Defense lawyer Jose Baez admitted during closing arguments of the Casey Anthony trial Sunday that his client "made some mistakes and bad decisions," but maintained that Casey Anthony was not guilty of murdering her daughter Caylee Anthony.
Baez told jurors that his "biggest fear" was that the outcome of the Casey Anthony trial would be based on emotions, not evidence. He urged the 12-member jury during his closing arguments to give a verdict based on evidence and not get caught up with the emotions surrounding the case.
In the opening statements of the trial, Baez claimed that Caylee had accidentally drowned in the family pool and that George Anthony helped cover up the death. George Anthony has denied those claims.
"How did Caylee die? That's why we're all here," Baez said Sunday. "Don't speculate. Don't guess. It has to be proven to you beyond a reasonable doubt."
Caylee's death was an "accident that snowballed out of control," he said.
During his closing arguments, defense attorney Baez acknowledged that Casey should have reacted differently to Caylee's purported drowning, but said her actions does not constitute evidence that she killed her daughter.
Cindy Anthony then tracked down her daughter. When she couldn't produce Caylee, her parents called police. Casey Anthony then told investigators she worked at Universal Studios theme park as an event planner. She went so far as to take them there, talk her way past security into an office building. She gave up the lie as she was walking down the hall.
Ashton then attacked the defense contention that Caylee drowned and that George Anthony helped Casey Anthony cover it up. No one faced with an accidental drowning would do that instead of calling 911, Ashton said.
"It is a trip down a rabbit hole into a bizarre world where men who love their granddaughters find them drowned and do nothing," Ashton said. "Where men who love their granddaughters take an accident, a completely innocent act, and make it look like a murder for no reason. A world where a man who buries his pets will take the granddaughter who was the love of his life and throw her in a swamp."
Baez conceded that Casey Anthony told elaborate lies, but he said those inventions should have signaled to investigators that "there's something wrong with this girl."
"Instead, they had a murder case, and that was it. That was all they were interested in was evidence of murder. There's nothing sexy about a drowning," Baez said.
Judge Perry angrily stopped Baez's closing arguments after he referred to Ashton as "this laughing guy." Television showed Ashton smiling behind his hand at Baez's contention that the prosecution's forensic evidence was based on fantasy. One of Perry's written orders is that the attorneys not show emotion to the other side's statements.
Ashton apologized and said he tried to hide his expressions. Baez also apologized. Perry warned all of the attorneys that any other incidents would result in that attorney's removal from the trial.
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