WHY Has It Taken THREE Years?

[Reality Orlando]

This will probably be an unpopular post, but personally, I think the Sunshine Laws are flawed. I think they drag innocent people's names, lives and reputations through mud and draw way too much attention to some of these cases. I can see why government meetings and such should be subject, but I've seen innocent people's DL#s, addresses, etc. released and thereby cause much personal strife. I also think this is what turns cases here into circuses and gives FL such a bad rep...you don't get all these details from cases in other states. This makes our cases bigger, more detailed, and exposed longer and more indepth to the media onslaught. Truthfully, I believe a lot of people in FL hesitate to even call LE due to not wanting to be drug through the dirt like so many in this case. I think the media being into every single aspect of a case can seriously cause those who deserve to be jailed to walk free due to the publicity impeding a defendent from receiving an impartial trial. How many suspected child abuse cases aren't reported because people are afraid they will become victims themselves if their names get out? If KC walks I truly feel it will be due to the ability of the Defense to manipulate through the media rather than defend an innocent woman through the courts. MOO

 

[darnudes]

1. ICA wasn't indicted for murder until Oct 2008
2. Caylee's body wasn't found until Dec 2008
3. Death Penalty taken off the table a few days before Caylee's body was found, Dec 2008
4. Death Penalty reinstated April 2009
5. Check fraud case dragged out to the last possible moment then plead guilty Jan 2010, this case had to be resolved first before the murder trial
6. Due to this being a death penalty case many motions had to be heard then ruled on
7. Massive amount of discovery and witnesses, many of which had to be deposed by both the state and defense - although the defense have missed quite a few deadlines and have been thought by many to be employing delay tactics
8. Was meant to go to trial sometime in 2010 but State, defense and Judge at the time realized deadlines could not be met for 2010
9. Recusal of Judge Strickland April 2010, seen by some to be a dirty trick by the defense - not sure if this slowed the trial down or speed it up. Judge Perry decided on strict deadlines and attempted, successfully most of the time, to keep the defense to them
10. Zenaida Gonzales civil case active and ongoing, though not sure if this has hampered the murder trial

I've no doubt left out many other reasons but this is what I came up with so far.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

This will probably be an unpopular post, but personally, I think the Sunshine Laws are flawed. I think they drag innocent people's names, lives and reputations through mud and draw way too much attention to some of these cases. I can see why government meetings and such should be subject, but I've seen innocent people's DL#s, addresses, etc. released and thereby cause much personal strife. I also think this is what turns cases here into circuses and gives FL such a bad rep...you don't get all these details from cases in other states. This makes our cases bigger, more detailed, and exposed longer and more indepth to the media onslaught. Truthfully, I believe a lot of people in FL hesitate to even call LE due to not wanting to be drug through the dirt like so many in this case. I think the media being into every single aspect of a case can seriously cause those who deserve to be jailed to walk free due to the publicity impeding a defendent from receiving an impartial trial. How many suspected child abuse cases aren't reported because people are afraid they will become victims themselves if their names get out? If KC walks I truly feel it will be due to the ability of the Defense to manipulate through the media rather than defend an innocent woman through the courts. MOO

There was no sunshine law in OJ's case, JonBenet's case, Laci's case, and all of those cases got a lot more national publicity than this case. If the media has an interest in a case, they will find a way to get information about it. There being more high profile cases from Florida probably has more to do with its population rather than the Sunshine laws.

 

[Reality Orlando]

The Sunshine Laws still make it much easier for the press to access info. There are other states that make info more easily available to the press as well...they just don't label the process as Sunshine Laws.

 

[JenniferTx]

I pray that the trial will not be delayed any longer. I don't want to wait any longer to see justice served for poor little Caylee. We have to see that justice is served for Caylee because her grandparents sure aren't going to. They are too busy trying to save their demented lying daughter.

 

[uklaw]

It could be worse AFAIK, the Cameron Brown case is still ongoing, although, there has been 2 mistrials.

 

[fundiva]

Even civil trials usually don't get heard for at least two years because of all the court ordered deadlines. You have to give time for exchange of discovery, naming expert deadlines, rebuttal expert deadlines, depositions, etc. There would be a lot of discovery in this case, not to mention experts and their reports and depositions of all involved.

 

[missy8394]

I think it's because she gets to stay at the county jail until she is sentenced. I'm sure she'd rather sty in her "private economy apartment" under protective custody, where her lawyers are available at her beck and call as long as possible. Once she is sentenced she'll be transferred to a prison cell where I'm sure she won't be such a "celebrity" and I'm sure protective custody in prison won't be nearly as cozy. Also, once she's sentenced, J.B. won't be getting much camera time.