Casey Anthony Sentenced to Four Years in Jail; Release Date Is Next Wednesday
Updated: A Florida judge has sentenced Casey Anthony to four years in jail for her conviction on four misdemeanor counts of lying to investigators.
But credit for time served and good behavior means Anthony will soon see freedom. She will be released next Wednesday, CNN reports in a news alert. Anthony has already spent nearly three years in prison awaiting trial in the death of her daughter.
Judge Belvin Perry sentenced Anthony today to the four-year maximum and fined her $4,000, report the New York Times, CNN and the Orlando Sentinel.
Perry sentenced Anthony to one year on each count, to run consecutively. Anthony’s lawyers had argued the four counts of lying to police should be consolidated into one count, for a maximum one-year sentence.
Anthony was convicted of telling four lies to police, the Associated Press reports. They concern working at the Universal Studios theme park, about leaving her daughter Caylee with a nanny, about leaving her daughter with friends, and about receiving a phone call from the girl.
The Times says Anthony “showed no visible emotion” when she learned her sentence. Though she usually wore her hair in a bun for court proceedings, today she wore it down, the Sentinel reports.
Anthony was acquitted of the more serious murder and manslaughter charges on Tuesday. Protesters who disagreed with the verdict rallied outside the courtroom during the sentencing hearing.
Updated at 10:55 a.m. to include information on Anthony’s release date.
