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ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Casey Anthony Murder Verdict Redux

Aired December 23, 2011 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSE BAEZ, CASEY`S ATTORNEY: A human life lies in the balance. You`re being asked to make the biggest decision of your life. You`re being asked to take someone`s life if you feel the evidence deserves to be.

BELVIN PERRY, JUDGE: It has been brought to my attention that the jury has reached a verdict.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As to the charge of first-degree murder, verdict as to count one, we, the jury, find the defendant not guilty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s wrong. She got away with it, and you know it. And people are saying that it was OK, she didn`t get away with this that -- that -- I can`t even talk. I`m appalled by this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As to the charge of aggravated child abuse, verdict as to count two, we, the jury, find the defendant not guilty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just a crying shame, an absolute crying shame this is. They call this justice. They say the American flag flies today? It does not. It does anything but fly today. It`s been trampled on today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As to the charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child, we, the jury, find the defendant not guilty.

BAEZ: There are no winners in this case. Caylee has passed on far, far too soon.

PERRY: As to the charge contained in count one of the indictment, murder in the first degree, at this time I will adjudge you to be not guilty. Not guilty of the crime. Not guilty.

BAEZ: Casey did not murder Caylee. It`s that simple.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Here it is, the moment that shook all of us to our core. You have to see it for yourself to fully appreciate the shock of it all. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As to the charge of first-degree murder, verdict as to count one, we, the jury, find the defendant not guilty. So say we all, dated Orlando, Orange County, Florida, on this fifth day of July, 2011, signed foreperson.

As to the charge of aggravated child abuse, verdict as to count two, we, the jury, find the defendant not guilty. So say we all, dated at Orlando, Orange County, Florida, this fifth day of July, 2011, signed foreperson.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jose Baez was very somber, and he seemed even sad at his press conference immediately following this extraordinary verdict that is obviously a big victory for him. But afterwards, the defense team closed down a local restaurant across the street for a very private party. Here`s the contrast. Check him out first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAEZ: While we`re happy for Casey, there are no winners in this case. Caylee has passed on far, far too soon. And what my driving force has been for the last three years has been always to make sure that there has been justice for Caylee and Casey.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Christian, describe the party the defense team is having inside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, we left the courthouse. Everyone over there was devastated after they heard the verdict. We had to go into the MAC machine. As soon as we came around the corner, we heard cheers. That wasn`t from me. So turned around, and there they were, starting to pour their champagne, getting their glasses up to celebrate.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And that`s Jose Baez, Cheney Mason?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cheney Mason. Yes, ma`am.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And you heard cheers and you heard...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Heard them cheering.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... celebration?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. I want to go straight out to our Jean Casarez, who spent some time in that party. Jean, kudos to your scoop. I was outside talking to the people out there who were livid and furious, and I saw you go right in there. What happened?

JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, TRUTV`S "IN SESSION": It is a celebration, they say, for justice, they say for innocence, from someone who did not commit crimes of a great magnitude.

There are seven flat-screen televisions in this restaurant, and they were all positioned and still are right now to the local coverage of this case. And whenever there would be the coverage of the verdict or the defense press conference, it would become very still and very quiet in this restaurant, as they were drinking their champagne and would listen to what the television monitors had to say. And they...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jean Casarez, I want to jump in. Go ahead.

CASAREZ: When the verdict was announced, when the press conference was done, they would cheer amongst each other, because they believe that victory had come to them on this day of a verdict.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Excellent work out there, Jean Casarez.

I want to go to a man who has kind of symbolized this case with his cowboy hat. Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who at one point bailed Casey out and then said, "Never mind" when she refused to cooperate.

Your reaction? Were you shocked? And how do you feel about it?

LEONARD PADILLA, BOUNTY HUNTER: When I was sitting there and I had heard the verdict, I obviously was like, wow, what is going on here? I thought they`re reading the wrong line; the clerk has got the wrong list. The judge is going to stop her and he`s going to say, "No, you`re on the wrong line."

And then I got to thinking about the situation, and you have to understand that, you know, a thing like this. You know, the prosecutor maybe shouldn`t have laughed at Baez. He shouldn`t have made mirth. One thing leads to another. And the next thing is the jury goes in, and they say, "Hey, we don`t understand this. We don`t want to deal with that. They didn`t meet their burden."

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wait. Are you saying that, when in closing, Jose Baez said "that laughing man over there," because the prosecutor was sitting back and kind of like smiling, you`re saying that that might have angered the jurors to the point where they identified more with Jose Baez as sort of the underdog?

PADILLA: America don`t like the underdog picked on. He was being stomped on by the prosecution. Everybody thought that he was down. Linda Burdick had done an outstanding closing. I`ve never seen a better closing in America.

And yet he rose to the occasion, even without having the last word. So what was it that turned the jury off? It wasn`t the evidence, not understanding it. It had to be something that took place in that courtroom.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And I`ll you what I think it was.

PADILLA: What was it?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think they put the defense table right across from the jury. I have never seen that before. Usually, the defense table is here. OK? But they had it right here because they had so many members of the defense team that they couldn`t accommodate it here. So they were eye to eye. The jurors and Casey Anthony were eye to eye for six weeks.

And I think it`s very hard to stare at somebody for six weeks and then convict them of something that could put them to death. I honestly feel subconsciously they started to soften up because they were staring at her.

I was on the air reporting life as the verdict came down, but I`ve got to tell you, Aphrodite Jones star of "True Crime" on Investigation Discovery, you were inside the courtroom. Describe, tell us, bring us there. The whole world wants to be there. What was it like?

APHRODITE JONES, INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY`S "TRUE CRIME": Jane, it was silence. It was like absolute tension, beyond belief.

The jurors filed in. They were quiet. They were solemn. They never looked at Casey. Honestly, when Judge Perry started to read what their verdicts form said, there was no -- everybody was poker faced. We had no idea.

And as the clerk read that she was not guilty in murder of the first degree, I want to tell you, my jaw dropped, and so did others, even though we were told not to make any facial expressions. It was jaw-dropping.

And Casey, she looked surprised somewhat and as she started to clutch Jose Baez`s hand when the second time it came back not guilty, not guilty again third time on all three most important counts, that she did not -- they did not find her guilty of killing her daughter, she started to weep and that continued, Jane, after the jury left and the judge left the bench.

She was crying, holding Jose Baez. He was having his arms around her. The defense team was sobbing. It was dramatic and shocking at the same time. Frankly, I found it horrifying that we have a system in America that in this case, I believe failed justice.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Well, a lot of people agree with you.

Another, I think, a huge factor -- I think a huge factor in Casey`s acquittal, I think she became a celebrity. I mean, when she was out on bail you remember seeing the video. She couldn`t go anywhere in Orlando without getting absolutely mobbed by photographers.

Remember this scene when she leaves with Jose Baez and she is swarmed by photographers? It looks like paparazzi going after some kind of celebrity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The relatives we talked to said no, she`s not staying with us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My personal opinion is that she is guilty, and I don`t think it was an accident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody will be watching.

CASEY ANTHONY, I just want to let everyone know that I am sorry for what I did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has to be here, this facility here in downtown Orlando.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She has been ordered back to the city where she is public enemy No. 1.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The court system in this case had her serving probation while she was in jail, so the defense lawyers argue how can you serve twice for the same thing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re going to be treating her just like any other offender.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are curious about this. People want to hear what she has to say.

CASEY ANTHONY, ACQUITTED OF MURDER: I take complete and full responsibility for my actions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole thing about the rehab is a ruse either to try to raise her value or to try to make it look like she`s got more important things to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whenever I see her on TV she looks like the only person she cares about is herself.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Donna, hang on. I`m going to be back to you. Let`s see what we can find out here.

We`re going to chase him down. Hold on. We`re chasing him right now. This is live television in progress. You can see the media.

Let`s see if Jose Baez wants to say anything. Hey, Jose, quick comment? Anything at all, Jose? Anything at all? I mean, come on. We`ve gotten to know each other.

BAEZ: How have you been?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`ve been good. I`ve been good. I would love to talk to you.

How`s Casey holding up? Jose? How`s Casey holding up?

All right.

Well, just innocuous questions, really, trying to get some answers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They call this justice? They say the American flag flies today? It does not. It does anything but fly today. It`s been trampled on today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I treat the Casey that I was engaged to like she is dead. She doesn`t exist anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that she grew up. I mean, look, she`s already served three years in jail.

PERRY: Not guilty of the crime contained in count...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a very dysfunctional family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... truly knows what happened to her little girl, and I guess she`ll have to live with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just wouldn`t have believed it. I thought she`d get nailed. Not guilty.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you kidding me? No, you`re kidding me, right? You`re kidding.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t think there`s anything they can do. Killers walk free.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee! Justice for Caylee!

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But there is so much anger out there. I was out there on the street, and I`ve got to tell you, people are furious. They`re saying justice was not served. They`re saying, "Hey, you get your kids taken away from you for tapping them on the shoulder if they`re out of control, and then this woman goes out" -- and in their opinion, the people I talked to -- "commits murder and no consequences."

So there`s a sense that justice isn`t blind. And I`ve got to say, I don`t think justice is blind in today`s society. We talked about superstar justice. You can say whether it`s Lindsay Lohan or any of the other superstars who never seem to suffer for anything they do, and we are told that we live in this celebrity culture.

And I think that actually, I want you to take a look at what`s going on here. Is this, by the way, video of what was -- of what we saw right after the verdict? I believe it is. And I believe I was actually standing there. I was standing there in that crowd, and I`ve got to tell you, those people are upset. They are very, very angry.

I think a couple of things went wrong with the prosecution. First of all, I think they may have overcharged. I saw this with the Michael Jackson child molestation case. I mean, Jose Baez actually made this point when he said in his closing argument that the prosecution overcharged. In fact, listen to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAEZ: They have the right and the ability to charge her with whatever inappropriate acts she may be guilty of, but they do not have the right to overcharge her of murder or manslaughter or aggravated child abuse. There is no such evidence of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mark Nejame, your reaction?

NEJAME: It`s a common tactic for the state to overcharge, and it`s led to a lot of acquittals because of overcharging.

I don`t see an overcharge here. There were only three counts. All of the lessers were simply subsumed in the greater charges. I don`t think that that`s the reason that the jury came back with a not guilty. I think that what Susan said and you discussed earlier when you heard from this other alternate, it sounds like that`s what the rest of them end up saying. There were -- they evaluated everything and they thought there was reasonable doubt.

I don`t think the charges in and of themselves had anything to do with it. And I don`t think solely it was because of the death penalty case. They could have gone with counts two or three or the lessers, which were not death penalty.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We were talking about confusion. Sometimes we walked out of court; our heads were spinning. What the heck they were talking about, something for so long and I don`t know what it was about anymore. In confusion there was reasonable doubt, is there not?

SUSAN CONSTANTINE: Exactly. And then there was so much confusion about the evidence, the forensic evidence, the dysfunctional family. Who do they believe? There were so many lies. When it really got down to it, when they out of that room, they didn`t know what to do and who to believe at this point.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In the post-verdict presser, Jose Baez praised the justice system. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAEZ: Casey did not murder Caylee. It`s that simple. And today our system of justice has not dishonored her memory by a false conviction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. That`s his side of the story, but we have to congratulate him. He argued a good case. He is now the most prominent lawyer in America at this moment in time.

Suzanne, Kansas. A quick question or thought, Suzanne.

CALLER: Hi, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi.

CALLER: I was wondering. Jose, in his opening, said that Casey admitted that she -- that the baby drowned accidentally. That means she knew this whole time that the baby was dead, and yet she still let everybody search and search and search for thousands of dollars that the state of Florida paid. Is she -- is she liable for that?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Good question. Is she liable for all that, Mark Nejame?

NEJAME: That all remains to be seen. And we don`t really know what she said. We have to believe that exactly that her lawyers argued is what she told them, so that`s what they`re supposed to do.

And remember, she`s one of the most despised people in the world, at least in America right now and the Constitution worked. And the reality of it is, is that Jose Baez and Cheney Mason, whoever else, they took an underdog, and they pressed time.

CINDY ANTHONY, CASEY`S MOTHER: Thirty-one days. For 31 days.

And it smells like there`s been a dead body in the damn car.

My daughter finally admitted that she`s been missing.

We`re talking about a 3-year-old little girl.

CASEY ANTHONY: I got arrested on a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) whim today.

BAEZ: Casey is a very effective liar.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She spins tales.

CASEY ANTHONY: I was scared that something would happen to her if I did notify the authorities.

They`ve already said they`re going to pin this on me if they don`t find Caylee.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. You`re probably wondering, as am I, how is it possible for thousands of people to have searched for this child and had missed this spot so close to the Anthony home, so close to a major public thoroughfare?

Well, the reason is that you go down when you walk here, and this whole area was covered by water. So you can see it right here, OK. They said, well, they probably could have found her, right?

Well, take a look. It goes down. It goes down. So if this whole area is covered by water, it really doesn`t matter how close to the road it is. It`s totally submerged.

And that`s another reason for the degradation of all of the DNA. It`s one of the reasons why there`s not so much forensics in this case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This appears to be the result of a search for chloroform.

LINDA DRANE BURDICK, PROSECUTOR: Scispot (ph) dot com back slash chloroform. Were you on that Web site 84 times?

CINDY ANTHONY: I was on it several times.

BURDICK: Were you on that Web site 84 times? Did you do 84 searches for the effects of chlorophyll on your animals?

The www.scispot.com chemistry/chloroform. How many times was that site visited?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to the history, 84 times.

BAEZ: They were looking for chloroform and they got it. And this report comes out showing the scispot (ph) one time.

CINDY ANTHONY: I didn`t do 84 searches of anything.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Cindy Anthony grilled by prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick about all those Google searches for the word "chloroform" on the Anthony home computer, OK.

But what if I told you that chloroform wasn`t searched 84 times, that it was only searched one time? One time?

Now a "New York Times" article says software designer John Bradley is now revealing that it`s not the case. That shortly after he testified he realized that his data was wrong, that the word "chloroform" was searched only once. And he says he tried to let the prosecution know that, but Bradley said nobody from the prosecution team got back to him. The prosecution says, unh-uh that`s not true. So we`ll have the rest of their response in a moment.

But first out to HLN legal contributor and former Casey Anthony attorney Linda Kenney Baden.

LINDA KENNEY BADEN, HLN LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR: Hi, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What do you make -- good evening. What do you make of this brouhaha now where this former prosecution expert, computer forensic witness, is saying, "Oh, my gosh. I said something wrong on the witness stand. And then I realized it was wrong, and I tried to correct it. And the prosecution did not respond to me" in a way that he feels was appropriate"

BADEN: Well, look. He said -- and in the article he said he called them and he told them. No one wanted him to correct it and that no one would respond to him. He left messages with Linda Drane Burdick`s assistant.

Look, this is outrageous, Jane. No matter what you think about the verdict, I mean, there are people in jail because of prosecutorial misconduct in this country. And this is not the last of it. If I were any of these law enforcement officers, boy, I`d be hiring a criminal lawyer right now, and I`d be marching into the state`s attorney`s office or the fed`s office. And I`d be giving my guts out to try to get a deal because this, if it`s true, could lead to some kind of indictable offenses. It is really outrageous.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, the state attorney`s response, "Mr. Bradley never told prosecutors that the searches or the dates and times of the searches were inaccurate. We are dismayed at the suggestion made by the defense the prosecutors would withhold exculpatory material. Court records show the defense was completely aware of the issues utilizing these facts at trial." So basically, Linda, they`re saying that hey, it came out. They told the defense about it; the defense used it.

BADEN: No, no, no, the defense argued, if you recall, that they had lied about it because the one report said one search.

And remember, when the one -- when Mr. Bradley was cross-examined by Jose Baez. He said did you know about this other report and there was an objection by the prosecution. He wouldn`t let him talk about it. It is going to go further, Jane. Mark my words. This is not finished yet.

CINDY ANTHONY: I thought I was looking for her for a month and I just found her today. She just admitted to me that she`s been trying to find her herself. There`s something wrong. I found my daughter`s car today, and it smells like there`s been a dead body in the damn car.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The doors are opening. Take a look. It looks like she`s coming out possibly right now.

What are you crying for?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sadness for the baby.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You`re sad for the child? Right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now. Yes, I do.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The whole family here, two children. "Honk for Caylee". Why did you bring your children out for this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I have four children and it means that much to me. And even they know everything that happened. I just can`t even concept a mother that can do this to her children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m here to support Caylee and to be here when they release the murderer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They honestly let her just walk out and let everyone see it. I just thought it was unjust.

(CAYLEE SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Three journalists were allowed inside the jail to witness her release. A plan that sounded oddly and eerily similar to what happens during an execution actually. All three men walked away with totally different opinions of Casey`s expression as she walked out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY ZUMBADO, VIDEOGRAPHER, NBC NEWS: She walked out, she had a sign of relief on her face. Kind of glad to be out and she walked by one of the SR team sergeants. She thanked them and continued very rapidly outside.

RED HUBER, STILL PHOTOGRAPHER, "ORLANDO SENTINEL": She wasn`t smiling, she wasn`t frowning. She didn`t look like she was joyful. It seemed like to me, it was just a very plain look. Maybe a slight grin, but not that noticeable.

MATT SEDENSKY, REPORTER, ASSOCIATED PRESS: There wasn`t a very dramatic expression. She was sort of looking up towards the ceiling. I wouldn`t say she was smiling; holding back any sort of facial expression.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Joining me now are two of those fantastic journalists: Red Huber from the "Orlando Sentinel" and Tony Zumbado from NBC News.

Welcome to you both. We were all there during all of this; you on the inside, me on the outside. Then you held a news conference and you explained basically.

So for those folks who were sleeping when this all went down which is most of America, Tony, just explain briefly what happened. Paint a picture.

ZUMBADO: Well, you know, we were gathered outside in a parking lot, the three of us. And we were told that we were going to be going in at a certain time. They walked us in through the main lobby, went through security.

They checked our cameras. They checked our belongings. We went through the metal detector. Then they escorted us up to the fourth floor where there`s a public area there and there`s, like, a hearing area. And it`s Courtroom Number Two where we were put there for another, I say half an hour, 45 minutes. And we were told certain scenarios were going to go down.

Red asked a couple of questions of like who was going to be there, who was going to be accompanying. We asked a couple of technical questions of how it was going to go.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Get us down to her release part.

ZUMBADO: Excuse me?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Get to the release part.

ZUMBADO: All right, the release part, now we`re down stairs in the lobby and they informed us that in minutes she`s going to come out, to be ready. So we started rolling, Red and I had talked about how we were going to handle it. Whatever happened we had our own scenarios of what we had to do.

So, as she came out through the door, the first face that I saw was of Jose Baez, and I was hoping that she would be the first one to come out so I can capture those first seconds of freedom in her face.

Seconds later, I see her kind of walk on the left side of Jose. And then I saw her face and like I said, what I thought I saw was a sign of relief. A little glassy eyes, and her saying "thank you" to the SRT sergeant that was there who had been escorting her to the courthouse for the last couple of days.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now you see, when you see her walking out, we can show that one more time. If you look carefully, she goes "thank you" -- she mouths "thank you" to one of the deputies who`s carrying this big sub machine gun.

Red Huber -- ok, let`s see -- one, two, three, "thank you", right there. Red Huber -- were you shocked, I was shocked that she came out the front way.

That`s the -- I was out there for days. And that`s where I used to go to use the restroom. Right in there, and walk in there, go through metal detectors, use the restroom and come out.

I was shocked that they had her come out the front door; your thoughts on that and what the strategy was behind that.

HUBER: Yes, I was surprised, too. We were briefed on that scenario, and there were two other scenarios that Plan B and Plan C. And we were not given any details on that, only if -- it was kind of like a need-to-know basis. And when we were briefed by Alan Moore, a PIO person at the jail, I was just totally -- I was shocked. I said "Out the front door?" It was just -- it was incredible.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, and I think one of the reasons is they didn`t want to treat her like she was special. They said they went to great lengths to treat her just like any other inmate being released. And the only reason she had extra security was that obviously they wanted to make sure she left safe and sound.

Susan, Georgia, you`ve been so patient. Susan, your question or thought.

SUSAN, GEORGIA (via telephone): Yes. I was wondering, doesn`t she have a felony from the checks? From stealing the checks from her friend? And if she does, how can she go anywhere and change her name legally, doesn`t that have to follow her?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow, that`s an excellent question. I think people can change their names. I spent 18 years in Hollywood where people change their name every other week. In fact, you can`t even officially change your name there because they don`t want -- you can but they say it`s just a common law name change if you want to change your name. Because so many people do it; they`re actors, obviously.

But Red Huber, you`ve been following this case from the very start for the "Orlando Sentinel" doing such a great job. First of all, your thoughts about the significance of this in your career; you`ve had a long career. Will this be one of the moments that you remember?

I always say on my death bed I`ll remember a couple of things, like the Michael Jackson trial, the O.J. Simpson trial, the Los Angeles riots and I think the Casey Anthony release is going to go in there, too.

HUBER: Yes. I think so, Jane. I`ve been very fortunate in my career to photograph some pretty significant events of history. One is the space shuttle program for 30 years. And actually, Tony and I have covered a number of these things together. It was kind of neat to actually do this, having Tony and myself because we`ve known each other for many years.

And we were talking about it that it`s a -- an event that we will remember, that we documented those moments in time when she made -- when Casey Anthony and Jose Baez left the jail.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tony, were you nervous? Were you nervous, oh, my gosh, I`m not going to get that shot. You only had 15 seconds.

Let`s show the video of her walking out again. And these people are really good at what they do. You cannot miss a frame. If you miss a frame, you are in big trouble, right, Tony?

ZUMBADO: You`re as good as your last shot. So I had butterflies in my stomach. But, you know, working with Red and being next to him, he mellows you out, because we talk to each other. He knows that building much better than I did. So he gave me some intel of the building, of how the door opened up, maybe how fast the timing would be. And how much time we would have.

So we kind of talked ourselves through the shot. And we took the position. We both discussed where we should stand because we were not allowed to move or follow her out. But we also talked between ourselves. I said to Red that look if something does happen outside, we are responsible for whatever might happens. God forbid we`re going to have to cross the line here. Red basically just looked at me and said we`ll do that when the time comes if it comes.

But, you know, it was an important shot, and you want to start rolling -- you know, I wanted to get the clock, too, which, you know, detailed the exact moment that she came out. And that was 11 after midnight. So I was focusing on the clock with one eye and looking at the door with the other one. As soon as I saw through the glass door -- of the door that there was motion, I panned from the actual clock that is in the lobby to the door. And Jose was the first face that came out.

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me tell you something, I`ve been there. That stuff isn`t easy. It`s not just about pressing a button. It`s a lot more difficult than that.

Desiree, Florida, your question or thought. Do you have anything to ask these two gentlemen?

DESIREE, FLORIDA (via telephone): Hi, how are you doing, Jane?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Fine.

DESIREE: I`m a big fan.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

DESIREE: I just had a -- I just had a question -- not a question. I just -- you know, something`s been bothering me.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Go ahead.

DESIREE: And, you know, I don`t know if it`s just me or a bunch of other people.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tell us.

DESIREE: We, as a society, I think, are feeding her sick, you know, warped personality by all this publicity. And I know it`s the issue of what she did and everything is horrendous. It`s what she did -- you have time with me -- what she did was wrong.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Desiree, we have a couple of seconds. Red, just briefly reflect on that because a lot of people feel like we are turning her collectively as a society into a star. Did you have any qualms about that, taking that photo? And we only have a few seconds.

HUBER: No. I`m there to document the event. And we have to continue to do that, to document, to show our readers, our viewers that moment in time. You have to be focused on that -- you can`t not do that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you gentlemen did an excellent job. I was there, I saw you and congratulations; job well done. Thank you for joining us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASEY ANTHONY, ACQUITTED OF DAUGHTER`S MURDER: I just wanted to let everyone know that I`m sorry for what I did. I take complete and full responsibility for my actions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is disgusting. The baby -- what about her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee. Justice for Caylee. Justice for Caylee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As to the charge of first-degree murder, verdict as to count one, we, the jury, find the defendant not guilty. Not guilty.

Not guilty.

CASEY ANTHONY: I have no clue where she is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure you do.

CASEY ANTHONY: If I knew, in any sense, where she was, this wouldn`t have happened at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And a new outrage this morning as media outlets across the country picked up on a report by the reputable "Hollywood Reporter" that Casey Anthony was shopping a huge TV interview deal. The report said Casey has teamed up with the LA production company Scott Sternberg Productions in order to sell the rights to an exclusive TV interview; the rumored payout -- anywhere between $500,000 to $750,000.

Well, guess what; we talked to the production company and they are flat-out denying that. Saying they have absolutely no deal with Casey Anthony, period, end of story. So we want to debunk that.

However, the "Hollywood Reporter", we called them back and they say they`re standing by their story. So what`s all this about? Is Casey shopping a TV deal -- if not with that production company, some other way? We know she likes to talk. Remember this?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASEY ANTHONY: Can someone let me -- come on.

CINDY ANTHONY, MOTHER OF CASEY ANTHONY: Casey, hold on, sweetheart. Settle down, baby.

CASEY ANTHONY: Nobody`s letting me speak. You want me to talk, then, give me three seconds to say something.

CINDY ANTHONY: All right. I`ll listen. Go, sweetheart.

CASEY ANTHONY: I`m not in control over any of this, because I don`t know what the hell`s going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But whether or not Casey is shopping her story, this case is still so riveting to so many of us.

I often sat in court with reporter Robyn Walensky during the Casey Anthony Trial. She just wrote this amazing book, must-read, "Beautiful Life". Ok. That, of course, stands for "Bella Vita" which was the tattoo that Casey had on her body that she got after her daughter disappeared, and we now know was already dead.

There it is, "bella vita" and the prosecutors of course, pointed to that saying, who on earth would get a tattoo that says "beautiful life" when their daughter had just gone missing and/or died.

The CSI behind the Casey Anthony trial and your observations from courtroom seat number one, Robyn; you`ve got some news to break here. You talked to a lot of cops who worked on this case. Tell me how you discovered Casey`s not guilty verdict is now, today, affecting cops when making arrests in the Orlando area.

ROBYN WALENSKY, ANCHOR & REPORTER, THE BLAZE: Well, Jane, first of all, thank you so much for having me on the program. I have to tell you that I went one on one with the Orange County Sheriff`s Office detectives and CSIs, who investigated the murder of Caylee for three years. And I have to tell you that currently I was down in Orlando about a week or so ago and some of them, quite frankly, who are back out on the streets, dealing with the public, they are getting, you know, the -- well, you didn`t do such a great job. You got a not guilty verdict.

So I think that it makes their jobs going forward very difficult, that the fact that the jury found her not guilty. And I remember, and you do too, sitting there and hearing not guilty, not guilty, not guilty. I think that the officers who spent three years of their lives investigating this, boy, oh, boy, that was a huge blow.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, they got a point. While the cops spent huge amounts of money searching for a little girl, who it turns out was already dead and dumped around the corner from where Casey lived, cops ignored the one really good tip which came from meter reader Roy Kronk, who told them, very early into the case, that he saw something suspicious right near the Anthony home. And maybe it`s her.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

ROY KRONK, METER READER: I`m in the wooded area down by the school. I need you like now. I just found a human skull.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Robyn Walensky, what did Detective Melich tell you about that famous grilling?

WALENSKY: Right. Well, Jane, in the book, I asked him point-blank, you know, how would you have done in that room, 45 minutes, being grilled by him, a seasoned, veteran detective? 45 minutes, she never went to the bathroom, never asked for a drink of water. And he tells me in "Beautiful Life", Uri Melich, that he would not have held up at 22 years old, under the grilling, where he says to her, you`re either some -- this was either some sort of accident or you`re a monster, which is it? And he says he wouldn`t have held up, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to go to the phone lines. We`ve got Julia in Kentucky. Your question or thought, Julia?

JULIA, KENTUCKY (via telephone): My comment is I would absolutely buy any book that was written about Casey Anthony. If Casey decides to talk, I would definitely buy that book, and I think money should go to Casey.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, that`s not going to happen, Holly Hughes, because she owes the state of California or some jurisdictions within it a lot of money, because she was convicted of lying. And as a result, they are charging her for all these searches that they did based on her lies, Holly.

HOLLY HUGHES, ATTORNEY: Absolutely. And she`s going to have to pay that back. You know we all love the judge, Melvin -- you know, Belvin Perry, excuse me -- and he issued the order. And he said, yes, for the cost of the investigation, insofar as you lied, and you said she was missing. And so, up to the point when her body was discovered, you have to pay that back.

So Casey may get paid and she can, under our laws. She was acquitted of the murder. So if she tells her story, there`s nothing to prevent her from making that money, but she`s going to have to pay it back to the state of Florida.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Robyn Walensky, 10 seconds, do you know where she is? She`s in hiding.

WALENSKY: She`s in hiding, but she`s in Orange County. And I want to mention this, because she has to check in with her probation officer, Jane, on the four counts of lying to cops. I`m donating the proceeds of my book to the Orange County Sheriff`s Office Children`s Charity. And in the spring we`re going to be fingerprinting children with the money from the proceeds of my book. Trying to give back to the community because originally little Caylee was a missing child, not a murdered child.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I want to say you`re a great reporter, you`re a great author. I wish you the best of luck with your book. You and I sat in the courtroom together. We became friends watching that extraordinary case. And your book is amazing to read -- "Beautiful Life". Check it out, people.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CASEY ANTHONY: I just want to let everyone know that I`m sorry for what I did. Sorry --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Justice for Caylee. Justice for Caylee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Miss Anthony, you have 30 days to appeal this sentence.

JUDGE BELVIN PERRY, PRESIDED OVER CASEY ANTHONY TRIAL: I`m also well aware of the threats.

CASEY ANTHONY: Can someone let me -- come on.

CINDY ANTHONY: If it can bring some closure and some peace to people, then we`ll be doing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to go out to Representative Jose Diaz, who`s a member of the Florida House of Representatives and he is pushing a Caylee`s law.

Representative Diaz, thank you so much for joining us; tell us what your Caylee`s Law -- Caylee`s Law would do. Thank you, sir.

REP. JOSE DIAZ, FLORIDA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Thank you for having me. It`s a pleasure being here.

And like so many Americans, I was watching the verdict last week. I was shocked to see those three consecutive "not guilty". I`m a father of a 1-year-old and really struck at my core.

So immediately, I went to work with Scott Plakon from Orlando, another legislator, and we crafted a piece of legislation that we filed almost immediately.

It has three parts. The first is it creates an affirmative duty to report the disappearance of a child under the age of 12, so long as you have knowledge of that disappearance and so long as you can call the police.

Additionally, it creates a felony and a duty to report the death of a child. You have to let authorities know within a couple of hours to preserve the body so that they can actually investigate the cause of the death.

And then finally, one of the most shocking things was seeing that this obstruction of justice, which caused such damage in this case, a mother who did not report the death of her child for 31 days and in the meantime, lied to the cops. We`ve actually created an escalator that actually makes it a felony to obstruct that type of investigation of the disappearance or the death of a child.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think that`s -- it makes a lot of sense. There are critics who say we have enough laws. We should just make some of the existing laws felonies, but I think something has to be done. It`s absolutely outrageous that you can go for 31 days and not say anything about your child being missing and/or accidentally drowned and/or dead in some way shape or form and essentially nothing happens to you except four counts of lying to cops.

Let`s listen to what Sergeant Allen had to say about this whole allegation that George is a molester. Check it out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. JOHN ALLEN, ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE: We never conclude who Caylee`s father was. With respect to the sexual abuse allegations, the only thing that we have to indicate that there was any sexual abuse would be Casey`s word.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. The only thing that they had to show sexual molestation by George was Casey`s word. What do you think? You spent time with Casey Anthony. Do you think she`s a victim of molestation by her father or her brother?

RICHARD GRUND, JESSE GRUND`S FATHER: I believe that somebody did something at some time. Her patterns in her life indicate that to me as a minister. Who did it, I don`t know. And to accuse somebody without any evidence of documentation, it seems like between the investigators and the jurors, everybody is talking but Casey.

END