Judge Calls Indefinite Recess in State's Rebuttal Case Against Casey Anthony
Judge Belvin Perry called an indefinite recess Friday morning before the jury even stepped into court because of issues regarding the state’s rebuttal witnesses.
The morning started off with attorneys discussing time card information and computer documents in regards to Cindy Anthony’s previous testimony that she had searched the family computer for chloroform even though time card information showed she was clocked in at work.
Prosecution attained over a hundred pages of records to the objection of the defense. Defense attorney Jose Baez claimed that the state had committed a discovery violation by not looking into the matter earlier when Cindy admitted during deposition that she was the one who made the computer searches.
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He also complained that the state was trying to submit the records into evidence so late into the trial. Nonetheless, Judge Perry admitted the information from the state.
Baez asked for more time this morning to examine all of the new documents and records. The defense also tried to obtain Cindy’s work records for July 15, 2008, the day she first made the 911 call reporting Caylee missing.
Additionally, the state hoped to call to the stand Dr. Michael Warren and Dr. Bruce Goldberger as rebuttal witnesses in order to contrast the defense’s previous arguments concerning Caylee’s skull.
Dr. Goldberger, a toxicology expert, would look to rebut Dr. Werner Spitz’s previous testimony and state that there was no organic matter present inside the skull, contrary to what Spitz had said.
Dr. Warren would also testify rebutting Dr. Spitz’s statement that it is not protocol to open a skull in an autopsy, indicating that the autopsy conducted by the state’s witness, Dr. Jan Garavaglia, was not “shoddy” like Spitz accused.
The defense claimed that the witnesses did not provide a report of what they would say on Friday, and were thus allowed to depose the witnesses.
Judge Perry told attorneys to expect to work late today and through the holiday weekend.
