Casey Anthony Judge Quits, Blasting Defense Team

The judge in the Casey Anthony murder case has recused himself and unloaded on the accused child murderer's lawyers on his way out the door. The defense team forced the move by accusing Stan Strickland of bias, the Orlando Sentinel reports. "At its core, defense counsel's motion accuses the undersigned of being a ‘self-aggrandizing media hound,'" Strickland wrote. "Indeed. The irony is rich."

Strickland had spoken to a blogger following the case—in open court, he noted in his scathing remarks—as part of his research on the defense's motion for a change of venue. This constituted a "personal relationship," the lawyers argued in a motion filed Friday, the judge wrote, "(courageously!) at 4:48 p.m." He also noted Anthony's counsel has deluged the court with motions, "in between media interviews, guest appearances on television shows, and press conferences."
(More Casey Anthony stories.)