Reflections on Casey and Caylee

The center ring of the 3 year old media circus has finally been cleared and the nation can (hopefully) get on with things that matter, really matter to all of us, not just the fate of one young woman. It is such a tragic shame that little Caylee met such a deplorable end. She appeared to be a happy and much-loved child and her life was cut way too short. Something like that should never happen to a young child.

People were shocked and stunned at the Not Guilty verdict rendered by the jury. I'll admit I was too. But, everyone seems to forget that the verdict by a jury of Ms. Anthony's peers exhibited the American system of jurisprudence worked as it should have. The state has the burden of proof. Ms. Anthony does not have to prove her innocence. If anything failed, it was the State of Florida and its prosecution of the case against her. They could not prove how little Caylee died; when she died; or who was responsible for her death. That was the basis of "Reasonable Doubt". Unless someone was caught red-handed or admitted killing the little one, then it is up to the state to prove to prove she died when, where and by what means she met her fate. True, the circumstantial evidence was enormous, but the state failed to carry its burden of proof.

Personally, I feel Casey probably did do it. But, it is now history. She had a smart attorney who, incidentally, had only been practicing for three years or so before taking on the case. Sure, he may have used what some would term "dirty tricks" in his defense of Casey, but his job was to create "reasonable doubt". That he did. He was not being paid to exonerate her. I also feel that O.J. probably hacked his wife and Ronald Goldman to death. But... he was also acquitted. Like it or not, that is the way our system works! The burden of proof is on the state, not on the accused. Like it or not, that is the way our system works and, for my money, it is still be best damn system ever devised by the mind of man.