State Rests Case Against Casey Anthony

The state rested its case against Casey Anthony this morning, with the defense team immediately asking the judge for an acquittal on three major charges, including first-degree premeditated murder. The defense contends that there is no evidence that excludes the possibility Anthony’s daughter Caylee was not murdered. Chief Judge Belvin Perry denied the request, and recessed the court until Friday.

"These are strictly questions for the jury to decide," Perry said. "The state has presented substantial competent evidence for this jury, who is the trial fact in this particular case, to decide this particular issue." Prosecutors had contended that a reasonable jury could conclude either duct tape or chloroform poisoning killed Caylee, and noted that computer searches performed in advance of Caylee’s death point to pre-meditation, the Orlando Sentinel reports. Click for the latest testimony from the trial. (More Casey Anthony stories.)