The judge in the Casey Anthony murder trial is urging the Legislature to pass a law protecting juror names from open records law in high-profile cases.
“The Legislature must examine whether an exemption barring release of jurors’ names, albeit limited to specific, rare cases, is needed in order to protect the safety and well-being of those citizens willing to serve,” Judge Belvin Perry with the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court wrote in an opinion released Wednesday responding to a request from the media for jurors names.
Perry said he is going to release juror names after October 25, but expressed his concern for the safety of the jurors, citing angry protesters and the fate of one juror who had to flee the state and retire early due to animosity from co-workers.
The jury voted to acquit Anthony, which led to considerable public outcry.
Perry isn’t the only one wanting the Legislature to respond to the Anthony case. Many lawmakers have already filed bills related to the case, including one (HB 51) by Rep. Scott Randolph, D-Orlando, that would prevent jurors from profiting from a case for a certain amount of time afterward
Other proposed laws deal with making it a felony for a parent or guardian not to report a child missing or a child’s death promptly.
