The judge who presided over Casey Anthony’s murder trial has not yet issued an order releasing the names of the 12 jurors who decided the case, nor has he said yet when he will. Anthony, who will be released Sunday after a jury found her not guilty of killing her two-year-old daughter, filed an appeal Friday to her conviction on charges of lying to law enforcement. Anthony’s trial ended 10 days ago. Judge Belvin Perry said last week he would consider a cooling-off period before releasing the jurors’ names. “We were sort of expecting to hear from him Monday or Tuesday by means of order,” said Alison Steele, who argued for the release on behalf of the St. Petersburg Times and who also represents The Poynter Institute, which owns the Times. “But when we called the court administrator to see if an order has been issued, he’s apparently taken off this week.”
Steele, a partner with Rahdert, Steele, Reynolds & Driscoll, said “allowing a period of time for jurors to get home, see their families, go to their jobs, that doesn’t seem completely unreasonable.” But the closest related case protected the names for a one-week period, which this case has now exceeded.
Though some news organizations know the jurors’ names, the media are seeking the information on the public’s behalf, and that’s what concerns the judge.
His concern was not the St. Pete Times and Orlando Sentinel, his concern was every person with an opinion may feel compelled to contact those jurors and tell them about it, while questioning their integrity or sanity.
Steele says she “would expect an order to be forthcoming early next week and if no order is forthcoming at that time then I would expect the media intervenors to take some action to get a ruling, whether that action is to ask Judge Perry for a ruling or to ask an appellate court for one.”
Perry could rule to immediately release the jurors’ names, to delay release further, or to seal them entirely.
Previously: Casey Anthony beat President Obama as week’s top newsmaker || ‘Not guilty’ verdict in Casey Anthony murder trial announced across news websites || ABC News has paid $215,000 for Casey Anthony scoops
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