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BY JESSICA FLY
ANCHOR JIM FLINK
You're watching multisource US video news analysis from Newsy.
The Casey Anthony trial came to an abrupt halt Saturday.
The defense asked for a psychological evaluation - saying Anthony was incompetent to stand trial.
Court was back in session Monday when the judge ruled her competent.
NBC: “The many faces of Casey Anthony: crying, laughing, studious distracted, signs of a mental break? On Saturday, the courtroom camera caught the accused murderer in this beyond the courtroom meeting. The 25 year-old in deep conversation with her attorney and others. A short time later, her lawyers asked the court to declare her incompetent.”
Competency means the ability to understand the court proceedings and support your defense.
It is not the same as insanity -- which means the defendant cannot tell right from wrong.
Three independent psychologists evaluated Anthony through Sunday.
And ABC has the outcome -- and suggests, there could be something more than competency questions going on.
“Based upon the reports that the court has reviewed, the court will find that the defendant is competent to continue to proceed.”
“Legal experts say the competency motion opens the door to an appeal but it may also mean Casey Anthony is pushing to testify against the advice of her attorneys.”
Florida’s WKMG had previously spoken with one of the psychologists - who gives insight into what makes someone competent or incompetent.
“One of those three experts, Ryan Hall, is the same Blake Mary expert, Local 6 interviewed in 2008 about mothers who kill.”
Hall: “You have to look at the motivation of why they’re doing that and why they feel they have to do that.”
“Have to kill their own child.”
A lawyer for CNN deems the case -- one that will be taught in law school for years. She says among many other events -- the incompetency plea is highly unusual.
“I have never seen in all the cases I’ve tried and all the high-profile cases I’ve covered a time where in the middle of trial suddenly the defendant becomes incompetent. So it’s highly unusual and I think it’s incredibly curious that it happened right after that huge emotional breakdown we saw her have on Friday.”
A lawyer for Fox News says Anthony’s credibility is shot - and an incompetency ruling wouldn’t help her.
“I think going into that opening there wasn’t anybody else on the planet who could prove those things but Casey Anthony. And I think that this last minute competency motion is, frankly, bogus, it’s bogus.”
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Transcript by Newsy.
