Chief Judge Belvin Perry on Thursday sentenced Casey Anthony to four years in jail for lying to law enforcement officers, charges on which she was convicted on Tuesday, when a 12-member jury acquitted her of murder charges in connection with the death of her 2-year-old daughter.
Casey, who walked into court before 9:00 a.m., wore a lavender sweater with her hair down, appearing very relaxed.
Casey’s defense argued that the four counts of lying to law enforcement should be treated as a single charge. But prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick argued that while the lies were told on the same day, July 16, 2008, each of the lies are material and sent law enforcement on a wild goose chase. “They are not a single criminal act,” Drane Burdick said.
Perry, in his ruling said, there are four separate and distinct lies which caused a great deal of financial resources, as well as time and energy to be expended.
Perry sentenced Casey Anthony to one year for each of the four counts, imposing a $1,000 fine on each of the count, for a total of $4,000.
“Just as the jury spoke loud and clear on counts one to three, they also spoke loud and clear on counts 4, 5, 6, and 7.” Perry said.
In imposing the sentence, Perry said, “All four counts (lying to law enforcement officers) to run consecutively giving you time you have previously served.”
Perry said that the task now is to figure out the credit for time that Casey has already served in the Orange County Jail and along with good time and gain time, she could be released in late July or early August.
On July 16, 2008, Casey told lead detective of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Yuri Melich, in three separate interviews that she was employed by Universal Studios; left her child at the Sawgrass apartments with a baby sitter named Zenaida Gonzales; informed two employees at Universal Studios of the disappearance of Caylee, and that she had spoken to her 2-year-old daughter by telephone around noon on July 15, 2008. These were the lies for which she was charged, knowing that Caylee had been dead for a month before on June 16, 2008.
The state is also seeking restitution from Casey Anthony for the cost of prosecution and investigation undertaken to find her “missing” child and a special hearing on this matter is set for August 25, 2011. Casey’s defense attorneys have waived her right to appear in court next month.
Caylee Marie Anthony’s skeletal remains were found in December 2008, six months after the child was likely murdered, in a wooded area near the Anthony family home off Suburban Drive in Orlando.
UPDATE:
Around 11:35 a.m. on Thursday, Karen Levy, public information officer of the Orange County court announced to reporters that Casey has been given credit for 1,043 days and will be released on July 13, 2011.
