rita Ferguson said she would also have strong feelings.
“If I had an inkling they were guilty, I would stand by and say, ‘You are guilty,’” she said.
Carpenter said emotions like those are why he will ask potential jurors in Horton’s trial their opinion on the Anthony verdict.
Defense attorney David Phillips said that's a good idea.
“They may assume or presume that, that person is guilty or they wouldn't be in court,” Phillips said.
He said many people think the jurors in the Anthony trial didn't hear all of the evidence, so other jurors may try to compensate for that.
“(They might) try to find a person guilty, even though the evidence does not support it,” Phillips said.
++ The first major book—so far—to tackle the notorious Casey Anthony case has been given a cover.
++ Archeologists and literary historians in Madrid have begun the (possibly quixotic) undertaking ofsearching for the bones of Miguel de Cervantes so they can reconstruct his face from the remains and finally have a good sense of what the giant of the Western canon looked like.
++ Pulitzer Prize-winner Jeffrey Eugenides waspunched in the face by a drunk on a New Jersey train. The soused Jerseyite reportedly yelled, “Yo, Eugenides, dis is for not effectively integrating the historical elements of Middlesex into the main narrative thrust, bro!”
Casey Anthony's defense lawyer is in talks with Richard Pine - agent for Arianna Huffington and James Patterson among others. (Inkwell Management, Pine's employeer, has an impressive list.)
His client is also set for a payday, reported in theneighborhood of $1 million, but television stations and publishing houses are shying away from the duo because of public outrage.
Page Six reports that "talent agency Paradigm signed Baez after the trial, but quickly dropped him over negative backlash."
Baez is also seeking a television deal, hence the aborted affiliation with Paradigm.
Eventually, he will get his TV gig. And his book will sell a huge number of copies, although not as many as Anthony's eventual tell-all. But it's going to require some patience. That's just how these things work.
After the embarrassment of giving Casey Anthony a huge payday, the network is effectively ending the practice. Howard Kurtz on why ABC is breaking from the pack.
ABC News has quietly decided to get out of the business of paying news subjects in connection with exclusive interviews.
With no public announcement or fanfare, the news division’s president, Ben Sherwood, has effectively taken ABC out of what had become a competitive bidding war for hot bookings.
After taking a public-relations hit in several high-profile cases, ABC will no longer be buying photos or video as a way of getting a news subject to cooperate—a process that had become a fig leaf for purchasing interviews.
When asked for comment, spokesman Jeffrey Schneider confirmed the new policy, saying: “We can book just about anyone based on the strength of our journalism, the excellence of our anchors, correspondents, and producers, and the size of our audience. These licensing deals had become a crutch, and an unnecessary one.”
The new approach is not an absolute ban, but network sources say it would take an extraordinary circumstance to allow a licensing fee—perhaps once every couple of years—that would require approval at the highest levels.
ABC got a black eye after paying Casey Anthony $200,000 for photos in 2008, shortly before she was charged in the killing of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. The network’s payment did not become public until a court proceeding last year. Anthony was recently acquitted of murder in a controversial verdict.
The network was also embarrassed when it agreed to pay $10,000 to a woman who claimed she had injected her 8-year-old daughter with Botox. After appearing on Good Morning America, the woman acknowledged that she had used a fake name and the whole thing had been a hoax. ABC withheld the promised payment.
ABC got a black eye after paying Casey Anthony $200,000 for photos in 2008, shortly before she was charged in the killing of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee., AP photo
The practice surfaced yet again when ABC paid Meagan Broussard, one of the women who had been texting with then-congressman Anthony Weiner, $10,000 to $15,000 for photos she had sent the New York Democrat.
“That’s one of the things we have to deal with in the business,” 20/20 anchor Chris Cuomo, who conducted the interview, told me afterward. “I wish money was not in the game, but you know it's going to go somewhere else. You know someone else is going to pay for the same things.”
When Sherwood took over the news division in December, he began a broad review that included the licensing issue. What he found was that such payments could be approved at a relatively low level with little oversight, saddling the network with the fallout.
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Network staffers say Sherwood concluded that the cash-register approach to journalism was starting to tarnish the network’s credibility.
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Network staffers say Sherwood concluded that the cash-register approach to journalism was starting to tarnish the network’s credibility, even though the practice was relatively infrequent. Whenever ABC landed a high-level booking,
By Amy Pavuk and Bianca Prieto / The Orlando Sentinel Saturday, July 23, 2011 - Added 3 days ago
ORLANDO, Fla. — Casey Anthony initially claimed 2-year-old Caylee Marie was kidnapped by a baby-sitter named Zenaida. But at her murder trial, defense attorney Jose Baez claimed that was a lie and that the toddler drowned in the family pool.
Although a jury found her not guilty of murder earlier this month, the contradicting stories may cost her financially.
In the weeks since Baez delivered his stunning opening statement and told the jury — and the closely watching public — that Caylee was never missing but accidentally drowned, Anthony has been slapped with several civil lawsuits.
We're just glad to hear that Casey Anthony won't be making more $$$ from all of this!
Last week, we were quite happy to learn that ABC, CBS, and NBC all confirmed that they would NOT pay Casey Anthony for an interview.
Now, we're hearing that as a result of all the drama surrounding the potential Casey Anthony interview, ABC has announced that they will no longer pay news subjects for interviews.
Here's what ABC spokesman Jeffrey Schneider had to say about ABC's new policy:
"We can book just about anyone based on the strength of our journalism, the excellence of our anchors, correspondents, and producers, and the size of our audience. These licensing deals had become a crutch, and an unnecessary one."
Sources say that the ONLY way ABC would pay a news subject for an interview would be under an "extraordinary circumstance" and approval would be required "at the highest levels."
Letter: Casey Anthony jurors did not understand what their duty was
Ernest_Steffens
Ernest F. Steffens, Vero Beach
Letter: Casey Anthony jurors did not understand what their duty was
A primary faculty the Casey Anthony jurors left at the foot of the courthouse steps was common sense.
Comments after the verdict by jurors suggest they had no conception what their duty was. They claimed the prosecution had not shown exactly how Caylee Anthony died, where she died, or when she died. That was not their moral responsibility. Their sole determination was whether Casey Anthony had killed her daughter.
Often defendants are convicted of murder when a body is never found. In such cases no one knows how they died. The state medical examiner in the Anthony case testified that the presence of duct tape around Caylee's nose and mouth and the fact that she was discarded in plastic bags clearly indicated she had been murdered. She ruled the death "undetermined homicide." Yet the jurors disregarded that and insisted on speculating that Caylee could have drowned, as the defense posited.
Drowning in swimming pools "is a major way that a lot of children die down here in Florida," the jury foreman told Greta Van Susteren on Fox News, as if that were relevant.
As for who did it, Casey Anthony's failure to report the death of her daughter for 31 days, her lying to investigators trying to find her, and her obvious jubilation after Caylee's death are as compelling as any DNA evidence.
The fact that multiple witnesses, including Casey's mother, smelled what they described as a decomposed body in the trunk of Casey's car was crucial evidence. Besides Casey's computer showed searches for information on chloroform. An expert testified that "shockingly high" levels of chloroform were found in a sample of carpet from the trunk of her car. It's apparent the jury rejected the prosecution's damning evidence and as a result justice was denied little Caylee.
Casey Anthony did not search for “chloroform” 84 times like the prosecution asserted during the trial, new findings suggest.
In a recent report by The New York Times, John Bradley, a software designer who testified previously in court, stated that he had found an error in one of his search programs, CacheBack, which reported a high level of chloroform searches from the Anthony family computer.
But Net Analysis, a second program used by the Orange County Sheriff’s office found that the search had only been conducted once.
According to the developer, the term “chloroform” was searched once through Google, which led to a Website called sci-spot.com. The site provided information on the use of chloroform in the 1800’s.
Seeing the discrepancies, Bradley redesigned a portion of his software and conducted a second, more thorough analysis on the search history from the Anthony computer, confirming the findings that chloroform was only searched once.
In fear of misleading the jury, Bradley immediately contacted the police and prosecution with his new research, and was told by Sergeant Kevin Stenger of the Sheriff’s Office that he was already aware of the discrepancy.
I would like to propose "Joe's Law." Actually it's self-extinguishing law, because Joe's Law would mandate that there be no more laws named after people.
The latest example is "Caylee's Law."
No one was more thunderstruck than I when the not-guilty verdict came down from the jury. The mob that staked out the courthouse for weeks called for the head of Casey Anthony, the mother accused in the death of her daughter Caylee. Failing that, they wanted a pound of flesh from the jury.
As likely as it is that a guilty person is walking free in this incident, the jury made the right call. The evidence presented to them clearly did not meet the guilty by a reasonable doubt threshold. Just as with O.J. Simpson in the 1990s, the jury felt that the prosecution did not prove its case.
It's easy to blame a jury when the prosecutors present a case with weak. As with Casey Anthony, it appears more than a few of her jurors "knew" she was guilty, but they wanted proof, and there was none. For Caylee, it may have been a lack of justice, but it would be wrong to call this a travesty of justice.
Within hours, Caylee's Law was proposed, which would require that missing children be reported within a defined time period. It make sense on the surface, but those requirements may not always be realistic. Laws named after people are usually a bad idea. They are also understandable. But more often than not, such proposals are an emotional and visceral reaction to a horrible event, especially when a child is involved.
"Megan's Law" was probably the first and best known of the recent wave of eponymous laws. Born of frustration and anger that a convicted high-risk sex offender lived in under the radar in a residential area and then raped and murder a neighborhood child, it became the model for similar laws across the country, and a blueprint for laws that also originated with a horrific incident.
Because of its high profile, Megan's Law was subject to much legal scrutiny and emerged largely passing Constitutional muster. The lynch mobs that were predicted did not materialize. But there were some unintended consequences.
The law requires that a person found to have trafficked in child pornography be placed on the list. Last year in Passaic County prosecutors seemed to have no choice but to prosecute under Megan's Law a teenage girl who sent inappropriate photos she took of herself via her cell phone. Really dumb thing for this girl to do? Of course. A crime on the level sexual assault? Hardly. And fortunately cooler heads prevailed.
Twelve citizens said Casey Anthony did not commit first degree murder of her baby girl.
She’s been secretly whisked away in a private plane to God knows where like the end of a John Grisham novel.
Now what?
The woman has no notable skills. She has no advanced training or education. She’s been portrayed as a party girl who needs a spanking.
Did she do it? I don’t know. What I do know is that some jurors said there was not enough evidence to convict on first degree murder. They said they would have found her guilty had the charge been merely manslaughter.
Hum. That’s one of the few details about the trial that I actually paid attention to.
