Casey Anthony Murder Trial Adjourned Abruptly Today for Legal Issue … Could an Attorney be Out, Maybe Cheney Mason?

This morning Judge Belvin Perry surprised all by adjourning court and stating it was for a legal issue.

WHAT IS UP!!! Please note the following is purely speculation at this point, but it is as good an answer as any with having been provided no information as to why Judge Perry recessed court today until 8:30 Monday. Jude Perry stated that the trial was in recess due to a “legal issue” which was not that what was discussed earlier in the morning, which would have meant the yet again discovery issue with defense expert witness Kenneth Furton.

The only thing is to do the process of elimination and assume that the issue at hand must have been considered huge for Judge Perry to call a recess when there was supposed to be a full day of testimony. According to all accounts there were 5 or 6 witnesses waiting in the court to be called to the witness stand. With past issues and problems among the State and Defense, Judge perry simply had them call another witness, that did not happen today.

Could This Be the Reason Why Court Was Called to a Halt Today?

VIDEO Hat Tip: Klaas

Thus, if the “legal issue” is of great importance that would halt the proceedings for the day, it must be either a plea deal, a jury issue or a problem with a lawyer. This was the theory put out by former Cindy & George Anthony attorney Mark Nejame earlier today.

Narrowed this to 2 possibilities…plea or trouble w atty on defense team. purely speculation. I think it’s w atty on defense. #caseyanthony

Along the lines of great lines think alike, I had actually speculated the same thing earlier today prior to hearing Mark Nejame’s theory.My thought was, did Cheney Mason just want out as this is not the way he wanted his Swan song to go, did he witness unethical behavior, or did he do something that either Casey or others on the Defense wanted him off the case? If it was Mason that was leaving the case, he was the only one there present that was a death penalty qualified attorney. Thus with no Mason, how could there be a proper representation of Casey Anthony? That would have caused Judge Perry to announce a recess until Monday.

This morning there was a reference to a Richardson hearing that would take place as it seems that Jose Baez and the Casey Anthony Defense team once again broke Judge Perry’s court order on evidence discovery. This only makes the third time since they have started their defense portion of the trial. However, yesterday during direct examine of Sgt. Ryan Eberlin of the OCSD Cheney Mason made a gaffe of all gaffes in asking whether Casey Anthony had been handcuffed, see VIDEO above. That opened the door for the State to ask Sgt. Eberlin why he had handcuffed Casey. he then told the jury that it was Cindy Anthony who said she wanted her daughter arrested and press charges for stealing her credit card and its unauthorized use. Oops, major gaffe on the part of the Defense.

Casey Anthony with a Look of Concern today as events transpired

View some pics of the Defense today as they discussed the Richardson hearing and when Mason said he had another separate matter to discuss in Sidebar.

Judge Perry announces that a legal issue has arisen (VIDEO above, 11:18) and court will recess until Monday. This is where all hell broke loose in speculation as to what just happened. In determining exactly what could have happened we need to see how the Defense entered the court today and how they left as seen in the above (VIDEO 11:57 and 12:28). In both cases the Defense does not look happy. Nor did Casey Anthony as court was put in recess.

More look of concern on the part of the Defense

It is obvious that something big had to have occurred in order for Judge Perry to adjourn court in such an abrupt manner this morning. Prior to the meetings in judge’s chambers, it was Cheney Mason that stated there was a separate issue that needed to be discussed. Also, from the reactions of the State and the Defense after coming out of the judge’s chambers one would suspect it was the Defense that caused the recess and something was amiss. Or could it be an issue with Jose Baez or the State. I am hedging toward the Defense. You make the call. We will be speculating all weekend long, but will have a definitive answer on Monday. Hopefully.

Casey Anthony Murder Trail Day 28: Court in Recess Until Monday by Judge Belvin Perry for a Legal Issue that Has Arisen

Casey Anthony Murder Trial Day 28: Judge Belvin Perry issues surprise recess until Monday over Legal Issue.

What Legal issue could have been so big and damning that could have closed down the trial for the day? This has to be bigger than just a discovery issue.

Just yesterday Judge Belvin Perry was discussing with lawyers from the State and Defense a time line as to when the Defense would finish their case, the State would do their rebuttal case Wednesday and Thursday, closing arguments would be on Friday and the judge would provide instruction to the jury and the case on next Saturday. So much for the best thoughts of mice and men. This morning, Judge Perry recessed the trial until Monday after continued sidebars and closed door meetings in the Judge’s chambers.

Casey Anthony’s murder trial was unexpectedly recessed only 45 minutes after it was supposed to start. Saturday marked day 39, including jury selection, of her trial.

Casey Anthony’s murder trial on Saturday started with undisclosed, closed-door meetings with Judge Belvin Perry.

Casey walked into the courtroom wearing a lavender, long-sleeved shirt and gray slacks, shortly before 9:00am when court was suppose to resume. George and Cindy Anthony were present in the courtroom.

Casey, along with her attorneys, was gathered in Judge Belvin Perry’s chambers. Casey eventually walked back into the courtroom, clearly upset, and began tearing up and dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

Speculation is abound as to why Judge Perry would have recessed the trial until Monday. Perry has been a stickler to a time line and for the case to progress in a timely fashion in this capital murder case with a sequestered jury. What could have been the legal issue that was so important that would halt the trial today, especially since it was supposed to be a full day in court today?

We presently do not know what the legal issue is; however, we know what it is not. It appears that there was an issue this morning with discovery of Defense’s expert witness, Dr. Kenneth Ferton. State prosecutor Jeff Ashton brought the issue up this morning (VIDEO 00:35) that at 8:40 this morning he was provided by the defense that was supposed to be used by defense expert Dr. Kenneth Ferton. Supposedly the witness was going to supply testimony that was not in his initial reports or deposition. Judge Perry stated that Ferton would not be allowed to testify today that is not in his report. Defense attorney Baez added his two cents and excuses as to why there appears to be yet another discovery issue that went against the court’s order causing Judge Perry to state the following, “You think this would’ve grown old by now, but I guess some things never change.”

Then the lawyers with Casey in tow was asked to go back into the Judge’s chambers with the court reporter. Oh to be a fly on the wall in Judge Perry’s chambers right now. The judge and lawyers then came back to the court room with 6 or 7 witnesses waiting in the court to testify … Judge Perry recessed court until Monday due to a legal issue unrelated to the one discussed earlier this morning.

The speculation is on as to what has caused the recess? Follow the discussion at Scared Monkeys Crime/Missing Persons Forum.

UPDATE I: Was there witness tampering or tampering of witness sequestration?

Is it possible that a witness has been contacted by the State or the Defense? Or have witnesses colluded with one another as to their testimony in the Anthony’s possibly circling the wagon to ensure that Casey not be found guilty and face the death penalty.

It has to be a truly big issue as the Court is not allowing any transcript be released to the media as to what occurred in Judge’s chambers. Also, Judge Perry has made sure that this train run on time and with 5, 6, 7 witnesses ready to go and waiting to testify … the trial was recessed. Speculating here, it would lead me to believe that this legal issue has something to do with an attorney’s actions. Also, why would Casey be weeping from coming back from the Judges chambers this morning? One would have to believe that this is pointed at the Defense.

Casey eventually walked back into the courtroom, clearly upset, and began tearing up and dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

UPDATE II: Bill Sheaffer analysis (VIDEO) of this morning events.

UPDATE III: More speculation … Did the defense file a motion in trying to disqualify the Judge? Could Baez and the Defense be so ballsy to have done such? My thought is no.

Could Judge Perry be fed up with Jose Baez, his continual disrespect for the court order and now be concerned that Baez is so improper in his preparation for the defense of Casey Anthony, that he feels that he cannot provide Casey with the proper legal counsel needed in a murder trial with death penalty ramifications? Watch the VIDEO (7:35) from today where Baez actually started lecturing Judge Perry what the Defense is going to do and not going to do. This is unreal on the part of Baez. Does Jose Baez think being disrespectful to the court is going to benefit his client? Does Baez think he can actually bully the court? Please!

Or could this all be about defense attorney Cheney Mason (VIDEO 9:10), he asks Judge Perry to approach sidebar on a completely different subject. Could Mason want off this trail or could there be a riff or does Casey want Mason out? Mason’s cross of Dr. G was a disaster and yesterday when doing direct of OCSD police officer Ryan Eberlin.

UPDATE IV: Is there a plea deal on the table? Could the State be offering a plea and giving Casey the weekend to think about it?

UPDATE V: From The Orlando Sentinel: Casey Anthony: Why did court recess today? A very big deal?

“This is a very big deal,” WKMG legal analyst Mark NeJame said. “The record is sealed and so are the attorneys’ mouths.”

NeJame speculated that the issue deals with a fundamental aspect of the case. “One has to imagine it’s being worked on over the weekend,” NeJame said. “Something is in play. Something has to be fixed or addressed.”

Pipitone and NeJame eliminated certain possibilities: Could it be a possible plea, jury tampering or illness? Everyone said it’s a legal matter. The court reporter had left, so it isn’t likely to be jury tampering. NeJame said a plea was a remote possibility. ”The issue is what else is out there?” NeJame said.

WESH-Channel 2’s Amanda Ober explained that Perry was ” very frustrated” over another discovery issue: The prosecution complained that it had not been informed of a defense witness’ opinions.

Casey Anthony Murder Trial: Defense Expert William Rodriguez on his Way Out … Never Co-Founded the Body Farm … Where did WFTV get the Tip?

So much for MSM attribution …

All reports point to that Rodriguez is out as a defense expert witness … no wonder defense attorney Jose Baez does not like bloggers. They just throw a Monkey wrench in his contrived defense and as other defense attorneys have stated in the past, I have to get this monkey off my back”. However, its sad that some in the MSM cannot admit the obvious … where the story came from.

Ever since William C. Rodriguez made the comment last Saturday on the witness stand during his defense expert testimony that he was a co-founder of the Body Farm, the questioning antenna was raised my myself and many at Scared Monkeys … REALLY? The sleuth hats went on and a tremendous amount of research was done, not speculation and conjecture … research.

Unlike WFTV, we will actually link to their VIDEO (4:20 mark) where they discuss the situation of William Rodriguez and his departure from the trial after having had a cup of coffee on the witness stand. Where was the story posted on the Internet Cathi and Bill? Seriously. All one has to do is a Google search of William Rodriguez – Body Farm – Co-founder and voila … an amazing thing occurs … Scared Monkeys.com has the top two posts/articles HERE and HERE. They are actually the only one’s that are questioning the testimony, providing data material as to disproving Rodriguez’s accounts of his co-founding the Body Farm. Oh yea, and there is an actual email from the Body Farm stating the following:

William Rodriguez was a student under Dr. Bass and conducted research at the facility in the early and mid 80s. He was a major assistant in the early years, but was by no means a co-founder.

No one minds that you Bill and Kathi would discuss the embellishments of defense witness Rodriguez; however, is it really that much to ask to actually name the obvious source of where the information came from? Much like the questioning and analysis of the Body Farm wiki’s that were edited. Where was that data from again?

Hat Tip: Klaas

Oh, and here would be the tweets that you were sent as well. It is rather pathetic that these folks would make it sound like they did all the leg work and broke the story. You were provided with the tip and responsible blogs actually contacted the Body farm long before you ever called Dr. Bass. Just curious, if this was your scoop, how come the call was not made on Monday? You are the all powerful MSM where this is your job, why was the commentary not made until Wednesday … when was the Scared Monkeys post, um, Casey Anthony Murder Trial: It’s Official, William C. Rodriguez is not the Co-Founder of the Body Farm … Some One is Bolstering on the Witness Stand or Worse, June 20, 2011.

Scared Monkeys would like to thank the many Monkeys in the cage at Scared Monkeys.net Crime Forum that helped research and get out the word through Facebook, Twitter and emails that made it possible that a potential witness was found wanting. Let’s face it Bill and Kathi, long before you went on TV and took credit for your great reporting … the decision had already been made by the Powers that be in the Casey Anthony murder trial that Rodriguez would not be getting back on the witness stand. Hmm, wonder where they might have read the damning data that would have discredited the witness? Maybe it was at those blogs that you stated you could not trust or bother to contact.

Scared Monkeys was breaking news stories back in 2005 in the Natalee Holloway case prior to the MSM and will be doing so long after the murder trial of Casey Anthony ends. Its too bad that it would appear that the MSM is guilty of wanting as well. Kudos Bloggers to your questioning and perseverance in wanting to get at the truth while the MSM shows videos of individuals fighting to get into the trial. Professional courtesy and ethics go a long way.

Thank you Monkeys!

Casey Anthony Murder Trial: Chief Defense Witness Bill Rodriguez Perjures Himself – OUT HE GOES – … Ashton Spits Out Spitz…

The Casey Anthony Murder Trial and what’s left of the defense witnesses left in its wake.

From Blink on Crime comes an analysis of many of the defense expert witnesses, each discredited by the prosecution one right after the next. Dr. Timothy Huntington, William Rodriguez and Werner Spitz, MD all came in like defense expert witness lions and left like discredited lambs. Just how many skilled experts in their field will have their reputations ruined by this trial and the poor defense strategy of Jose Baez and the Casey Anthony defense team.

Orlando, FL-  The Ninth Circuit of Orange County is beginning to look like their own decay facility.

If you’re watching the murder trial of Casey Anthony, for the murder of her daughter Caylee as the defense is presenting their case in chief,  you are watching Jose Baez et al building their own THE BODY FARM, of defense witnesses, that is.

READ the full story and analysis at Blink on Crime … note Blink is reporting that defense expert witness William Rodriguez, the NOT co-founder of the Body Farm is out.

Casey Anthony Murder Trial: It’s Official, William C. Rodriguez is not the Co-Founder of the Body Farm … Some One is Bolstering on the Witness Stand or Worse

On Saturday, June 18, 2011 during his brief testimony  as a defense expert witness in the murder trial of Casey Anthony, William C. Rodriguez III stated in the affirmative that he was the co-founder of The Body Farm. Who knew? The reason why we never knew, maybe is because the comment was false.

Defense Attorney Jose Baez: Are you a Co-Founder of the Anthropological Facility at the Univ of TN – also known as the Body Farm?
William Rodriguez:  Yes I am.

The very first thing I thought was, oh really? That is nothing I ever heard of. I had always thought that Dr. William Bass was the founder of the Anthropology Research Facility at UT. So we decided to do some research over the weekend to discover the truth.  Then Scared Monkeys decided that we would do what we thought the MSM and defense attorney Jose Baez would and should have done … do their due diligence and fact check Mr Rodriguez by simply asking the Body Farm. Then again, when Baez cannot seem to follow a simple court’s order by Judge Perry for experts to write reports of their opinions and what they plan on testifying to, why would any one think that “due diligence” is in the vocabulary?

We decided to do the obvious, send a simple email to the general email mailbox of Body Farm asking them whether Rodriguez was a co-founder of the  Anthropology Research Facility. Their reply was as follows:

William Rodriguez was a student under Dr. Bass and conducted research at the facility in the early and mid 80s. He was a major assistant in the early years, but was by no means a co-founder

There you go … straight from the horse’s mouth, “BY NO MEANS A CO-FOUNDER”.

Is William C. Rodriguez III guilty of “bolstering” or worse? How could Rodriguez stated that he was a co-founder of the famous forensic investigative Body Farm? Better yet, how could anyone with any common sense not questioned such a statement? And better than that, did Jose Baez and his crack staff of researchers only use Wiki’s as their proof? If so, no wonder Baez has an aversion to the Internet and blogs.

Need more proof  than that of an email from The Body Farm, why not. Below read the following passages from Dr. William Bass’s book, DEATH’S ACRE: Inside The Legendary Forensic Lab THE BODY FARM, Where the Dead Do Tell Tales by Dr. Bill Bass and Jon Jefferson.

On page 102-103  Dr. Bass writes the following regarding William Rodriguez which would lead any one to believe he was an assistant …

” During winter, flies are grounded  by the cold; in fact, anytime the temperature drops below 50 degrees, flies stop flying. The Arikara graves that contained no pupal casings held people who died and were buried during cooler seasons of the year. It fascinated me at the time to realize that we could figure out, two hundred years after it happened, what season of the year an Arikara warrior had fallen in battle.By the time I established the Body Farm, I knew that if I could get a graduate student interested in studying insect activity in corpses, we’d probably figure out ways to deduce a lot more than just the particular season in which a person had died.

Bill Rodriguez was the ideal graduate student for the task — partly because he was willing to take it on, and partly because he had a broader background in field research than most graduate students.

Bill had an undergraduate degree in anthropology, with a minor in zoology. He’d entered anthropology intending to study primates, and in fact he actually went to Africa as part of a team working to restore laboratory raised chimpanzees to the wild. But he’d also taken my osteology course and had done quite well in it, so one day,when I needed someone to go with me on a forensic case, I went looking for an assistant, and Bill was the first qualified helper I found. He was washing grimy windows in one of our classrooms; because we were housed beneath the stadium’s concrete stands, a lot of dust and dirt swirled onto and into our quarters. Bill had a teaching assistantship, which sounded pretty highbrow, but the “assistantship” part included some pretty lowbrow chores like washing windows”.

But wait there is more. From page 104 reads as the follows:

” The police never managed to solve that particular murder, but the case did have one happy ending to it: it got Bill Rodriguez hooked on forensics.Primatology lost a promising young scientist that cold, snowy day. Not long after that, Bill helped clear the ground, level the gravel pad,and pour the concrete for the new Anthropological Research Facility. A few months later, he helped me set out our first research subject, corpse 1-81. by then Bill had settled on his thesis topic. H.B. Reed had chronicled insect activity in dog carcasses. Bill would do the same thing with human corpses, beginning with 1-81.”

(Hat Tip NikkiBNurse for transcription of Dr. Bass’s book)

Let’s get the facts straight, Dr. William Bass came to Knoxville TN in 1971 and started the Anthropological Dept there. William Rodriguez was his student and Bass was his mentor and he taught Rodriguez at UT. Rodriguez then helped him with getting the Body Farm started, according to this book and Body number 1-81 was his first project, the first body laid out on Death’s Acre.. BUT, the idea and concept of the Body Farm was solely that of William Bass. Boss formulated it, devised it and founded it. End of story.

Bass was the one who was reviewing bodies years before that concrete was poured. and as he states on page 96, “In the fall of 1980, my STUDENTS and I set to work. We cleared trees and brush from the center of the site;we laid a gravel driveway so trucks could pull in with bodies and equipment;we ran  water line and electricity from the hospital.”

So, several students worked on breaking ground here … it does not mean THEY founded it. Nor does the Body Farm say it either. So you make the call, why would Rodriguez need to say he was more than he really was when it came to The Body Farm? Rodriguez is looking to discredit the work of Dr. Arped Vass and call it junk science. However, if one wishes to discredit another, they might want to first start by telling the truth of themselves first.

What is insane is that Rodriguez had impressive credentials, so then why the need to fabricate and imply to the jury that he was a co-founder of The Body Farm?