When justice stumbles

The Casey Anthony circus is still in full swing after the six-week trial came to an end July 6, complete with an angry mob outside the court house.

Not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter or aggravated child abuse.

Just guilty of misleading police.

While it's a valid point that there was not enough concrete evidence to convict her, most of America seems to think otherwise.

Perhaps it was an accident gone horribly wrong, as it's been speculated Caylee accidentally drowned in the family pool.

But then again, the Internet searches, the tattoo, the partying... and, of course, not reporting Caylee missing for 30 days and then lying about it to police seems to speak for itself.

Here's a comparison.

Indiana college student Lauren Spierer has been missing since June 3. Spierer's parents have appeared on numerous tear-filled TV appearances, begging for help to find their daughter.

Not quite the case with Casey---all smiles and laughter after the trial.

Unfortunately, it seems that sometimes the justice system is a let-down during high profile cases; for example, O.J. Simpson.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Simpson is his "hypothetical" confession in "If I Did It."

The controversial 2007 book's cover art features the words "I DID IT" in big red letters. "If" is printed at one-fifth the size of the larger letters, and placed within the "I."

There's probably going to be some sort of book about the Anthony trial within the next few months, and, sadly, it'll be a bestseller.

Unfortunately, we are attracted to the odd, the dark and the unnatural.

Fox Network's Damages is one of my favorites right now, best described as a psychological law drama. It has some fantastic writers that exploit the flaws of the American legal system. Judges accept bribes and main characters get away with murder.

If you're an influential figure (or have an influential lawyer), and have a lot of money, you can usually get away with just about anything.

Of course, the show is fictitious, but it raises some valid points. Don't be easily duped because everyone has some sort of secret.

We all know the subject of Casey's secret, but we'll probably never know the contents of it.

Justice has seemingly failed little Caylee, but Casey will be forced to live with the guilt.

And, sometimes, living with your guilt can be worse than the death sentence.

* Ashley Miller is a member of the Pilot-Tribune news staff. Reach her at amiller@stormlakepilottribune.com.