Casey Anthony’s defense team filed a motion on Friday, April 16th with the Orange County Court to have presiding Judge Stan Strickland removed from the case claiming that their client “cannot receive a fair trial before this judge”.
Jose Baez and Cheney Mason, attorney’s for Casey, charge that Judge Strickland has developed a personal relation with a journalist/blogger, Mr. Dave Knechel, known also as “Marinade Dave” who has blogged extensively on the case, most of which favor the prosecution.
According to the defense motion, Judge Strickland on one occasion in court recognized “Marinade Dave”, asked him to approach the bench and told him that he (the judge) admired his writings and “thought him to be fair, posting the best blogs that he had read on the internet”.
The motion also claims that, more recently, when “Marinade Dave” was hospitalized on account of an illness, Judge Strickland called him “to express his personal concern for his well-being.” The defense further claims that this relationship was never disclosed to them and only came to light when an investigator working for their team interviewed “Marinade Dave” on Sunday, April 11, 2010.
According to the defense team, “the approval by Judge Strickland of “Marinade Dave” blogs is incomparable and chilling at a minimum as to the Defendant’s expectation of a fair trial.”
Given the “judge’s activities and relationship with blogging”, the Anthony defense team wants Judge Strickland disqualified from presiding over Tot Mom’s case, as they fear she cannot receive a fair trial.
Casey Anthony, who sits in an Orange County jail is charged with first degree murder in the death of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. If convicted she could face the death penalty.
Justice for Caylee may be further delayed in light of Friday’s motion to remove Judge Strickland from the case.
But justice delayed may not necessarily mean justice denied for this helpless child who was murdered and whose body was dumped like trash in the woods not far from the Anthony family home.
Anthony’s first degree murder trial has been set for May 2011.
