Jeff Ashton was part of the prosecution team in the Florida homicide trial of Casey Anthony, the single mother accused of murdering her little girl, Caylee. The most sensational courtroom drama since the infamous O.J. Simpson affair, the Casey Anthony trial had people coast-to-coast riveted. In his stunning true crime masterwork, Imperfect Justice, Ashton gives a fascinating and impassioned insider’s account of the investigation, the trial, and the acquittal that shocked the nation, and makes a powerful case as to why allowing Anthony to walk free was a devastating travesty of justice.
"Just like most others who followed the trial, I picked this up to see if it provided any insight to why the jury set Anthony free. If you followed the case closely, few surprises were delivered onto the pages of this book. That is unless you really do believe the jurors had no intention of convicting Anthony even if she admitted her own guilt. All of my curiosities about the legal behind-the-scenes were answered, no more Nancy Grace to fill in the blanks with her crystal ball predictions or assumptions. The prosecution did every single thing they could do with what they had, even dodging the defense's unprofessional tactics every time they wanted a distraction from even the littlest of things. Yes, I am one of those who believe the defense was in it for the money, not the truth or to expose the truth, and the jurors knew a not-guilty verdict would be more sensational. However, in the end, the defense was left with egg on their face. Not a single book offer? Interviews? The front page ran with Cheney flipping the bird at the media and Baez in the background having a champagne toast. The jury tried shopping their story to networks, but one must have forgotten their agreement, and went all out talking to whoever who would listen for free until she most likely watched herself and realized she would be better off going into seclusion. And then we have Casey, who now is the most hated woman in the USA, and by the videos that are coming out of the woodwork now, she has literally nothing going for her.
The book was able to shed light on the many con-jobs that the defense tried pulling to what seems to be witnesses forging documents that would help their case. What became clear, like attracts like, and that is how Casey found her defense team. They were as deluded as she was, and they tried everything in their pour to cloud the entire trial. Unfortunately, it worked on the jury.
Even though our justice system failed miserably in this case, I am reminded of what my great-grandmother once told me. A person is nothing without the honor of a strong name. She did not mean by the meaning, or the sound of it passing one's lips, but by the person behind it and what is left in the minds of those who remember it. By now Casey Anthony, the jury and the defense team can be certain of the value of their name. The world learned that day upon hearing 'not guilty', the life of little Caylee meant as much to her family, the jury, and the defense as she did to her mother.
One thing Jeff Ashton repeated most often in his words was the name, Caylee. We might never know the truth, but at least many tried to find out. While Caylee is not the only child to have gone missing, only to end up murdered, she is an example of just one deep crevice that runs through the American dream. If you step back to look at them all, there are thousands of them, each representing a child.
As for the book, it's well to, with a few minor mistakes. Ashton has a way of infusing his frustration, worries and fear into the reader, and whether you think you know all things Casey Anthony, you should still give it a try. I would suspect there is at least one choice of information included in this book that will be surprising."
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Melissa (4 out of 5 stars)