Casey Anthony Jury 'Not Interested' In Speaking to Media
Court clerk announces that jurors will not be holding a press conference.
ORLANDO, Fla., July 5, 2011— -- The seven women and five men who found Casey Anthony not guilty of the murder of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee declined to discuss the verdict that stunned court watchers.
Judge Belvin Perry, who presided over the trial, ordered that the jurors' names be barred from being made public until further notice.
"We are not releasing their names at this time. They are asking you to respect their privacy," Karen Levey, the director of due process services for the Orange County circuit court, told a swarm of reporters waiting to hear from the jurors. "They are just not interested...a universal, unequivocal no."
Levey said that Orange County sheriff officers would be transporting the 12 jurors back to their hotel, where they have been sequestered for more than six weeks. The five alternate jurors also declined to speak publicly about the case.
Casey Anthony, who faced the possibility of the death penalty, was found not guilty of murdering Caylee. The jury declined to convict her of either first degree murder or aggravated manslaughter of a child.
The jurors found Anthony, 25, guilty on four counts of providing false information to law enforcement, which are misdemeanors. It's possible she could be released from prison later this week.
The jury has been a serious group with some taking notes, others focused with laser-like intensity throughout testimony which has ranged from the dramatic to the tedious.
Due to the intense media coverage of the crime in the Orlando area over the last three years, the jurors were selected from a pool in nearby Pinellas County in early May, and bused to Orlando for the duration of the trial. They have been sequestered and living out of an Orlando hotel since the trial began more than a month ago on May 20.
Updated evidence photos from the Casey Anthony murder trial
They range from a History Channel buff, to a tech savvy IT employee, to a woman who doesn't own a computer or even cable TV.
Updated Evidence Photos of Casey Anthony Murder Trial
A few admitted before the trial began that they were leaning towards guilty, but said they would keep an open mind.At least three are mothers, and one has two children who are Casey Anthony's age.
In addition to the dozen jurors who will decide Casey Anthony's fate, there are three men and two women alternatives, but surprisingly none of the juors have dropped out despite the lengthy trial and the sequestered conditions.
The profile of the jury was compiled from voir dire interviews during jury selection.
Juror #1The 65-year-old woman is a retired nurse and volunteer counselor. She is married with two grown children, and her medical background may give her a better understanding of the scientific evidence. In particular, she's familiar with the smell of decomposing bodies. "I value life" she said while discussing the death penalty. "I also value the criminal justice system." Throughout the trial, she has stayed focused on the testimony, rarely scanning around the courtroom.
Juror #2A black male in his mid-30s, this juror works in IT, which might make him a good resource when the jury has to discuss computer searches. He is married with two children under 10. He said he was raised by a single mom "like Casey." He knows about the case, but told the court, "If I had to return a verdict right now, I would say not guilty." He admits to some misgivings about the death penalty. "God is the one who makes the final judgment," he said, adding that he could vote for it "if I really believe it needs to be done."
Juror #3This 32-year-old nursing student at St. Petersburg College has the least prior knowledge of the case. "I know my ignorance works in my favor at this point," she chirped, admitting she would like to serve on the jury. Now that she's on the jury, she often wears a perturbed look while listening to testimony. A weaver in her spare time, she has no children of her own, but has a pet rat terrier.
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