Body Language Does Not Lie in Casey Anthony Trial

by Dr. Lillian Glass

I have repeatedly said that the body does not lie. I have also said that no matter how hard a person tries to conceal their thoughts and feelings, the truth eventually leaks out through one’s body language and facial expressions. It doesn’t matter how hard the person tries to hide it. That was the case with Casey Anthony's last appearance in the courtroom.

While Casey Anthony, charged with murdering her daughter Caylee, may have been coached to sit up straight, or may have been given an image makeover with a unique hairdo, the truth always prevails as far as body language is concerned. The truth is that Casey is still flirting with attorney Jose Baez in the courtroom. It is clearly not endearing, and it is definitely not charming. In fact, it is incongruent with the reason she is in court in the first place.

Anyone accused of murdering a child, especially their own child, has absolutely nothing to smile about whatsoever. The last time we saw Casey beaming with smiles and laughter in the courtroom was when a  law clerk on her legal team was ambushed by Jose Baez and was unexpectedly sworn in as an attorney. But now there is clearly nothing to smile about. Her latest appearance in court dealt with some very serious matters, on which her life hinges. They involve very major issues in her cases, such as what would or would not be admissible.

The second Casey is seen walking into the courtroom there is a smirk on her face. No doubt, after being locked up in her jail cell with little or no human contact all this time, she is thrilled to be out among people. But the fact that she enters the courtroom with a smirk on her face is disconcerting. It does not matter that she has a form fitting blue sweater that showcases her  curvy figure to make her look  sexy and appealing. It does not matter that she has a new hairdo. It does not matter how good she looks if her behavior and actions are inappropriate.

Studies have shown that if a person looks good, then they are perceived more favorably by a jury. However, that theory  is null and void when behavior is inappropriate. Casey Anthony’s recent courtroom behavior is inappropriate, in my view, especially as it pertains to Jose Baez.

While she always seems to have her ritualistic behavior going on where she repeatedly grooms herself, she is doing even  more self grooming than usual. Note the double-handed hair groom. It may have been done  in anticipation of seeing Jose. Now we see her facial expression change as she begins an anticipatory smile.  That means she is getting excited that she will be having  an upcoming interaction with Jose. Like a school girl, she readies and vigorously grooms  herself  so the  man she finds attractive, Jose, will, in turn, find her mutually attractive

Jose sits  down next to her and Casey does an initial eye flash of excited recognition. She then exhibits body language behavior that clearly indicates flirtation and coquettishness. She immediately breaks eye contact and gazes downward, all while trying to suppress a smile. But she cannot do it for long. The truth always leaks out, body language-wise.

She beams a huge toothy smile, as she appears beyond thrilled to see Jose. She immediately notices a change in Jose’s appearance, namely his new hair cut.  She lasers in on his hair change. She obviously likes what she sees, as she can’t stop smiling. We  even hear her saying to Jose that he cut his hair.  No doubt Jose’s new closely cropped 'do makes him look more hip and younger in her eyes, and she lets him know it. Her shoulder is rotated forward, indicting a flirtatious action. She has an open-mouthed, tooth-showing smile, which indicates she can’t hide that she  genuinely likes what she sees.

There is no doubt that Jose is flattered. Both Casey and Jose are now laughing at something they see in the  monitor in front of them. It must really be amusing because Jose’s cheeks are raised and his eyes are crinkling. We have rarely seen Jose with this type of expression. Instead,  we usually see him with a serious facial demeanor.  Casey continues to self groom in subconscious flirtation with Jose.

No matter what they are looking at, it looks bad to others who are watching them.  It would be one thing if Jose was looking at something  in the monitor and it amused him, or if there was something he found funny.  But the fact Casey is joining in and being equally amused is disconcerting. What in the world could be funny two both of them at a time like this? I guess  Casey needs to find joy and laughter where she can because, when she is sentenced to a lethal needle, there will be nothing to laugh about.

And, yes, that is a very real possibility, especially if a jury sees her laughing and smiling and flirting and carrying on like she doesn’t have a care in the world. To a jury, it will be sickening.  That is what happened to Amanda Knox, who  now sits in an Italian jail cell accused  of murdering her roommate. Like Amanda’s jury, who saw her laughing and acting as though she did not have a care in the world, if Casey acts similarly, her actions will anger a jury as well.

It will no longer matter if there is a male juror who finds Casey sexy or attractive, or if a female juror identifies with her or takes pity on her. It will all be negated when she leaks out her true self.  When she shows that she is amused and laughs and flirts, jurors will take that as a signal that she has little or no feeling about what happened to her own daughter Caylee.

Afterword, we see Casey begin to  rigorously groom herself even more. At one point, she even turned away so that we could see the back of her hair, which she creatively coiffed into  an unusual looking do. It looked like a combo of three different styles that she flung to one side and let hang over her shoulder.

The bottom line in all of this is that while Casey’s looks may indeed be a factor  in how she is perceived by a jury, it won’t matter. It's the leaking out of her lustful feelings toward Jose and her uncaring lack of feelings toward her daughter that ultimately will matter to a jury.