Innocent Until Proven Guilty

Some commentators, including attorneys and judges, on cable and network television have stated that the jury did not declare Casey Anthony "innocent." They only declared her "not guilty" on the murder, manslaughter and aggravated child abuse charges. These talking heads insinuated that this meant Casey Anthony could or should still be considered guilty.


Excuse me, but under our system of law the accused is considered innocent until proven guilty. Neither she nor her defense attorneys had any obligation to prove her innocence. Likewise, the jury's duty was not to declare her innocent. Their only duty was to review the evidence presented against the requirements of the law and make a determination as to whether or not the prosecution had successfully proven her guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The jury's decision that she was not proven guilty as charged means that continues to be innocent of murder, manslaughter and child abuse, according to the law. If we are a nation of laws, then we as a society have an obligation to accept the jury's decision and treat Casey as innocent of those charges.

If Casey is treated equally under the law, the judge will release her tomorrow on the charges (lying to law enforcement) for which she was found guilty. These misdemeanor charges carry a maximum sentence of one year each. The judge has the discretion to have these sentences served concurrently or consecutively.

Casey has been jailed without bail for nearly three years. She had no prior arrest record before the disappearance of Caylee. (She did plead guilty and was sentenced to time served and probation for the theft of a friend's checkbook that occurred after Caylee disppeared.) Typically, offenders without criminal history are not given the maximum sentence, and they would be served concurrently. Therefore, Casey should be released for time served. She should not be given a harsher sentence than any other offender because we would like her to be punished for Caylee Anthony's death. Whether we agree or disagree with the jury's decision, Casey is innocent of Caylee's death under the law and must not be selected for extra punishment for these misdemeanors.

As I wrote in my last post, I do not know who killed Caylee Anthony, if anyone, or how she died. According to the jury, neither does the State of Florida. As a Floridian, I am relieved that we will not put her to death, and I say that as a strong supporter of the death penalty.

Casey should be allowed to go free and start to rebuild her life. I sincerely hope she will get treatment for her obvious psychological problems. As her attorney Jose Bias said in his remarks to the press yesterday, she needs to grieve and heal. I hope the whole family goes into family therapy because they have all been traumatized and the fractures in their family dynamics were plain to see as each appeared on the witness stand.

As a Christian, I believe there is One who knows exactly what happened to Caylee Anthony. If her death was not accidental, God knows who the perpetrator is and will deal with him or her accordingly. Paul admonishes us not to seek revenge in Romans 12:19: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay,' saith the Lord." Because of my faith, I know that Caylee Anthony will receive justice eventually, if she died at the hands of someone else. It is my obligation, as a Christian, to pray for repentance and salvation for anyone involved in Caylee's death.

Of course, many people are angry. Already, Casey's family has had to go into hiding due to death threats received yesterday after the verdict. This  anger should be redirected from Casey and her family to the State Attorney's office, the Orange County Sheriff's office, and the Orange County Coroner or Medical Examiner's office. They flubbed the case, as the defense showed. As tempers calm and reason comes back into play, I hope Orange County residents will insist on thorough investigations and consequences for the errors made in the search for, examination of and prosecution of Caylee's death.

Is Casey Anthony Quilty of First Degree Murder?

After watching a fair amount of the trial and all of the closing arguments, including the prosecution's rebuttal, I am glad I am not a member of Casey Anthony's jury. After yesterday's closing arguments, I was convinced there was enough reasonable doubt to void a quilty verdict for first degree murder. Today, I am not so sure.

Until today, I did not know that there are two types of first degree murder. One is premeditated; the other is called felony murder. Premeditation is not always a condition for a first degree murder verdict. Felony murder comes into play if a death is the result of other actions such as aggravated child abuse, when actions not intended to kill but which are egregious or dangerous enough that the victim dies.

All along, I have speculated that Casey Anthony may have used chloroform to sedate her daughter when Casey wanted to party or be with her boyfriend. The duct tape may have been used to keep her cries from being heard by passersby if she was left in a car in a parking lot. Little Cayle may have died when Casey accidentally gave her too much chloroform or Cayle aspirated her own vomit because her mouth was taped shut, which could cause her to drown in her own fluids. I have never believed Casey intended to kill Cayle and panicked when it happened.

As a result, I have suspected that political or career ambitions on the part of prosecutors entered into the decision to make this high-profile case a first degree murder case. Second degree murder or manslaughter made more sense to me, especially since we do not know the exact manner of Cayle's death nor the time of death.

Casey was not well-represented by her attorney, Jose Bias. Amazingly, this is Bias' first capital murder trial. If my life was hanging in the balance, I sure would not want my lawyer cutting his trial teeth on my case. His inexperience showed throughout the trial in various missteps that resulted in most prosecution objections being sustained and most of his objections being rejected by the judge.

Still, Bias was able to raise a number of issues that could cause reasonable doubt in the minds of jurors. He also blew a lot of hot air up their skirts and trousers. As much as the jury is ready to go home, I expect their deliberations to take some time, and I will be surprised if they come back with a first degree conviction. If I were on the jury, I know I could convict on manslaughter, child abuse, obstruction of justice and lying to law enforcement officers. I am not so sure about second degree murder or aggravated child abuse.

However, this is the wonder of the justice system our founding fathers created. A jury of peers comes together to look at and hear all of the evidence before rendering their verdict. Whether the jury comes back with the same verdict I think I could vote for does not matter. I will accept and trust the jury's decision. Watching this courtroom drama unfold was not how I had planned to spend this 4th of July weekend, however I think it was a uniquely appropriate way to celebrate our nation's birthday.

One thing is certain. Casey Anthony is a liar, perhaps a pathological liar. The trial made it clear where she learned this skill -- from her parents. Neither her father nor mother were credible witnesses in my eyes. Yet, I have sympathy for both of them, especially her mother. Silly as her testimony was, Cindy tried desperately to cover for her daughter's internet searches for chloroform. As a woman, I can understand her desire to protect her child. For their sakes, I hope the jury does not bring back a death penalty recommendation if they do convict Casey of first degree murder.

The Florida Times-Union Has Lost Its Mind

The Florida Times-Union’s management has lost its collective mind. They want to charge readers up to $72.28 per year for the new TV Weekly. This is scheduled to replace the weekly TV schedule that has been included in the Friday paper at no additional charge beginning June 5, 2011. If you are a subscriber, you can get it for as low as $34.84 per year with a 24-month subscription. This works out to 67¢ per week. Their promotional ads have the nerve to call this the “BEST DEAL” in bright red letters as though they were doing us subscribers a favor.

Well, this subscriber is not so gullible. After reviewing the free sample included in today’s Sunday paper, I went online to see what a subscription to TV Guide would cost. What I found at www.tvguide.com/magazine was a subscription rate of $16.50 for 56 issues if you paid immediately by credit card or $16.50 for 48 issues if you wanted them to bill you. For credit card payers, that works out to only 29¢ per issue or a savings of 38¢ every week over the best offer for the Times-Union’s TV Weekly. TV Guide’s format is very similar to TV Weekly’s and TV Guide has made major improvements in its coverage of daytime and local stations. Plus TV Guide has more extensive editorial content. In other words, I can get a better product for substantially less. That’s a no-brainer for any savvy consumer who wants a paper TV program schedule. (Yes, I know I can check the current schedule on the TV itself or online. However, I like to know ahead of time what is going to be on so I can plan my schedule accordingly.)

So, I immediately subscribed to the TV Guide to save $18.34 per year for a paper television schedule. That is not the only savings I will be enjoying. The only reason I subscribed to the Friday-Saturday-Sunday (weekend) package of the Times-Union was to get the TV schedule that came in the Friday paper. Now, I can go back to a Sunday-only subscription for the coupons. This will reduce my subscription cost from $12.79 to $8.54 per month, a savings of $51 per year. Even after deducting the cost of the TV Guide, I will save $34.50 a year.

It really pleases me that I can reduce the money I give the Times-Union after their support and active promotion of Alvin Brown for Mayor. If it were not for the shopping coupons I use from the Sunday paper, I would cancel my subscription all together. (And, yes, I know I could get coupons online but then I have to pay for the ink and paper to print them out. Plus, it costs a lot more time to find them than clipping coupons from the paper while I watch TV.)

Tomorrow, May 21, 2011, Will NOT Be the End of the World or the Rapture

Many are abuzz with the prediction made by Harold Camping that the Rapture will happen tomorrow, May 21, 2011, at 6 p.m. Some media erroneously say that Camping has predicted the End of the World because they do not understand that there is a difference between the two events.

Just in case you or any of your friends or family are worried about tomorrow, let me reassure you. Better, trust Jesus Himself that neither the Rapture nor the End of the World will happen tomorrow.

How can I be so sure? Easy. The Bible tells me so. In Matthew 24:36 Jesus tells his followers, "No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come--neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows." The day and hour this passage refers to is the return of the Son of Man, often referred to as the Rapture when the Lord comes to catch his followers--first, the dead; then, the living--up to heaven.

The day and time of this event is so privileged that only the Father knows it. You talk about top secret information. The Father has not even shared it with His beloved Son. And, Harold Camping thinks he is privy to it?! I would bust out laughing at the very idea if such predictions were not so harmful.

All Camping and his followers have done is hold Christians and Christianity up for ridicule and derision by unbelievers. Some mentally unstable people might be so frightened that they harm themselves or others. Others who are searching for a spiritual way may be disillusioned and persuaded to give it up when nothing happens out of the ordinary tomorrow. Weak or new Christians, who may not know enough about Bible prophecy yet, may lose their way.

The Rapture, a seven-year period of severe tribulation and a world leader worse than anything the world has ever seen, the last batte of Armageddon, and the end of the present world are all coming. The Rapture could happen in the next 30 seconds, 30 minutes, 30 hours, 30 days, 30 weeks, 30 years...Nobody knows when.

There is nothing left that has to happen before the Rapture, according to Bible prophecy. From my studies of Scripture and observations of world events, I agree with those who expect the Rapture to come sooner rather than later. Jesus told His followers, "Let the fig tree teach yo a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summe is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin..." (Matthew 24:32-33)

What are "these things" Jesus is referring to as signs for His believers that the season of His reappearance is near? He details them in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. They include:

• Impersonators of Jesus or false Messiahs who mislead many
• Wars and rumors of war
• Ethnic strife and revolutions
• Famines and plagues
• Earthquakes everywhere
• Persecution and hatred of Christians, even from their own family members and friends
• Falling away of the faithful
• Dissension and betrayal among Christian believers
• Practicing Christianity becomes a capital offense
• Many false prophets who fool many people
• Love will grow cold due to the spread of evil
• The Gospel of Christ preached worldwide
• Especially difficult times for pregnant women and the mothers of young children
• Strange and terrifying things coming from the sky
• Strange phenomena happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars
• Roaring seas and raging tides causing despair among nations
• Heavenly bodies driven fom their normal courses

Sounds pretty scary, huh? Or, it sounds like the nightly news. I have many friends who can no longer bear to watch the news on television or read the newspaper. They tell me it is just too depressing, upsetting and frightening.

Should you be afraid when you see these things happening? Well, the Gospel is from the Greek word for "good news." So, no, Jesus told His followers, "When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvaton is near" (Luke 21:28). If you are a believer in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then rest confident in His Love and Mercy. Be glad and rejoice that you may have the privilege of seeing with your own eyes what generations of believers have hoped to experience. What a great and glorious day that will be when "the Son of Man will appear coming in a cloud with great power and glory" (Luke 21:27) "like the lightning which flashes across the whole sky from the east to the west" (Matthew 24:27).

If you are not yet a believer, then His harvest is still ongoing. It is not too late, even if the time is drawing near. You, too, can look forward to His return if you sincerely repent of your sins, seek His forgiveness, and accept the gift of His Love and Mercy. He stands at the door of your heart, knocking. God is such a respector of your free will that the handle to open that door in on your side, not His. All you have to do is use that handle and open your heart to Him. Jesus and His Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Maranatha. (Come, Lord Jesus.)

Election of Alvin Brown: "Yes, Massa; No, Massa"

Jacksonville, Florida elected Alvin Brown as its mayor on Tuesday. He is the city's first black mayor. Today's Florida Times-Union screamed "Historic Election" on its frontpage.

In the accompanying articles, many expressed their expectations of "change" for the city. Where have we heard that before? Ah, yes, Obama promised transformative change for the nation. God help our city if we experience that kind of change here. The bad news for those expecting change in Jacksonville by voting for Alvin Brown for mayor is, in reality, they were snookered into voting for more of the same old, same old. They will be sorely disappointed in the next four years.

For decades, Jacksonville has been run as a plantation by a clubby group of local businessmen, landowners and developers. Whatever they wanted, they got. They owned City Hall. I once overheard a discussion between several of this group in which one of them expressed regrets that the "natives were getting restless" and it was getting "harder to manage the plantation."

If any politician, mayor or councilmember, dared to defy them, this group financed and backed their replacement. Few dared such defiance, and even fewer survived in office if they did. One of those who did stand up to this group on occasion was Mike Hogan, Brown's Republican opponent in the mayoral race.

Jacksonville's powerbrokers were horrified when Hogan won the primary in May. Their support was split between Rick Mullaney and Audrey Moran, although the bulk went to the latter. That was a strategic mistake that allowed Brown to squeek by Moran for second place. Even Brown's supporters were surprised that his mobilization of the black vote gained the prize of a run-off against Hogan.

So, what did the majority of Jacksonville's Republican (in name only) plantation owners do? They decided to back Democrat Alvin Brown. Led by Pete Rummell, a former St. Joe Paper executive, the group of thirty or so business leaders poured money into Brown's campaign coffers. They did so because Brown, unlike Hogan, promised to watch out for their interests, especially the development of downtown Jacksonville.

For decades now, this group has promoted downtown over the interests of other neighborhoods and needs in the city. Thanks to them, we have the mostly riderless Skyway Express, the shopperless Jacksonville Landing, the businessless LaVilla section, the workerless office buildings, the dinerless restaurants, the walkerless sidewalks, the readerless Main Library, the conventioneerless Prime Osborn Convention Center, the winless Jacksonville Jaguars and the residentless condo high-rises in downtown Jacksonville.

A few weeks ago, I had an appointment at a doctor's office in LaVilla. Riding through downtown, even I was shocked at how dead downtown was at 10 a.m. Almost the only people I saw were the homeless. Yet, we have the monuments to this gang of thirty's skewed priorities of the Baseball Grounds and Everbank Field that sit vacant most days and the money pit of the new County Courthouse under construction.

Those of us who think other areas and other priorities -- like jobs, the port, transportation, taxes and small businesses -- deserve City Hall's attention saw hope for change in Hogan. He promised to give downtown no more (and no less) attention than other neighborhoods around the city. In other words, he was willing to buck the plantation's owners.

Unfortunately, the owners whipped Hogan. They showed him, Brown, and all the other politicians in Jacksonville that they better not dare to buck the plantation system. Brown is completely beholden to these plantation owners. When they tell him to do or not do something, he had better answer "Yes, massa" or "No, massa" if he wants to keep his new job.

Senate Bill S.679: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Senator Chuck Schumer (Dem-NY) has introduced Senate Bill S.679. It has an appealing title:
"Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011." Now, we are all for efficiency in and streamlining government, right? Not so fast.
 
Article II, Section 2.2 of the U.S. Constitution states the President has the power "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate" to appoint "Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States." This section also allows the Congress to allow certain "inferior Officers" to be appointed without the Senate's "Advice and Consent," which they have done.
 
However, S.679 is the most sweeping granting of absolute appointment power to the President in history. Examples are many Assistant Secretaries of the various departments, the Director of the Mint, DIRECTOR OF THE WOMEN’S BUREAU, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE FOR DOMESTIC PREPAREDNESS, CHIEF SCIENTIST of the NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, etc. It affects every federal department as well as many government commissions and corporations (e.g., COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, National Council on Disability, etc.). I counted at least 83 separate appointees who would no longer require the Senate's approval. Not included in this total are an unknown number of members of boards, commissions, and officer corps for Public Health and N.O.A.A. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
 
Why would senators want to relieve themselves of their "advice and consent" responsibilities and turn these powers over to the exclusive use of the President? Are they too lazy to do their jobs? Or, is their intent more nefarious? Is this consolidation of power in the Executive Branch be an attempt to ramrod radical leftists into positions of power who would not be able to pass the smell test of the background investigation that is part of the "advice and consent" process?
 
The answer can be found in Section 3 of S.679: WORKING GROUP ON STREAMLINING PAPERWORK FOR EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS. This group would consist of designated government bureaucrats to produce a report in 90 days for the President and Senate to find ways to simplify and speed up the required background checks for Presidential appointees. Among its provisions, it calls for this group to "assess the feasibility of using personnel other than Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel" to conduct these background checks. The group is also required to consider allowing varying standards for the extent of these investigations "depending on the nature of the position for which the individual is being considered."
 
This is the real crux and danger of S.679. President Obama has been frustrated by the Senate's rejection of a number of his appointees because they could not pass F.B.I. background checks, which is a requirement for White House and government officer positions. Senate Republicans have forced the withdrawal of or blocked the appointments of several radical leftists to crucial positions. The President, in many cases, has circumvented the "advice and consent" of the Senate by appointing more so-called "czars" than any other previous President.
 
Schumer and his Democratic colleagues who are sponsoring this Senate bill are deliberately consolidating power to the President to circumvent the historical separation of powers our founding fathers so wisely wrote into the Constitution. S.679 is a very dangerous piece of legislation that will undermine the balance of power that has been the foundation of our Republic.
 
This bill reminds me of what happened in ancient Rome. Caesar undermined and diminished the role of the Roman Senate until they became powerless and corrupt puppets. As a result, the Roman Republic evolved into an Empire headed by dictators with absolute power. The Democrats might like this to happen to our country. Is this what you want? If not, write your Senators today to oppose with vigor S.679.

Thank You, Jesus: Osama Bin Laden Is Dead

And thank you, Navy Seals for your courage, bravery and skills in accomplishing your mission. Thank you, President George W. Bush for authorizing waterboarding and other interrogation techniques that made this intelligence actionable. Thank you, all who worked in the various intelligence services who analyzed and developed the information that made this raid possible. And, yes, thank you, President Barack Hussein Obama for ordering this raid that led to the death of Osama Bin Laden, one of history's most horrible men.

Last night, I was watching Geraldo Rivera on Fox News. I had planned to watch House Hunters on HGTV at 10 p.m., but at the last minute, I decided to switch to Geraldo. I am so glad I did. About ten minutes into the program, it was announced that the President would be making a statement to the American people soon. This is highly unusual on a Sunday night. Like Geraldo, I knew immediately something big, even alarming, was happening.

Geraldo and other commentators started speculating as to what it would be. Had we or NATO taken out Gaddafi? Were we taking action against Syria in support of their rebels? Was there something going on with the tornado recovery operations? The latter was quickly discounted as not warranting action late on Sunday night. Gaddafi was more likely.

Then, Geraldo asked, what if it is even bigger -- much bigger -- than Gaddafi? Could it be they got Osama Bin Laden? This was about ten minutes before the first reports from the Associated Press and others started coming in that it was indeed news about Osama Bin Laden. Geraldo's reporting instincts, honed by years of experience, had nailed it.

Like most Americans, I had a whole range of emotions in the next few hours as I watched the President's announcement and the coverage after it. Thank you, Jesus, were the first words out of my mouth, especially after hearing no American troops died in the operation. I felt elation and pride in America, especially our military. I felt joy and satisfaction, especially for the families of 9/11 victims who have waited almost ten years for this. I also felt concern because I know there are still jihadists who will seek revenge through acts of terrorism or attacks on our troops deployed around the world. As CIA Director Leon Panetta wrote in a memo that congratulated the agency for its role in the operation, "Bin Laden is dead. Al-Qaida is not."
Today, as I have heard and read more reports with the details of the raid, I have to add anger to my reaction. There is no way Pakistani military and government officials did not know where Osama Bin Laden was living. His compound was "less than a kilometer away from Pakistan's Military Academy at Kakul." This is their version of our West Point. According to other articles, the area was favored Pakistan military retirees and professionals. Pakistan has a lot to answer for in harboring Osama Bin Laden.

Finally, I feel relief that the Navy disposed of his body at sea. No one can build a shrine at his grave. Shark bait is a fitting earthly end to this despicable excuse for a human being. I am relieved that Osama Bin Laden did not surrender peacefully. I am glad the Seals did not capture him to bring him back for trial. What a nightmare that would have been. I leave it to God to deal with Osama Bin Laden's soul as he deserves. But I admit I hope that, instead of the 72 virgins jihadists are suppose to get in heaven, it will include 7200 demons to torture him in Hell for the rest of eternity.

Sources:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_bin_laden
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/08599206906900
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_bin_laden_sea_burial