Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony [Hardcover]

Jeff Ashton (Author), Lisa Pulitzer (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 15, 2011

Jeff Ashton was part of the prosecution team in the Florida homicide trial of Casey Anthony, the single mother accused of murdering her little girl, Caylee. The most sensational courtroom drama since the infamous O.J. Simpson affair, the Casey Anthony trial had people coast-to-coast riveted. In his stunning true crime masterwork, Imperfect Justice, Ashton gives a fascinating and impassioned insider’s account of the investigation, the trial, and the acquittal that shocked the nation, and makes a powerful case as to why allowing Anthony to walk free was a devastating travesty of justice.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Filled with explosive new information, this is the definitive inside story of the case that captivated the nation and the verdict that no one saw coming

It was the trial that stunned America, the verdict that shocked us all. On July 5, 2011, nearly three years after her initial arrest, Casey Anthony walked away, virtually scot-free, from one of the most sensational murder trials of all time. She'd been accused of killing her daughter, Caylee, but the trial only left behind more questions: Was she actually innocent? What really happened to Caylee? Was this what justice really looked like?

In Imperfect Justice, prosecutor Jeff Ashton, one of the principal players in the case's drama, sheds light on those questions and much more, telling the behind-the-scenes story of the investigation, the trial, and the now-infamous verdict. Providing an inside account of the case, Ashton, a career prosecutor for the state of Florida, goes where the press and pundits have only speculated, detailing what really happened during the investigation, showing how the prosecution built their case, and explaining how a woman so shrouded in suspicion was proclaimed innocent.

Moving beyond the simple explanations, Ashton offers an in-depth look at the complex figure of Casey Anthony, a woman whose lies he spent three years trying to understand. And yet this focus on Casey came with its own risks; here he details how this widespread fixation on Casey—both in the media and in the trial—may have undermined the case itself. As everyone got caught up in the quest to understand the supposed villain, somehow the victim, Caylee, was all but forgotten—not just to the public, but more important, to the jury.

Complete with never-before-revealed information about the case and the accused, Ashton examines what the prosecution got right, what they got wrong, and why he remains completely convinced of Casey Anthony's guilt.

About the Author

Jeff Ashton recently retired from a thirty-year career as a prosecutor in Orlando, Florida. He is the most experienced homicide prosecutor in the history of Orange County and a veteran of more than seventy successful homicide prosecutions. He lives in Florida.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (November 15, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006212532X
• ISBN-13: 978-0062125323
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.3 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (399 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 97 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book about a sad story November 18, 2011

By Carol Sandoval

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I heard that Jeff Ashton was writing a book about the trial of Casey Anthony for the murder of her daughter Caylee, I knew I would buy it as soon as it was released. I followed the case closely, mesmerized, as was much of the country, and I watched a lot of the trial. I did not, however, have high expectations that the book would be well written and informative. It was released only a few months after the end of the trial and written by someone whose background is as an attorney, not a writer, and someone who is adjusting to being retired after a very all-consuming career. I have read other non-fiction books by authors with some of those same qualities and many are clearly in need of more time to reflect on what happened and in need of much more proofreading and the assistance of a good editor. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It is extremely well written and provides information in a way that helped me to understand more about Caylee's death and the decisions made in prosecuting Casey for her murder. I especially found the information about the discovery of the body and the processing of the crime scene and conclusions reached from what was found very informative.

Mr. Ashton is certainly not lacking in self-confidence about his work, but I would think a strong ego may be a good quality in an attorney, particularly a trial attorney. Watching the trial, I was very positively impressed with the work of the prosecution and I will never understand the jury's decision. Thank you to all who worked so hard to try to see that Casey was held accountable for killing her daughter and thank you, Mr. Ashton, for taking the first few months of your retirement to help the rest of us gain a better understanding of the crime and the trial. Maybe now, Mr. Ashton will be able to spend some time enjoying his family and spend less time thinking about the side of human nature that he had to face in this case and the other prosecutions he was involved in.

80 of 85 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting and worth the read November 16, 2011

By amandalea

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I work in Orlando & grew up in the area. I watched this case from day one & was immediately impressed by Jeff Ashton. I read a sample of the book on my Kindle and was immediately drawn in; I had to buy it. I can relate to a lot of the descriptions and surroundings he talks about in FL and love his insight on his career and his impression of the defense. I would absolutely say this is a must read of you are at all still interested in this case and on the team of knowing this woman is guilty of murdering her child. Reading this makes me want to go to law school.

240 of 271 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ for anyone who's followed this case! November 15, 2011

By MMom

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The first part of the book is a review of the case facts... stuff that was already hashed up a million times over to anyone who's followed this case. It's a nice refresher course and describes every detail, so anyone who hasn't followed (or our kids who may want to read about it in the future) will know exactly what went on.

At about chapter 13-16 (somewhere around there) it starts getting really good. We get to hear about how sneaky Baez was - you haven't seen half of it til you've read this! Imagine that slimy lawyer we saw on the news and at trial... that was only a fraction of how disgusting he truly is!

There are parts that are funny.. like when Linda Drane Burdick dressed up in a "Casey Anthony" costume (blue hoodie with the number 82 from Target & white sunglasses) as a joke for the ride to jury selection...

Wow.. just read the book - you won't be disappointed - well, you might become 10000 times angrier at Baez and Casey and hate them a lot more lol They even explain how the fake drowning/molestation story came about.

Kudos to Mr. Ashton for writing this book. I truly hope it helped him to heal... it was obvious that his emotions got the best of him (all fo them) Mr. Ashton, Ms. Burdick & Mr. George are Caylee's heros.