Jeff Ashton, Cheney Mason, Matthew Bartlett: Monkey See, Monkey Do
A few days ago, during the Casey Anthony murder trial, a young man decided to extend and display his middle finger, aiming it at the back of Laughing Man Jeff Ashton’s head. The bird-flipper, Matthew Bartlett, was promptly brought before Judge Belvin Perry. After a brief bit of questioning Judge Perry learned that Barlett worked as a restaurant server who earned less than $15,000 annually and had basically no money to speak of in the bank.
Judge Perry found Bartlett to be in contempt of court and sentenced the waiter to 6 days in jail along with a hefty fine of $400 plus court costs. Bartlett was then hauled away in handcuffs to begin serving his time. Barlett filed a motion for a stay of sentencing and asked to remain free on bond until the appeal could be heard. Judge Perry promptly denied the stay and bond request. After all, the rules against making gestures and facial expressions were clearly posted outside the courtroom. So away to jail he went. I suppose the judge wanted to show that disobeying the court’s rules simply would not be tolerated.
But, as we all know by now, there was a different set of rules for the common folk and the attorneys involved in the case. (Ashton’s facial expressions and rude laughter weren’t as bad as this kid’s one-finger salute)?
Remember, Judge Perry decided there’d be no punishment for Ashton’s appalling behavior.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse in the circus known as the Casey Anthony trial, defense attorney Cheney Mason decided to offer the media and fans of the prosecution a salute of his own…
You know, I remember the day when officers of the court were grown-ups and professionals, not little boys who play dress up in daddy’s clothes while literally holding someone’s life in their hands.
Now I see why Matthew Bartlett thought it was okay to give Ashton the finger. He saw the other boys playing in the sandbox and climbed in to join the fun.
Never mind that Caylee Anthony’s body had decomposed in a filthy, murky swamp on the side of the road where snakes slithered and blue collar meter readers stopped to relieve themselves in the very water where she lay.
Never mind that you bird-flipping laughing men. Never mind.
Sickening behavior. Simply sickening…
I happen to think Jeff Ashton is one of the classiest people in Florida. Perhaps the look on his face is called shock and disgust. When the “HOSED ONE” stands up and repeats lie after lie for six solid weeks to confuse a not so sofisticated jury – it would be hard not to give it all up. Why was the “HOSE” allowed to get away with all of the BS he and the other children on the so-called Defense Team did. Most courts would have thrown that dispicable group of so-called Defense Lawyer out on their heads for the sickening little games they played with the entire Anthony family. The problem is this – The courtroom lacked good, solid leadership by Judge Perry. SHAME ON FLORIDA for allowing it. By the way, last I checked, Jeff Ashton was the only person I heard say anything about the murdered 2 year old. His heart was heavy because there was a jury in place that apparently didn’t see value in that one’s life.
Everyone has a right to a fair trial, but no one expects a murder case to be a three ring circus.
Cheny Mason is a bully, braggert, blowhard from the get go. prior to the trial, he appeared in the media saying he thought Casey would be found guilty. Once he joined the Bozo Bonanza, he had to shift gears to an assumption of innocence. This he knew after visiting her in jail for about 10 minutes or so. He must have determined this from the bun she wears. Isn’t it funny how many hours law enforcement officers and detectives spent with her, and were fed enough lies to make a grown cry from the frustration of hearing her spin her tales.
The evidence was there from the prosecution.
Jose baez will protect casey until he gets what cash and or so called fame he thinks he can get from her, the same way the giant protected his goose that laid the golden egg. In her jailhouse letters, she had said she would write a tell all book of her sexcapades. Geraldo once asked Jose if he had sex with Casey. He said he wasn’t going to dignify that with an answer. He may not have to if Casey writes her book……….but then wait, isn’t she a pathological liar? Part of this as a defense strategy may have been a premtive seat cover for himself.There is talk of a million dollar book deal. But who wants to pay for a book of pathological lies? Three years of them was enough.
It might start a whole new trend for people who need money, to simply set down and put pen to paper and put their imagination to work and see how many lies they can think up. I will guarnatee you, your own lies can tell you as much about this family as the lies we have heard from them. Their whole lives are based on playing the pea under the shell game, and one after another guessing where it is at. One day they show up in court lying for one another, and the next day they show up to make an ass out of one another. Maby there are days they forget to take their medications before leaving home.
Then there is Casey, who according to the jail is not on medications. It is obvious she didn’t need them. After all, isn’t driving around downtown Orlando with your child ductaped in the trunk of your car normal? Her demise should have been an act of God that someone rearended her car and the trunk popped open before she made the visit to Suburban Drive. They say God looks out for drunks and idiots and if nothing else, Casey walking free from the jail will be a testament to that. She could have been easily declared crazy before this trial…………but as in like a fox.
Cheny Mason thought a couple of weeks ago that Casey was too incompetent to stand trial, now he thinks she can step out of jail and be a productive member of society. Is there a definition of wishy washy in Websters?
Jose told Barbara Walters that Casey could be anything she wanted to be. That is true, but what did she take it upon herself to become? Her child is dead, she doesn’t care, she ditches the body like last weeks garbage, parties, and steals money to buy push up bras, and beer,having her nails done, and getting a tatoo. It wasn’t for survival. It never crossed her mind to get a job for real, once she relieved herself of being a mother.
Maby she will change her name to Norma Bates, find her a nice secure job as an elementary librarian, and there will be a whole sequence of psycho thriller movies offers to follow, where the kids go ino the library, but they never check out…………hmmmmmmmmm
Knowing her she was probably thinking she was to walk to the podium in front of the court to finally get her Oscar that she had worked so hard for.
The only thing i wish her in life is that she reaps what she has sewn.
Truly frustrating. And the life insurance thing ? I hope if there is one, they find a loop hole. I also hope she is forced to pay court costs. If she writes a book, I would never buy it. I dont want to hear anything more about this woman. It is too morbid.
It’s all about everyone getting their 15 minutes of fame. Forget about the little girl whose life was lost. Laughing & obscene gestures? Disgusting. This was not supposed to be entertainment. What happened to bringing Caylee justice?
You know, I’m a bit of a fool. I don’t expect much from a restaurant server; but i do expect an Officer of the Court to show some class. I guess that good behavior is not on the menu any more (sorry), and I am surprised at the judge. He seemed pretty down to earth to me.
I am sorry to say that what I would expect of too many U.S. judges nowadays is just what you described — the person who they determine cannot afford to appeal the outcome is the one who goes to jail for contempt. Consider too that U.S. jails are notorious for men being RAPED. So this young man may have lost his job and possibly be raped just so this judge can have his power trip. If the judge wasn’t bothered by the lawyers’ behavior, he shouldn’t have been bothered by the young man’s. I really have begun to ask myself why my ancestors bothered to fight to separate from the U.K. when we have all of their bad habits now and few of their good ones.
I didn’t think this situation could get any sicker than it was, but you just proved that wrong. I thought it was bad enough she will probably make money on a book offer, never thought of insurance. Sick and sadder.
Just a thought. I wonder if Casey had a life insurance policy on Caylee? If so, she’s now eligible to collect the benefit.
I don’t think turning murder trials into 24/7 media circuses is the best way to find justice for anyone. The victim is never the star, it’s the accused and his/her “Dream Team” of attorneys. Mason’s action was astounding!
A sad time for Caley Anderson, the police officers who diligently pursue justice and the attorneys who take crimes against individuals and the public as serious business. Ashton’s smirks I can forgive…what he was listening to was a farce and it’s difficult to not laugh at a court jestor. But the final insult: the defense claimed Casey’s lies were not building blocks for multiple crimes. The ‘wild goose chases’ came out of one thought, one misdeed. Sort of like the stories we weave—one thought leads to a book that contains multiple stories? Judge Perry wisely ruled the decisions of the jury, on multiple counts of lying, were worth the maximum sentence. Time served, good time and earned time will net her a less than maximum sentence, though. But Caley’s sentence is permanent, eternal, no additional days for playful innocence, discovery, growth, happiness. She is dead and something awful happened to her. No laughing matter.
A sad time for Caley Anderson, the police officers who diligently pursue justice and the attorneys who take crimes against individuals and the public as serious business. Ashton’s smirks I can forgive…what he was listening to was a farce and it’s difficult to not laugh at a court jestor. But the final insult: the defense claimed Casey’s lies were not building blocks for multiple crimes. The ‘wild goose chases’ were came out of one thought, one misdeed. Sort of like the stories we weave—one thought leads to a book that contains multiple stories? Judge Perry wisely ruled the decisions of the jury on multiple counts of lying were worth the maximum sentence. Time served, good time and earned time will net her a less than maximum sentence, though. But Caley’s sentence is permanent, eternal, no additional days for playful innocence, discovery, growth, happiness. She is dead and something awful happened to her. No laughing matter.
Lee, thanks for presenting these insights not many of us see. The case disgusted me from the beginning so I didn’t follow it. When a trial becomes a media side show, when people with no more than morbid curiosity stand in line waiting to see it, when a woman attacks a man who takes cuts in front of her…this wasn’t a trial, it was a circus. As for the officers of the court… unbelievable.
Truth being stranger than fiction. If you want fair, you have to look it up in the dictionary.