Casey Anthony to be released from jail next week
Orlando (CNN) - Casey Anthony only has to stay in jail six more days to fulfill the sentence a judge gave her Thursday on convictions for lying to authorities.
Judge Belvin Perry sentenced Anthony to four years in jail - one year for each of her four convictions of lying to police - but with credit for the approximately three years already served and good behavior, her release date was set for next Wednesday, July 13, a court spokeswoman said Thursday.
Denying a defense motion to reduce the four counts to a single conviction, Perry gave Anthony the maximum jail time he could by ruling that the four years be served consecutively.
He also fined her $1,000 for each count. Court papers show she is also ordered to pay court costs and fees totalling just over $600.
"I don't know how free she's going to be (but) she's going to be out a cage," defense attorney Cheney Mason told InSession soon after sentencing. "I doubt there's any place in this country that she could walk the streets freely."
Mason said that he fears for Anthony's safety, and that measures are being taken to protect her. She will undoubtedly get counseling going forward, he said, adding that offers to help have poured in from across the country.
"I think she wants to get away from all this and try to find some way to start a life," said Mason.
A jury acquitted Anthony Tuesday on the most serious charges against her, including murder, in the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, but convicted her on the four misdemeanor counts of lying to police.
When Anthony arrived in the courtroom Thursday, she smiled often as she chatted with her attorneys.
CNN legal expert Jeffrey Toobin said Perry's decision came as a surprise. "Most people convicted of misdemeanors do not get prison time," he said.
The four lies at issue include Anthony lying about whether her daughter was missing; about 2-year-old Caylee being in the custody of a nanny; about having a job at Universal Studios and about having received a phone call from Caylee.
FULL STORY|
|
Post by: CNN Wire Staff Filed under: 360° Radar • 360º Follow |
About this Show:
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°
Subscribe to the podcast
On Twitter
Search the AC360 blog
There was no reason for her to kill her daughter. She could have left her with the grangparents and went away to do whatever she wanted. I think something happened in that family and they are being quiet , hoping it all goes away. Eventually, the truth will come out, God willing, and we all will have closure.
I'm sorry to disagree with a lot of you. But , my deep gut feeling is that she did not murder her child. If she wanted to live a carefree life , she could have left the child with her grandparents, who loved her very much. . There was no reason to kill her!! If an accident happened to Cayle, while being watched by the grandparents, they were afraid to own up to it because of negilgence on their part and somehow threatened Casey to go along with them.Either way the child died & we'll proberably never know how unless God steps in if and when He sees fit. God be with you Cayle.
Geez! enough already! Who cares! Can you please show some real news... Go back to Afghanistan Anderson
Isn't it a crime of child endangerment to fail to report a baby missing or, whatever the case may be in the Anthony case, fail to call in a fatal or potentially fatal accident such as drowning?!!! I don't understand why she is not being charged for this and is only being charged for lying to police!
cant someone file a wrongful death suit agains casey like in the oj simpson trial?
I feel the judge handed down the best decision for both Casey and the public.I think the media needs to take a step back and take a deep breath then pull back on all the media coverage on who's right and who's wrong..All this is causing and keeping the hate alive. The judicial system has spoken, this is the heart of the United States, whether you agree or disagree.
In other words, if the child drowned like the liar said, it's okay not to report this to the police? Why was she not charged with a crime??? I am sick about this.
I can't be the only person who knows that we would not know Casey Anthony's name, no matter what she may or may not have done, if she wasn't young, attractive and white. Why is no one mentioning this. I can't think of one case getting this kind of attention without either the victim or suspect meeting those criteria.
I forgot to add or a celebrity.