ORLANDO, FL -- An Orange County judge will not allow the release of a controversial jailhouse video that shows Casey Anthony's reaction when she learned that the remains of a child had been found near her home.
The ruling is a victory for Casey's defense, which sought to keep the video from being made public.
Circuit judge Stan Strickland issued the order on Wednesday to seal the video which was made on December 11. It later was determined the child's remains were those of Casey's missing daughter, 2-year-old Caylee Anthony (photos).
Casey's lawyers had argued their client's rights were violated when she was videotaped. She reportedly doubled over and hyperventalated upon hearing the news.
"Her hands started to sweat. She started rubbing them profusely. She was in waist chains and handcuffs and she kept saying, 'The waist chains are getting tighter and tighter on me, please loosen them,'" Jail Lt. Tammy Unser told Detective Philip Graves during an interview.
Judge Strickland watched the video and determined it could taint potential jurors.
"Given the nature and scope of the pretrial publicity, it is not unreasonable to assume that many persons in the potential jury pool might view this video and develop a 'hardened' attitude in reference to the defendant's guilt," he wrote.
Strickland also wrote in his 3-page order order, "While the court is loathe to shield any public record, an argument can certainly be made that the contents of the video are highly inflammatory."
Casey (photos) is charged with murdering Caylee. She claims a babysitter took the child, whose skeletal remains were found in a wooded area just a few blocks from the Anthony home.
Her trial is set for October.
