"Not Guilty" Is Not The Same As Being "Innocent"

There is a lot of outrage over the recent decision in the Casey Anthony trial. The "Armchair Quarterbacks" out there feel that her acquittal is a miscarriage of justice.

I would argue that what occurred in that courtroom is exactly how our justice system should work. The same mechanisms that got her off are the same ones that keep innocent people out of jail. In order to convict someone, the evidence must not only be clear and convincing, it must be beyond all reasonable doubt.

How many times have we heard of cases where people are exonerated by DNA evidence after years in prison? How would we feel if years from now we find out Casey really didn't do this crime, but she was convicted and put to death over substandard evidence? No one like the idea of an unsolved murder; especially one involving a child. It is truly heartbreaking. But, in the words of Mr. Cochran, "if the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit".

In this case, the metaphorical glove didn't fit; there was reasonable doubt. There was insufficient evidence as to how the child died. If we don't know how the child died, how can we say it's murder? How can you prove who did it, if it was? Additionally, there apparently was no DNA or forensic evidence linking Casey to her daughter's remains.

We all know that her actions following the child's disappearance were highly suspect. What mother goes over a month without reporting her kid missing? What of all the partying and what not? Admittedly, Casey's actions were stupid and inhibited any opportunity to resolve the death of her child. Had she reported the death timely, a more effective autopsy could have been performed. That is, assuming she drowned as was alleged. But stupidity and shameful conduct are not crimes...at least not yet.

If Casey did kill her daughter, her spirit will not be able to rest. Look at OJ. He was also found "not guilty". But his spirit couldn't rest. After getting away with murder, he writes a book explaining how he would have done it, had he actually done it. Who does that? Then, instead of sitting down somewhere and being quiet, he becomes a stick-up man and robs some men in a hotel room (he says he was getting his stuff back). He wanted to be punished for his crimes and needed to do something to ease his conscience. The same will be true in this case. Not guilty is not the same as being innocent.

Casey may have been found not guilty, but she isn't innocent. She will be punished, in this life or the next. I am sure that is little comfort to those of us who want justice for the little girl. I like to think that the mental and spiritual torment the killer will face is much worse than any punishment the legal system could have given.

Kevin Greene