ORLANDO, Fla (Reuters) – The Casey Anthony murder trial resumed on Friday following an unexpected recess called by the judge to allow defense attorney Jose Baez to investigate evidence that prosecutors planned to present.
Judge Belvin Perry recessed the trial for the morning after Baez asked for time to interview two prosecution witnesses the defense attorney said are providing new opinions on the autopsy of Casey's toddler daughter Caylee, whose skeletal remains were found in December 2008.
Casey, 25, is accused of smothering Caylee with duct tape on June 16, 2008 so she could "live the good life" free of the demands of motherhood. Prosecutors say Casey stored her 2-year-old daughter's body in her car trunk, then dumped it in woods near her home.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Casey could face the death penalty.
Jurors hearing the high-profile case have been sequestered in Orlando, Florida for more than six weeks, and Perry is pushing to get the case to them soon for deliberations so they can decide a verdict and go home.
Baez also told the judge he needed to interview computer experts who prosecutors contend will contradict the defense case, which wrapped up on Thursday without Casey being called to testify.
The judge told Baez he intended to verify for himself if the state's evidence was contained in earlier reports or was a surprise to the defense, as Baez maintains, thereby justifying a delay.
Prosecutor Jeff Ashton said the opinions were in the experts' original reports produced before the trial began.
"I don't want to read a report and find out" the information was known to the defense, Perry said. He implied he could impose a penalty "if I find out this is an imaginary problem."
QUESTIONS ON AUTOPSY
Ashton said the rebuttal testimony will contradict defense witnesses, including one who accused the prosecution's medical examiner of conducting "a shoddy autopsy" in which she neglected to open Caylee's skull.
One witness being called by prosecutors will testify that normal protocol for autopsies did not require Caylee's skull to be cut open, Ashton said.
The computer experts' testimony relates to prosecution evidence of an unusually large amount of chloroform, a once-popular anesthetic, found in Casey's trunk where prosecutors say she stored Caylee's body for several days.
To prove Caylee's murder was premeditated, computer experts previously testified someone in the Anthony home conducted Internet searches on the family desktop computer before Caylee's death for terms such as chloroform, how to make chloroform, neck-breaking, death, head injuries, internal bleeding and making weapons out of household products.
Casey's mother Cindy Anthony later surprised prosecutors by testifying for the defense that she was the one who searched for information on chloroform, although her job records indicated she was at work at the time. Cindy said she was a salaried employee who could come and go at will.
Cindy said she was trying to research information on her dog, who had been eating bamboo leaves and not feeling well. She said her search led her from chlorophyll to chloroform, as several types of chlorophyll can produce chloroform.
Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick told Perry the computer experts conducted a second examination of the desktop after Cindy's testimony, and will testify there is no sign the searches Cindy described were ever performed on the computer.
Burdick also obtained additional work records this week for Cindy, the contents of which the prosecutor is expected to reveal when the trial resumes.
Baez on Thursday told Perry he also planned to subpoena more of Cindy's work records, but they might not be available until next week due to the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Perry did not indicate how that would affect his desire to get the case to the jury this weekend.
(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Cynthia Johnston)
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