Social media guided defense in Casey Anthony case

ORLANDO, Fla. — A consultant for Casey Anthony's attorneys analyzed more than 40,000 highly charged opinions — negative and positive — on social-media sites and blogs, and used them to help the defense craft its trial strategy.

Whether it worked is difficult to gauge, but a jury last week found Casey Anthony not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee Marie.

"When bloggers and others in social-media sites started to attack George Anthony about his alleged mistress, the defense team beefed up their questions against him," said Fort Lauderdale-based consultant Amy Singer. "None of the bloggers ever changed their minds about him."

The innovative pro bono tactic by Singer shows how social-media sites such as Facebook and Twitter could revolutionize the way lawyers defend their clients, especially in highly publicized cases such as the Casey Anthony murder trial.

"This is the first time I have heard of this kind of consulting for a trial, and it's incredible," said Florida A&M University professor Shiv Persaud. "It definitely might become a part of my curriculum in trial practice. We could benefit from a new type of tool we didn't have before."

Every day of the trial, Singer and her revolving team of at least five people scanned thousands of tweets, Facebook posts and messages from bloggers.

They gauged opinions about defense and state attorneys, witness testimonies, evidence and especially the focus of the trial: Casey Anthony.

Those opinions were presented to Casey Anthony's defense attorney, Jose Baez, who initially had his doubts about the social-media tactic. Ultimately, Singer said, Baez would decide how and what he was willing to adjust in his trial strategy.

When public opinion on Twitter or Facebook changed dramatically, Singer said she made it clear to the defense that it needed to tweak its strategy.

"A perfect example was Cindy Anthony," Singer recalled. "People hated her when she admitted to the chloroform searches, but there were many who said she lied out of motherly instinct. They felt a kinship, especially mothers. In closing, the defense softened its approach and said she lied to protect (Casey Anthony)."

Singer, a trial consultant and litigation psychologist with experience in high-profile cases such as the O.J. Simpson trial, William Kennedy Smith rape case and the Jack Kevorkian euthanasia case, said she learned plenty from the countless hours spent reading and analyzing social-media traffic.

"I've spent 32 years listening to people's reactions to trial stimulus, but it's never been anything like this," Singer said. "This whole case was driven by social media. We really tapped into people's minds, and I think it's a tool that should be used by defense and prosecution."

Danielle Tavernier of the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office said their prosecutors use social-media sites to locate witnesses but do not hire jury consultants.

"It's really a question of cost. We do not have the resources to spend time reviewing social media," Tavernier said. "We have other cases to prosecute, but maybe it's something that could develop in the future."