Rush JIPs Casey Anthony VerdictJuly 5, 2011
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RUSH: Finally, finally they got a verdict in the Casey Anthony trial. Finally they're gonna announce the verdict at 2:15 this afternoon. (interruption) Am I going to JIP it? We haven't covered a syllable of it yet. Don't give me hand signals. I know every woman in the world is gonna be glued to that verdict. I understand. Kathryn's been watching this. I probably shouldn't admit this. Sitting here right now, I bet I don't know 2% of what this is about, and the 2% that I know I know 'cause I asked Kathryn while she's sitting there watching TV Sunday night. And I'm saying, "They had court on Sunday? They had court? I've never heard of this. Why?"
Then they had court yesterday, and then all last night that's all the cable networks did. And I'm sitting there and folks, it's not often I don't know something. Sitting here right now, I know nothing about this. I only have the thoughts when I look at the mother. (interruption) Well, 'cause I haven't been interested. I don't know. All I'm gonna tell you is there is some strange stuff that happens in Orlando, is all I can tell you. Some really weird stuff happens there in that town. Am I gonna JIP? I'll have to think about it. We'll make an executive decision. Of course that executive decision will be made by me as to whether or not we JIP the reading of the verdict.
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RUSH: Now, you're wrong, Snerdley, Fox has sent Geraldo Rivera in here, the grim reaper, which means that somebody's died, and the case does feature somebody who unfortunately has passed away. So it did make sense to Geraldo's covering the Casey Anthony case. Snerdley thinks that because Geraldo's already there, that we know what the verdict is, right? (laughing) We'll find out. There's any number of bits of evidence that indicate that.
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RUSH: So what does it mean when they come back with a verdict so soon? (interruption) What's that mean, "the knife slipped"? Guilty? It means the jury wants to go home? Okay. She did not testify in her own defense, right? So she didn't explain any of this stuff, and yet you figure people want to hear her version and she didn't give one, right? So you'd have to assume -- and also 'cause Geraldo is there, you'd have to assume guilty. Okay, so we already know the verdict so there's no need to JIP it. (laughing) (interruption) Don't tell me you want to, Snerdley! If we do this... I can't believe that I'm thinking about this. With all the debt ceiling stuff going on and all, I can't believe I'm even thinking of even doing this. (interruption)
I do know it is the most watched case since O.J. Simpson, but it hasn't had an impact on our ratings at all like the O.J. case did 'cause of the time zone difference. That O.J. case? Gosh, that couldn't end fast enough as far as I was concerned. This, I haven't even been aware of it. (interruption) Well, I have but I haven't. This is, like, surreal to me, this whole thing. I marvel. I listen to people talk about this who know this case inside out, and I marvel that anybody can care that much, but then I think, "Okay, I know what I know inside out and there are probably people think, 'Gosh, I can't imagine caring that much about this stuff.'"
So it works, it works both ways.
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RUSH: Okay, let's JIP the verdict. Go ahead. All right. Let's JIP it. Our microphones are there.
JUDGE: Let the record reflect that defendant is present along with counsel for the defendant.
RUSH: I don't believe I'm doing this, by the way. I really don't.
JUDGE: Both sides are ready to proceed. It's been brought to my attention that the jury has reached a verdict.
RUSH: It's the judge talking. I cannot believe it.
JUDGE: State?
STATE LAWYER: The state's ready to proceed, Your Honor.
JUDGE: Defense?
DEFENSE LAWYER: Defense is ready.
JUDGE: To those in the gallery, please do not express any signs of approval or disapproval upon the reading of the verdict.
RUSH: Right. Don't cheer.
JUDGE: Mr. Chairman of the Jury.
RUSH: They're standing up out there now.
COURTROOM: (rustling)
RUSH: The verdict here, Casey Anthony. That's what we're waiting on here, folks. I know, I know, but we're doing it.
COURTROOM: (silence)
RUSH: Silence in the courtroom. Now I've gotta cover this!
COURTROOM: (silence)
RUSH: Would somebody in the courtroom say something. We're JIPping this! (big sigh)
COURTROOM: (silence)
RUSH: Everybody is just staring around here folks; there's not a whole lot going on.
COURTROOM: (silence)
COURTROOM: (door slams)
RUSH: A door. Oh, of course, everybody looks very somber. No sign of Geraldo yet.
JUDGE: State recognize the presence of the jury?
LAWYER: We do, Your Honor.
JUDGE: And does the defense?
LAWYER: Yes, sir, we do.
JUDGE: Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Have you reached a verdict?
JURORS: Yes, sir, we have.
JUDGE: Would you hand your verdict form to the court deputy, please?
RUSH: I still can't believe I'm doing this.
COURTROOM: (silence)
RUSH: The Casey Anthony verdict here on the EIB Network. It's one of our high points. Judge, I guess, is looking at the verdict here. Wondering if it's written in English. Is he trying to translate this? What...? He's flipping pages here. The judge, maybe he's trying to find the verdict. (interruption) Um, I do need some tea. I do need some. I'm down to a quarter of a bottle, less than that. Yeah, I'm almost out. Bring me a bottle of Two If By Tea.
COURTROOM: (silence)
RUSH: Casey Anthony looking sad. It does look like she knows what's about to happen here.
COURTROOM: (silence)
RUSH: (sigh) Man, and I was right in the middle of making a point.
JUDGE: Would the defendant rise along with counsel?
RUSH: All right, it's about time. Thank you.
JUDGE: Madam Clerk, you may publish the verdicts.
CLERK: Judge. (fumbling) In the Circuit Court for the Ninth Judicial Circuit in and for Orange County, Florida: The State of Florida vs. Casey Marie Anthony. As to case number 2008 CF-15606-O.
RUSH: This is great tea, I have to tell you.
CLERK: As to the charge of first-degree murder verdict as to count one: We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty. So say we all, dated at Orlando, Orange County, Florida, on the 5th day of July, 2011, signed Foreperson.
RUSH: Not guilty first degree.
CLERK: As to the child of aggravated child abuse, verdict as to count two: We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty. So say we all, dated at Orlando, Orange County, Florida, this 5th day of July, 2011, signed Foreperson.
RUSH: Casey Anthony fighting back tears.
CLERK: As to the charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child, verdict as to count three: We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty. So say we all, dated at Orlando, Orange County, Florida, this 5th day of July, 2011, signed Foreperson.
RUSH: Uh, folks...
CLERK: As to the charge of providing false information to a law enforcement officer, verdict as to count four: We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of providing false information to a law enforcement officer as charged in the indictment. So say we all, dated Orlando, Orange County, Florida, this 5th day of July, 2011, signed Foreperson.
RUSH: Okay, well, they got her on something out there.
CLERK: As for the charge of providing false information to law enforcement officer verdict as to count five: We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of providing false information to a law enforcement officer as charged in the indictment.
RUSH: Chump change, right?
CLERK: So say we all, dated Orlando Orange County, Florida, this 5th day 2011, signed foreperson. As to the charge of providing false information to a law enforcement officer, the verdict as to count six: We, the jury, find the defendant not guil... Sorry. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of providing false information to a law enforcement officer as charged in the indictment. So say we all, dated Orlando --
RUSH: Okay.
CLERK: -- Orange County, Florida, this 5th day of July, 2011, signed foreperson.
RUSH: Three counts guilty lying to the authorities is about it so far.
CLERK: As to the charge of providing false information to a law enforcement officer, verdict as to count seven: We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of providing false information --
RUSH: That's four times. Four.
CLERK: -- to law enforcement officers charged in the indictment. So say we all, dated Orlando, Orange County, Florida, this 5th day of July, 2011.
RUSH: They're getting her on a process crime here, gang. This is Scooter Libby all over again.
JUDGE: Madam Clerk, you may poll the jury.
RUSH: That's it? Okay, we can dump out of it. So she got nailed on a procedural crime here. She not guilty of the act, but they say on four counts of lying to the investigators she's guilty. (interruption) Yeah. (chuckles) It's still on your permanent record, but that's all they could get her on after all of this was lying to the authorities? (interruption) Well, no! I don't know that, Snerdley. I don't know anything about this. This is the worst...? (interruption) What are people saying? This is the worst collection of lawyers...? Who was saying that? (interruption) Okay. The media analysts were talking about how incompetent her lawyers were.
Okay, the bottom line here is there were no witnesses, right? And there was no DNA, and they couldn't even determine the cause of death in this thing, right? (interruption) Okay. So how do you find her guilty if you don't know any of that? And these experts thought she was gonna be found guilty because of the lawyers were so bad, or incompetent; or because she was so unlikable. You know, I'm reminded a little bit here of the Michael Jackson verdict. Remember, everybody thought that was a slam-dunk, and he was out of there, and that jury found him not guilty. People said they all thought that was just, you know, celebrity worship or what have you.
As to the false information in the case, the defense had already conceded that she had provided false information. Her lawyers admitted that, so there's not much the jury coulda done there. I did hear one thing. I heard out of the corner of my ear (I guess on Sunday night), Greta was doing a show on this, and one of her guests said, "I don't see how they convict because there aren't any witnesses, and there was no DNA, and there's no real way to know what the cause of death was," and everybody on the panel thought the guy was nuts. That's what I remember. There might have been one other person that thought she would walk. Anyway, that's it: Casey Anthony, not guilty on four counts of murder or manslaughter; guilty on five or six (whatever it was) counts, of lying to the authorities.
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RUSH: Well, no, not yet. She doesn't get out of jail yet. How many years has she been in jail now, three? Okay. Well, she's still got years on each of these guilty verdicts, and who knows how they're gonna be sentenced. I'll tell you what, I've been listening to some of the analysts during the break here, and they are ticked off, folks. There are some red faced, angry media people out there over this verdict. They wanted this woman burned at the stake, apparently. There are a lot of red-faced media people who thought they knew what was gonna happen here.
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RUSH: I don't know, folks. I'm taking a gander, a listen at various media analysts on the Casey Anthony "not guilty" verdicts here during the commercial breaks, and I have to tell you, they are livid, they are livid. And I of course, El Rushbo, find great pleasure in them being livid. Now, I've had some people help me out here today 'cause I didn't know anything about this, but I now know that there was no evidence. There was no DNA. There were no witnesses. There was no reason to convict. There were no facts, and with this DSK story and other things we talked about earlier, facts don't matter to the media.
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