Yes, but like I've said before, I guarantee you he had bosses, adminstrators, and probably even state government telling him to get this trial over with and spend as little money and time as possible. I don't think he had the choices he wanted in this case. The judicial system was having severe money problems, and might even still be having those kinds of problems. I think he had other people breathing down his neck to get this over and done with. I just can't put all the blame on him for what happened. I'm sure he wishes things had gone differently, but money talks the loudest.
He was forced to put up with Baez, quickly get a jury, and make the trial go as fast as he could because of the state judicial system's money problems. I bet he was told there would be no do over, and to get it wrapped up as quickly as possible. Remember the big stink that one woman put up, and said that Casey's trial wasn't even going to happen at one point? I bet he got stuff like that on a daily basis about Casey Anthony and her trial. That overrode justice, and that is the real shame here. Blame the money problems, not HHJP, for how this trial turned out.
In other cases, he's done much better and had much better outcomes. So why was this case so different? Why was his courtroom in such disarray? Why wasn't Baez replaced? Why wasn't a better jury selected? Why did this trial seemed so rushed? The fault for all of that is on one man? That doesn't make sense. What makes sense is the state judicial system's money problems causing all of those problems for HHJP. I actually feel sorry for him because I just know that he wanted things to be so different. He wasn't happy with Baez at all. He was angry and upset more often that not. Does that sound like a judge pleased with the case, his decisions, and how the case went? I'm surprised he didn't have a heart attack at times when he would get so angry at Baez, yet Baez was still allowed to be Casey's lawyer. Money. That is the issue. That is what forced this case to be so bad and forced the bad outcome, not HHJP.
And shoot, put the blame where it really belongs, on the Pinellas 12. Even HHJP was surprised and angered at the verdict. Even he didn't see it coming. And heck, if the bar won't do a darn thing about a lawyer as bad as Baez, I highly doubt they will go after HHJP. He did everything within legal bounds anyway, even if we don't like it.
Yes, the fault lies with the Pinellas 12. And I agree with the rest of your post re Judge Perry's motives for acting as he did from jury selection on. But I do not agree 100% that it was other administrators or bosses or higher-ups pressuring the judge to just "get this thing over with."
I do believe JP wanted things to move along briskly and he had enough foresight to know that Baez would drag things along for as long as possible. Perry, IMO, decided that his best course of action from the get-go would be a proactive one. He made it clear that jury selection would start on a specific date and did everything he could to stay as close to that date as possible. Then he made it clear that the panel would be seated by a specific date and proceeded to propel that process, IMO to the detriment of the trial.
The Pinellas 12 is responsible, no doubt about that. But Perry seated that panel, and it was a panel that consisted of citizens who during voir dire stated they did not like the death penalty, did not want to judge, would have to miss work, had vacation plans that had been in the making for some time, etc. Now, I understand that people have lives and that being on a jury that will be sequestered for six weeks and possibly longer is not something that would fit easily into their lives. So of course they will be concerned about missing work or missing out on their vacation plans. And the lady who could not judge was only being honest and IIRC the state tried to get her excused and was told basically by the judge to sit down and shut up. No, he didn't say that specifically, but it's what he meant.
So you have a panel that does not want to be there. I will say that it would have been difficult if not impossible to find 12 people plus alternates who were eager to be there, and most jurors would rather be somewhere else, but this particular jury in total did not want to be there and made no bones about it!
Fast forward to the trial, where Baez went on and on, witnesses were called, excused, called again, excused again, and called yet again! Highly unusual procedure even in a high-profile trial. And last but not least is the touchy-feely interaction of the attorneys with the defendant, and the behavior of the defendant which amounted to no less than silent testimony, much of it in front of the jury, which was certainly noticed yet completely ignored by the judge even when the state objected, even casting aside his own statement at onset of the trial that he would not tolerate such antics.
Judge Perry did not expect a not guilty verdict, no way. He knew the state had a strong case, so he bent over backward for the defense in hope of thwarting the appeal that was sure to come after conviction. Yeah, well, he certainly did succeed in that effort, since where there is no conviction there is no appeal.
Perry had a tough task, that's a given. But from all accounts he is a tough no-nonsense judge with vast knowledge of the law, and for him to cater as he did to the defense, the defendant, and the jury, just boggles the mind!
Now comes before Judge Perry the Motion from the defense to have Ashton held in contempt. I know what should happen with this. But I am not as confident as I would like to be that it will happen. Hopefully Judge Perry realizes some of his errors by now and that that realization guides him to do the right thing.