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Toobin: Media should soul-search after Anthony verdict
The news media should reflect on its coverage of Casey Anthony after the Florida woman was found not guilty of murder in her daughter’s death, CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said.
But he added the verdict also helps show that intense media coverage doesn’t necessarily lead to juries that are eager to convict a defendant.
Toobin’s comments came after Anthony attorney J. Cheney Mason - after Anthony’s acquittal Tuesday - blasted what he called “incompetent talking heads” and a “media assassination” of Anthony.
Mason said that “colleagues from coast to coast and border to border have condemned this whole process of lawyers getting on television and talking about cases that they don’t know a damn thing about and don’t have the experience to back up their words or the law to do it.”
National media coverage of the case began in July 2008, the month that 2-year-old Caylee Anthony’s family reported her missing. The coverage was spurred in part by reports the family hadn’t reported the girl missing until a month after she was last seen; the child’s remains were found in a wooded area later that year.
Toobin said he doubted Mason’s team would take legal action against the talking heads Mason railed against, saying the matter “will be dealt with appropriately in the court of public opinions.” But Toobin said it was safe to say that some media coverage was “very much negative toward Casey Anthony.”
“The media’s performance will be something we should all discuss,” Toobin said.
Former prosecutor Nancy Grace, whose show on CNN sister network HLN has featured the case extensively, defended the media coverage. "I find it interesting that his first reaction was to attack the media like we had something to do with it," she said. "We didn't have anything to do with it; this was all tot mom."
She added, "There is no way that this is a verdict that speaks the truth." Also Tuesday, Grace said that “as the defense sits by and as their champagne toast after that not guilty verdict, somewhere out there, the devil is dancing tonight.”
Attorney Debra Opri, arguing that the media is the “13th juror,” said lawmakers may want to see “what steps … we have to take, without stepping on the First Amendment, to protect” defendants’ rights to a fair trial.
Toobin said government regulation isn’t necessary, and that the Anthony trial and other high-profile cases show that media scrutiny doesn’t necessarily lead juries to issue convictions.
“(Opri’s) argument … is that the media had too much influence. You know, Nancy Grace was on TV for three years saying (Anthony) was guilty, and the jury said otherwise,” Toobin said. “Michael Jackson – also acquitted (of child molestation in 2005). O.J. Simpson – also acquitted (of murder in 1995). William Kennedy Smith – also acquitted (of rape in 1991)."
Tom Mesereau, an attorney for Jackson in the entertainer's 2005 case, concurred.
"I think this defense team focused on the courtroom, not the media. The media likes to think that they're going to influence these verdicts, and look at the history," Mesereau told CNN's "In the Arena" on Tuesday night, citing the Jackson and Simpson cases, as well as the 2005 trial of actor Robert Blake, who was acquitted of murder.
Toobin said that if media coverage affected the trial, the influence might have been seen in the prosecution's decision to make this a death penalty case.
"(This) always seemed like a wrong decision to me, given the ... absence of a cause of death (and) a time of death," Toobin said. "To make this a death penalty case sounded to me like the prosecutors had been spending too much time listening to people on cable news being outraged about the case rather than evaluating the evidence in the cold light of reality, and I think that was where the media influence was, more than in how the jurors behaved."
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I hope CNN at least made a lot of money off of selling their soul to Nancy Grace, because she is by far the worst of the worst when it comes to media coverage of this trial.
From day 1 it was obvious that the prosecution did not have the evidence to make the case. The prosecutors in this case should have a stern review, and someone should get fired for going for the death penalty, given what we know now about the absolute dearth of evidence they had.
And unless Nancy Grace is bringing in the advertising dollars hand-over-fist for CNN, CNN should let her go. She is disgraceful.
I hope the public dose not let Casey Anthony capitalize on poor little Caylee's tragedy. We should make it known early on that we will unite and boycott any books, movies, or any other means of anyone making money and adding more insult to this horrific injury.
The world will not boycott Casey Anthony. The movie will sell worldwide-count on it. It entertainment. Nancy grace will accept a cameo role and draw down her fee.
Look at how much CNN and Nancy Grace have already made......they are vultures who prey on the misfortune of others. Maybe you should start your "boycott" with that disgusting witch!
I agree rtbrno65. I wonder if half of you who are calling for Casey's death would feel the same way if you had just read about this in the newspaper instead of seeing emotional fueled rants from these so called lawyers. Look at your local paper, read about the terrible things that happen that don't make the national news. The media picks and chooses the stories they know will turn people into complete idiots that will form a lynch mob to do something stupid that will create another sick story. I went down this road myself with the OJ trial, I let that trial get under my skin. I am older now I work in law enforcement , I see and hear terrible stories all the time that never make the news. Yes it was a horrible thing that happened to little Caylee and my heart breaks for her but nothing we do here will bring her back and the only justice the only true justice will only be decided after we are gone. Love your people and quit spending all your time listening to "experts".
I thoroughly agree. This prosecution team's office has admitted to having 140 other murder cases pending, 11 of which include children. Is Ms. Grace and her show going to televise all of them, too? HLN and Ms. Grace would do well to donate all monies earned from broadcasting this trial to some type of fund benefitting children.
The best outcome would be that the American Bar Association, and the state Bars, would be removed from influencing who practices and how miscreants are disciplined. We, the people, should be able to lift the privilege and end their screeds.
HIGH RATINGS TO THE QUEEN OF SENSATIONALISM...ONE DOES NOT NEED TO WONDER WHO MADE CASEY ANTHONY "TOT MOM" A CELEBRITY....3 YEARS LATER, HER $$ MEDIA BLITZ GAME$$ IS ALMOST OVER...THANK GOODNESS...NO MORE MISGUIDED INFORMATION BY SOMEONE WHO PRETENDED THAT SHE HAD A PROFFESIONAL OPINION OF GUILT YEARS BEFORE A LEGAL TRIAL ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE.
AS A RESULT, A MASS OUTCRY OF ANGER IS TAKING PLACE BECAUSE SHE CONVINCINGLY GAVE HER VIEWERS NOTHING ELSE....AND SHE CERTAINLY DID NOT EDUCATE HER VIEWERS ON THE LAWS OF THE LAND... NOW SHE IS ACTUALLY GOING AFTER THE JURY...PLACING DOUBT ON THE LEGAL PROCESS WITH CONVICTION. HOW MUCH FURTHER WILL SHE GO TO MAINTAIN HER RATINGS...IT'S ALL UP TO YOU.
I TRIED POSTING MY OPINION ON HER BLOG SITE – IT WAS NOT ACCEPTED BY HER MONITORS...A LITTLE PALINISH OF THEM.
Nancy DisGrace is a VILE and DISGUSTING heartless THUG. She is a predator who preys on the misfortunes of others for her own fame and gain. She is probably at home praying for her next gravy train to come rolling in. She makes me sick!
One thing that no one talked about is that there was a lack of DNA, fingerprints, etc not on any of the evidence. It seemed who ever disposed of the body did a good job of cleaning their fingerprints off of everything and new what they were doing. I think this would lead me to believe it was George and not Casey. George would know every trick in the book on how to clean up evidence. Why would George allow Cindy Anthony to clean the car when they brought it home. George actions in court made himself look guilty. I think Nancy Grace is way out of line and when it came to the heart sticker that was not even on the duct tape showed on how stupid Nancy Grace really is by fabricating this to the public. I really miss the days of Walter Cronkite when what you were hearing from the media was true. I think CNN should get rid of the Nancy Grace show this kind of reporting makes our country look bad.
Nancy DisGarce, Anderson Copper and the rest of CNN pray for tragedies everyday to pad their wallets. If someone is suffering, CNN and their cast of blood thirsty predators will be sure to capitalize on it.
The ONLY one(s) to BLAME in all of this is CASEY ANTHONY and her messed-up family. Lie after lie = freed baby killer!!!
The media portrayed Casey just like the murderer that she is. The truth didn't help this poor innocent child.I applaud them for excellent coverage,on a job well done,Mr.Toobin and Debra Opri {who blew the Dannilyne case}
As for the behavior of many media "talking heads", I totally agree that many were out of control with the ringleader being NANCY GRACE. She is so damn arrogant and makes me want to vomit whenever I am somewhere and she is on the TV. I certainly would never intentionally turn her on.... CNN, dump that poisonous, arrogant MORON....
My opinion of CNN (thorugh HLN) has plummeted due to the sensationalism they are bringing to TV news. They are becoming as bad as FOX Scare in their own way. I quit watching Robin Meade in the morning because all you heard about was her album and the trial. CNN you used to be the truly fair and objective channel! Your ruining your reputation and good reporters like Sanja Gupta and Anderson Cooper with the likes of Nancy Grace. Moving to watch BBC.
I kept hearing how Casey Anthony was going to have to explain herself and WHY she would lie unless it was to cover up HER GUILT and yet neither she nor did her lawyer explain sufficiently her behavior of why she would not tell anyone, why she would lie about a kidnapping, why she would party like 1999, why she would dispose of the body ALL because the child DROWNED?? AND BECAUSE SHE WAS AFRAID OF HER FATHER????? This chick is afraid of NOTHING!!!!!! Why the google searches? Why did she say that she was a vindictive B.? Why didn't she want her poor "drowned" daughter to have a DECENT BURIAL?? Why did she drive around with the body in her trunk? Why not tell people where her poor decomposing body was while half of Orlando was out looking for her and her parents were hopping on planes because of alleged "Caylee sightings"?? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?
I will answer my own question and it's one word that the jury should have come back with that could answer ALL questions regarding this woman's bizarre behavior.............GUILTY.
Cnn,Nancy Grace produced the most one sided ,venom spewing, reporting I have ever witnessed. She and the producers of her show should be ashamed.There was reasonable doubt and that was what this courageous jury found. They did not say Casey didn't do it. They said there was reasonable doubt. They followed the law they were instructed on. Prosecutor Ashton probably came off as arrogant and deserved to be called laughing man.Congrats to Casey's legal team and a jury that followed the law.
What about the morality of ABC News paying for her defense???The statement that this is the way we would like justice to work if we were on trail has been stated over and over. Being old, retired and lacking the visual appeal of younger women, I totally understand that I would NOT get the same treatment because I doubt that the news would be willing to pick up my defense and buy me the best chance of beating the system.
The Anthony's raised Casey and she is a result of their upbringing. Lie and cheat and children learn to lie and cheat. The whole family is so screwed up it resulted in an innocent baby dead in a swamp. Accident or intentional, it should never have happened. We probably will never know the truth. Everyone should look around at their own lives, raise your kids with morals, give them hugs, and forget about the screwed up Anthony family. Life goes on ( except for poor little Cayley).