Fla. Seeks Death for Casey Anthony

Reversing an earlier decision, Florida will pursue the death penalty for Casey Anthony, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Daughter Caylee Anthony’s remains were found a week after prosecutors initially decided not to pursue capital punishment. A former member of Anthony’s defense team noted the prosecution may simply want “death-qualified jurors” because they are more likely to convict, and indicated the move could signal a weak case.

The prosecution filed a notice yesterday stating that additional information unearthed after their original waiver Dec. 5 justifies the death penalty. Legal experts called such a reversal unusual, with one attributing the most likely reason to frustration on the prosecution’s part that Anthony won’t accept a plea. “We don't execute women in Florida,” he added. “Juries find it very difficult to send young women to death row.” (More Casey Anthony stories.)