COURT OUTBURST IN CASEY ANTHONY TRIAL - "SHE KILLED SOMEBODY ANYWAYS!"

"SHE KILLED SOMEBODY ANYWAY!" shouted a woman spectator during Casey Anthony juror questioning.

As Judge Perry was questioning a prospective juror about her feelings about the death penalty, a tall, overweight woman (Elizabeth Anne Rogers), who was sitting as a spectator in the courtroom, yelled "She killed somebody anyway!" As the courtroom cameras panned over to see who had made this outburst, Judge Perry said something along the lines of 'Escort this person out of the courtroom and hold her for me'. As the cameras found the person in question, we saw this woman being quickly escorted out by Sheriff's deputies. As she was being led out, she apologized "I'm so sorry" (well, that makes it all better, lol).

After the woman was out of the courtroom, and after the juror who was being questioned was also out of the courtroom, Defense attorney, Cheney Mason, stood up and objected to the juror being allowed to move forward in the questioning, since she had witnessed this woman's outburst.  Judge Perry called a brief recess, saying that he wanted to research "something".

When the court came back from recess, Judge Perry asked Court Deputies to bring the woman, who had made the outburst, back into the courtroom.  As the cameras were focused on the door to the holding cell, we saw a sad woman being led in by Court Deputies.  In came a tall, overweight 30 year old woman, who was visibly shaken. She looked pitiful and was sobbing.  When Judge Perry asked her what her defense was, and why he shouldn't automatically sentence her for "Criminal Contempt of Court", she apologized, saying "I'm so sorry", continuing, in between sobs, that she was diagnosed as being bi-polar, suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, takes a number of medications and was also on methadone.  She continued that she was in the courthouse (at Courtroom (R)) for her fiancee's trial for domestic abuse.  After answering Judge Perry's asked her when she last took her medication, she stated that she last took medication this morning at 6am.  Continuing to sob in between her statements, she begged Judge Perry to not punish her, saying that she was a sick woman, she's "not a bad person". He asked her if she worked. She answered yes, that she volunteered at the SPCA.  However, her sole income was state disability benefits for her mental illness.

Taking all that in, but still being quite pissed off, Judge Perry stated that her outburst was a grave action during a serious criminal case, that after two long weeks was in the final stages of selecting a jury.  He continued by saying that because of her outburst, the Defense was now requesting that the juror being questioned at the time of her outburst, be dismissed for cause.  He looked at her and found her guilty of "Contempt of Court".  He continued by saying that the sentence should be 179 days in jail. However, he would take into consideration her condition, but also considering the gravity of the situation and that he was probably going to lose a juror, he reduced her sentence to two days in jail.  She asked if she could turn herself in later on in the evening.  The judge denied her request, Judge Perry informed her that a public defender would be assigned to her case, since she qualifies for one due to the fact that she stated to him that she doesn't have at least $2,500 in any assets, and off to jail she went. Bam!

Then the juror who was being questioned was excused, due to the woman's outburst.

Here's a link to the outburst:  http://www.wftv.com/video/27964854/index.html

Here's a link to Judge Perry's sentencing of the woman who made the outburst:
http://www.wftv.com/video/27965301/index.html

Post script: The woman who made the outburst, Elizabeth Anne Rogers, has a criminal record.  Her prior convictions including battery, bad checks and cocaine possession are among her priors.