Casey Anthony Murder Trial One Year Away

Sunday, May 09, 2010 8:35:01 PM

ORLANDO -- A single satellite truck sits outside the Orange County Courthouse.

But it will be a different scene May 9, a year from now, when Casey Anthony stands trial for first-degree murder in the death of 2-year-old Caylee.

"We're going to see a type of trial that Orange County has definitely never seen, and Florida has never seen. It’s going to be something to see along the lines of OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson," said Richard Hornsby, legal analyst.

This week, newly appointed Judge Belvin Perry will hear outstanding motions including death penalty objections.

Hornsby said those are mostly formalities filed in case laws ever change.

Motions that could have a bigger impact include whether photos of Casey before Caylee's death or Roy Cronk’s past can be used as evidence.

"It's going to be a critical issue in the case because that seems to be the defense’s entire argument that another person may have placed the body there while Casey Anthony was in jail," Hornsby said.

Then there's the motion for a change of venue.

Judge Perry has already hinted he thinks the cheapest and easiest way to have a trial is to keep it in Orange County and bring in a jury from another part of the state if needed.

If that happens, by law, they'd have to be sequestered.

"Once you start telling people that you are going to have to live in a hotel for three months, people who might want to be on your trial and be more defense-friendly will say ‘I can't put my life on hold.’"

Once a jury is seated, they'll hear from as many as 250 witnesses and lawyers, who by that point will have been building their case for nearly three years.

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