Judge Rejects Casey Anthony Case Dismissal

A Florida judge has rejected a motion to dismiss the charges against Casey Anthony, who is facing first-degree murder charges for the death of her 2-year-old daughter. Circuit Judge Stan Strickland ruled that the motion did not meet the requirements needed for a dismissal.

The remains of Caylee Anthony were found in December 2008 in a wooded area near the home where she lived with her mother and grandparents.

In their motion to dismiss the charges, attorneys for Casey Anthony said they had discovered "substantial evidence" that Caylee's body was placed in the woods after Casey was incarcerated for other crimes.

The motion called the murder charges "circumstantial and speculative."

State prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick told judge Stickland that the defense motion was "insufficient and riddled with errors."

Fraud Trial Set for January

Before Casey was charged with the murder of her daughter, she was jailed on dozens of fraud and check forgery charges. She is accused of writing more than $662 on a friend's checking account.

The trial for Anthony's check fraud cases is scheduled for Jan. 25. A pre-trial hearing is set for Dec. 18. Prosecutors requested that the fraud trial be held prior to her murder trial.

The defense has requested that the fraud trial be moved out of Orange County.

The state is seeking the death penalty the murder case.

Although a gag order is in place in the case and no real news has broken in several weeks, the Caylee Anthony case continues to capture the public's interest. The case has prompted more than 9,000 posts in the Crime and Punishment Forum's Caylee Anthony Thread.

See Also:
Judge Won't Throw Out Casey Anthony Murder Charge

Background:
The Caylee Marie Anthony Case
Timeline of Early Events
9-1-1 Call Transcripts

Forum:
Discuss The Caylee Anthony Case

^{Photo: Family Photo}