Reader Reaction: Casey Anthony

The Legal Corner offered its  a Pinellas County jury reached in the trial of Casey Anthony.

The Orlando mother accused of murdering her daughter was found not guilty, which shocked and surprised some.

Anthony was sentenced to four years in Orange County jail for lying to investigators, Judge Belvin Perry said Thursday.

Here are some thoughts Clearwater Patchreaders shared about the outcome.

On Facebook:

“The only thing that failed in this case was the Prosecution to provide evidence. No evidence; No conviction....it is just that simple,” Candie Mouchet said.

“Good to get an attorney's perspective on things. I agree with what this person is saying for the most part. However, the thing that is scary to me is the thought of her being guilty and free and having another child someday. She wouldn't be the first killer set free to kill again! Of course it would have been ideal for Caylee to have some justice as well,” Diane Ruiz said.

Other readers shared their thoughts in comments at the end of the column:

"How can a women not report that her 2 year old child has gone missing for 31 days! That alone constitutes neglect and child endangerment! Casey Anthony should be looking at charges for this selfish act of neglect. This case has made a mockery out of motherhood and left us wondering why she is walking away without being charged with neglect that directly caused the death of a child. This women put her needs to party and have fun over the need to report a missing child. This proves to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that she knew her daughter was dead! The sad thing is: There is no justice for Caylee," Debra Burnett said.

“Well, in this case its an idiotic and illogical way of thinking. There was plenty of evidence. Murder aside - If a child accidentally drowns in a pool, and the parent does not report it - that mother goes free?? There is no penalty for that? Yet if I accidentally drive my car into some bushes - No one sees it happen; the cop comes and I tell him that my gas pedal got stuck it wasnt my fault; I still get a careless driving ticket because all the cop sees are damaged bushes and a dented car, and thats enough to give me my ticket. She lied her way out of 1st deg murder, her parents and shotty police work aided that, but to get out of child abuse and neglect is absurd!!” GP said.

“How is it possible to find 12 people in one room stupid enough to think she is not guilty -- how do you account for all her lies and the 31 days Caylee was missing? Oh, please don't forget about the partying and the tatoo that so completely told the world exactly how she felt about Caylee!!!” r said. 

“I agree that she is not innocent. I agree that she did something to her daughter. I agree that it was horrifying to hear those words 'not guilty.' It flys in the face of everything we think we know about this case. With that said, I think people need to turn their anger on the prosecution in this case and not the jury. The prosecutor was overzealous in his charges against Casey. How did he expect to prove murder when no 'where, when or how' were presented? The prosecution should have included some lesser offenses for the jury to consider. The prosecution, in my opinion, was relying on feelings of the 'court of public opinion' where most everyone I know believes Casey is guilty of at least something. The jury is held to a higher standard than us mere mortals who sit here and watch all of the media coverage. And, be honest, we are influenced by what we hear in the media. Remember, they can only go by what's presented to them in Court. They do not get the benefit (or consequence!) of the rest of it. I'm really sorry it turned out this way. No mother should ever dump her child in the woods like trash, accident or not. No one, and I mean no one, would ever convince me to do that to my child, ever.” Linda said.