Victim impact statement *MERGED*

[Cat13067]

Maybe the State should just blow up a photo of Caylee. and play the video of her reading her book, and sitting on her great grandfather's lap as an impact that this child's life ended because of her mother's jealousy killed her.

 

[TorisMom003]

Maybe the State should just blow up a photo of Caylee. and play the video of her reading her book, and sitting on her great grandfather's lap as an impact that this child's life ended because of her mother's jealousy killed her.

Along with a tape of all of the times that Casey has been recorded saying that everyone only cares about Caylee, no one cared about her. I think that along with what you suggested would make a huge impact on the jury not to mention everyone else in the courtroom.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Who decides who speaks for the victim?

Is this something the SA does, if so I don't think they will call on any of the Anthony's to speak for Caylee knowing that will turn their speech into being about saving KC.

The Pros will ask the family if they would like to give victim impact statements and they will say yes or no. She will ask that they write them out and give a copy to the Pros. The Pros reads the statements and lets the person who wrote it know if it is alright to read in court.

Because the Pros reads the statements first she will know what CA, GA, and LA plan to say. She can approve or not.

With this being daughter, granddaughter, and sister it sure does make it difficult. I don't look for Cindy to speakup for Caylee. George I'm not sure of anymore. He looks horrible lately...mainly since Casey said that about molestation. I don't think he is well and in the end he may just speak up for Caylee. I would be surprised though as Casey is still his daughter. I wouldn't be surprised to see Lee give a statement on Caylee's behalf. I think he knows the truth and he has seperated himself from Casey long ago.

Won't they give their statements before the jury goes in to debate between LWOP and the DP? If so, George, Cindy and Lee could all give statements. They could talk about their feelings concerning Casey Killing Caylee but still ask the jury not to give her the death penalty. I don't see any of them wanting the death penalty which is understandable but they could still talk about how Caylee's death has affected their lives and that Casey should never get out of prison......if they would which I doubt with the exception of Lee.


The Pros will approve who will give a victim impact statement....it is usually only family.

 

[Cat13067]

Along with a tape of all of the times that Casey has been recorded saying that everyone only cares about Caylee, no one cared about her. I think that along with what you suggested would make a huge impact on the jury not to mention everyone else in the courtroom.

Yes, and show the text where she calls Caylee "a little snot nose".

 

[Cat13067]

I truly wish they could track down Caylee's biological father to give an impact statement. KC denied him the chance of every knowing Caylee.

Wouldn't that be an impact if Caylee's father was not dead, and did show up to speak for his daughter. If Caylee's father is dead maybe Caylee's half brothers or sisters might want to make an appearance in court. Suppose Caylee's half sister looks like her? No words would need to be said just the child's presense in the court room would impact a jury, and bring KC to her knees.

 

[Cat13067]

I would fall over from shock if G or C gave a victim impact statement in regards to Caylee. Caylee may be deceased in their eyes, but if Casey were convicted, I'm sure they would believe she was wrongly convicted and therefore would see HER as the victim.

If GA or CA would stand up, and speak for Caylee imagine how much support these people would receive. If they ever think about writing a book they should give some serious thought about standing up for their granddaughter if they want to sell books.

 

[TorisMom003]

I do not think the state is going to get support from the victims family to Kill Kc. . IMO

This case is unique in the fact that the family (George, Cindy and to a degree Lee) have done what they can to help the person that killed Caylee. There are things that the family (again, not all of the family but the ones I listed above) have done that can and just may land them in court themselves. In a case such as this, when those members of the family have decided to forget about the murdered child (Caylee) and to support 100% the only person who had means, motive and opportunity then I say that the punishment would fit the crime. If it means punishing those family members then so be it. The only family members that I would be concerned about are the ones that have continued to show support for Caylee and from what I have seen and heard those family members want the guilty party (Casey) to pay for her crimes.

 

[Cat13067]

KC grandmother Pleasa said, put KC is general population then she will talk. What does that statement say for how grandmother Pleasa feels. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Mrs. Pleasa or KC's Uncle Rick would have a VIS.

 

[NocturnalLady]

I have been going over this in my head for awhile and can not seem to come up with an answer myself. Who will give the victim impact statement when or if Casey is found guilty and sentenced to death?

As much as I do not agree with CA and GA and LA I would not wish their situation on anyone. I know that if anyone else other than Casey was on trial for Caylee's murder the Anthony's would be behind the prosecution and standing up for Caylee, I know this in my heart. They know Casey is responsible but somehow they have conveinced themselves that if she is responsible it was an accident that "snowballed out of control".
scenerio:
If the Anthony's speak on behalf of Caylee to her convicted murderer (her mother, thier daughter and sister) then as GA stated early on he has lost them both and turned thier back on thier daughter. If they don't then they have turned their back on their granddaughter and neice and who would that leave to represent Caylee?

I don't know if Jessi would be allowed to speak on behalf of Caylee since he was not related and an ex of Casey, or if he even would.

So who does that leave to speak for Caylee and what would they say? Do you think CA, GA or LA would even speak at all?

Thank you for bringing this up. Just the other day I was wondering this very same thing. How tragic that the people closest to this little girl are the ones least likely to stand up and speak for her in my opinion. If CA or GA get up to speak how would they be able to do speak for Caylee? In order for them to tell the court what it has really been like for them to lose Caylee and the pain and suffering they will go through all their lives because Caylee was murdered...in order for them to truthfully express that then they would have to accept the fact that Casey is the one who killed Caylee. I just don't see them being able to do that. And if they do get up to speak it will turn into a "how could you convict my innocent daughter?" speech and I will lose my mind!!

 

[countzero]

Personally, with the outbursts that will come from CA/GA/LA during the trial, HHJP will deny them any opportunity to talk much less write a statement to be read. And I will give him more kudo's when it happens.

CA/GA/LA will give there statements the way they have in the past, on a nationwide media blitz after eating chili, shrimp rolls, crab cakes and steaks. Oh and DC will be CA's personal media manager.

I bet my last buck on this ........ yep, still have it.

 

[Just Jayla]

This is why I hate the whole concept of victim impact statements and believed they should be done away with. The very concept of them holds that some citizen’s lives are more important than others and thus the killers of widows without children and orphans, and little children like Caylee who was killed by the only parent she ever had, with her grandparents as accessories after the fact, are now often given less sever sentences then people who were loved by their family.

I love the basic concept of our laws, that murders are seen as committing crimes against the state; that the victim is the citizenship of our country as a whole, and thus all our lives are equally important, whether we are a deranged street person or a well loved grandmother. But since the ‘70’s when they started allowing these ‘victim impact statements’ some lives have been seen as more important than others under the law and I thus believe they should be declared unconstitutional.

Someone asked about something similar to this on another thread yesterday, whether or not the state is Caylee's advocate-The answer is no. They are the advocate of the state which included Caylee, a geographically, sociologically and even religiously bound community (Utah, for example). As you alluded to above, it is the community, not the individual, that is given great weight in a republic, otherwise we would be a democracy, made up of individuals with 300 million different ideas on how to handle these things-most of those 300 million having absolutely no allegiance to the values of Floridians. It would be very difficult to discern, then, which individuals were more derserving than the next.
I feel similarly about hate crimes-I do not agree that someone's life is more important than another due to their race or sexual orientation, and I don't believe that hate crime charge deters the criminal mind anymore than the underlying charge.

 

[grammieto5]

This is why I hate the whole concept of victim impact statements and believed they should be done away with. The very concept of them holds that some citizen’s lives are more important than others and thus the killers of widows without children and orphans, and little children like Caylee who was killed by the only parent she ever had, with her grandparents as accessories after the fact, are now often given less sever sentences then people who were loved by their family.

I love the basic concept of our laws, that murders are seen as committing crimes against the state; that the victim is the citizenship of our country as a whole, and thus all our lives are equally important, whether we are a deranged street person or a well loved grandmother. But since the ‘70’s when they started allowing these ‘victim impact statements’ some lives have been seen as more important than others under the law and I thus believe they should be declared unconstitutional.

I agree with what you have written!

 

[beach]

SOMEBODY will stand up for Caylee Anthony. I don't think there are prerequisites to be met in order to give a victim impact statement (meaning being a blood relation, or being in actively involved in her care near the time of her death.) But for the record, I don't believe that George or Cindy Anthony will volunteer to do this.

Edit:

Please let me clarify. Every time one of you post your opinion, sleuth, or even just supporting one another, you ARE standing up for Caylee. Just because none of you here will not be invited to give a victim's impact statement doesn't mean that no one will standing up for her. Right now in the court of law, the State of Florida is Caylee's voice. I have an incredible respect for Websleuths.com, and every single poster here. I may not have much to add in terms of expertise on anything, I'm not particularly educated, but I am grateful for the welcome I feel I've received here. Each and every one of you has stood up for Caylee. Stand with pride.

This post literally brought tears to my eyes.

Thank you, KeyboardCat. We are a voice for Caylee and it is not in vain.

 

[Trapshooter]

You just never know how the evidence will affect the family. Maybe one of the family members will be so angry when they see the remains of Caylee it just might wake them up to the fact their daughter/sister/granddaughter/neice murdered their precious Caylee.

Cat one can hope & pray that they see the light!!!

 

[Sdavidson11]

On the other side of that are the victims who are greatly helped by being allowed to make a victim impact statement and face the killer. I can only speak for myself but facing the killer of my daughter in a courtroom where he had to sit and listen to every word that I had to say was very healing for me. I think I can speak for my entire family as well including my children and grandchildren. Even though we knew that nothing we had to say would affect him it was healing for us to be able to face him and say what we needed to say. His daughter got to face him...13 yrs old....and she got to say everything thing that she wanted to to her father. He had to listen to her all the while wanting to get up and knock her on her rear. She talked for quite a while but she got it all out and it helped her as she had had to hold all of those feelings in for 8 years while he was on the run. She didn't get any answers but she did get to let him know how what he did had affected her life. I personally am thankful for victim impact statements. I am thankful that myself and my family were able to speak to the killer who took my daughter away out of his selfishness. I'm thankful that my granddaughter got to face her father as that is the one and only time she will ever have that chance. The judge already knew what the sentence was going to be as he had pled guilty. It might be different after a trial with the death penalty on the line but I really believe that if you asked every victim who ever got to give a victim impact statement they would agree with me...they are thankful that they got to give a statement.

Your post is so eloquently stated that I am sure your daughter is watching you from above and thanking you for your strength to stand up for her since she no longer can. Even though I survived my ordeal, my heart goes out to you as I can not imagine losing a child. I too was able to give a victims impact statement to the man who kidnapped , raped me,shot my dog, among other things. He made a plea bargain and as you said it did bring some closure. This happened in Florida and since he escaped from prison twice he was kept in the jail and all this happened over a TV monitor. My then husband did not want to read his statement so someone from rape crisis read his. It is my hope that there will be some state agency that will be there on the behalf of Caylee since her immediate family seems to be on the other side of justice. If not we all know that she is in our hearts as we seek Justice for Caylee.

 

[autumnlover]

Better yet, maybe they should just play the video of Caylee with Alex Plesea. Let it be noted that AP has been robbed of the joy of his granddaughter in what could be the last years of his life. How is it possible that he was not taken before Caylee was? She had so many, many years ahead of her, and she will never get the chance to hold her own grandchildren.

In addition, Caylee singing "You Are My Sunshine" would probably have an impact so great it would be immeasurable. Sadly, she may be the only one who will speak on her behalf.

 

[LiveLaughLuv]

Victim Impact Statement for Family Members or Friends of a Homicide Victim

What Is a Victim Impact Statement and How Is It Used?

As a homicide victim's family member or close friend, you have the opportunity to use this victim impact statement to describe how the loss of your loved one has affected you and others close to you. You do not have to use the statement. If you prefer, you may wish to write a letter to judge instead. If you choose to use this statement, there is space for you to write about the emotional and financial effects this crime has caused you and those close to you, as well as any other changes in your life you may have experienced. If the defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty after trial, your impact statement will help the judge understand how this crime has affected you, your family and those close to you.


Filling out this statement is voluntary

You do not have to fill out a victim impact statement. However, it may be helpful to the judge when he or she decides what sentence the defendant should receive and/or any money the defendant may have to pay you or other family members for expenses you have paid or owe because of this crime. When the judge makes the defendant pay the victim's family, it is called "restitution." If the judge orders the defendant to pay you or your family restitution, there is no guarantee that the defendant will be able to pay the entire amount.

more at the link:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/impact/impact.htm#Impact



According to the above article, a relative or close friend can give an impact statement...hoping someone in Inmate Anthony's Xcircle of friends will speak on Caylee's behalf and tell the courts how they feel and the loss they feel, for it surely will not come out of anyone of the Anthony's mouths..such a pity they chose to turn their backs on Caylee..

As I always said, the Anthony family should continue to support/love Inmate Anthony for love is unconditional but they should demand the truth and demand ICA take responsibility for her actions instead of trying to blame innocent people. It only proves their character, their integrity, their rationals are highly flawed. Caylee was their sunshine, she brought joy back into their dysfuctional home, to turn their backs on her is adding insult to injury, IMO..I truly hope they see in order to be a "true" crime victims advocate, it must start with Caylee...JMHO

Justice for Caylee

 

[believe09]

This is why I hate the whole concept of victim impact statements and believed they should be done away with. The very concept of them holds that some citizen’s lives are more important than others and thus the killers of widows without children and orphans, and little children like Caylee who was killed by the only parent she ever had, with her grandparents as accessories after the fact, are now often given less sever sentences then people who were loved by their family.

I love the basic concept of our laws, that murders are seen as committing crimes against the state; that the victim is the citizenship of our country as a whole, and thus all our lives are equally important, whether we are a deranged street person or a well loved grandmother. But since the ‘70’s when they started allowing these ‘victim impact statements’ some lives have been seen as more important than others under the law and I thus believe they should be declared unconstitutional.

While I understand your viewpoint completely, I could not disagree more. I am not clear on how an impact statement could weight one life as more important than another during the sentencing portion unless you mean in a death penalty case?

I think that victim's statements are a rare opportunity for those who have been devestated by a crime to take some back, in a way. The trial is over, the jury or judge has found the perp guilty-there is nothing prejudicial in my mind at this point.

Many of these victims have been HELPLESS during the judicial process-all they can do is stand there waiting for their loved one to matter-or waiting for themselves to matter. The perp/defendant, the judge, the lawyers, the jury hold all the power yet again in a process that weighs heavily on the side of the defendant.

This is there chance to face down their demons or demon. This is their chance to look the perp in the eye if they so choose and know that this person will be punished for taking a piece of their lives away, whatever the crime.

jmo.

 

[RainyGirl]

While I understand your viewpoint completely, I could not disagree more. I am not clear on how an impact statement could weight one life as more important than another during the sentencing portion unless you mean in a death penalty case?

I think that victim's statements are a rare opportunity for those who have been devestated by a crime to take some back, in a way. The trial is over, the jury or judge has found the perp guilty-there is nothing prejudicial in my mind at this point.

Many of these victims have been HELPLESS during the judicial process-all they can do is stand there waiting for their loved one to matter-or waiting for themselves to matter. The perp/defendant, the judge, the lawyers, the jury hold all the power yet again in a process that weighs heavily on the side of the defendant.

This is there chance to face down their demons or demon. This is their chance to look the perp in the eye if they so choose and know that this person will be punished for taking a piece of their lives away, whatever the crime.

jmo.

Beautifully stated. I have both read and heard in person the most profound, gut-renching and astonishingly RAW Victim Impact Statements one could ever imagine. Some have left me shaking, in tears, and numb for days. These mothers, fathers, grandparents, wives, husbands and even a few children need their voice to be heard. Just my opinion, of course.

ETA: I was once asked the "most intense" VIS I ever helped someone prepare. It was a statement made by the pregnant wife of a slain policeman. It still makes me cry to this day.

 

[Tuffy]

While I understand your viewpoint completely, I could not disagree more. I am not clear on how an impact statement could weight one life as more important than another during the sentencing portion unless you mean in a death penalty case?

I think that victim's statements are a rare opportunity for those who have been devestated by a crime to take some back, in a way. The trial is over, the jury or judge has found the perp guilty-there is nothing prejudicial in my mind at this point.

Many of these victims have been HELPLESS during the judicial process-all they can do is stand there waiting for their loved one to matter-or waiting for themselves to matter. The perp/defendant, the judge, the lawyers, the jury hold all the power yet again in a process that weighs heavily on the side of the defendant.

This is there chance to face down their demons or demon. This is their chance to look the perp in the eye if they so choose and know that this person will be punished for taking a piece of their lives away, whatever the crime.

jmo.

I think the bolded sentence was meant to say "why should someone who has family to give a VIS be valued by the courts more than someone, like Caylee, who has no family to give a VIS."

I kind of understand that sentiment too. I feel bad for those who may have been all alone in life with no loved ones to speak at trial.