Surprise Testimony by Perhaps the Oldest Practicing Forensic Pathologist on the Planet

At first glance it looked like maybe the winds blew Carl Fredrickson's house to the Orange County courthouse. Instead, the Ed Asner lookalike, and the defense's second witness of the day, was none other than world renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Werner Spitz. OK, I'd never heard of him until today, but it took about a half hour to go through his credentials, which included 60,000 autopsies. The man has practiced his craft for more than 50 years. If ever there was a qualified expert to render an opinion in a court of law, it is Dr. Spitz.
First, Dr. Bill Rodriguez, another forensic pathologist, began the morning testimony. That lasted a whole 30 minutes before he was dismissed for the day. Seems his testimony about duct tape brought prosecutor Jeff Ashton to his feet, as the information was not included in his report submitted during his pre-trial deposition, apparently a major no-no. In fact, Judge Belvin Perry, who issued a court order addressing this very issue, is considering holding the defense in contempt after the trial ends.
But the real fireworks exploded during Dr. Spitz' cross-examination, when he testified someone placed the hair on the skull in a different position than when it was found prior to the forensic photos taken on the scene. Presumably, law enforcement, the medical examiner's office, or anyone else who might have had access to the skull. That would be law enforcement and the medical examiner's office. Really? Did the Orange County Sheriff's Office really break the law in an effort to find justice for little Caylee Anthony? I think not.
Spitzer also testified the duct tape had to have been placed on the skull after decomposition, contradicting the prosecution's theory that the duct tape was used to suffocate Caylee. He also stated the Orange County Medical Examiner's office, led by Jan Garavaglia, performed a "shoddy autopsy." Wow. Allegations of police misconduct. Mishandling of evidence. Sounds familiar, to those who remember the O.J. Simpson double murder trial, where defense attorney Johnny Cochran planted enough doubt to get O.J. off the hook. And that case also had what I thought strong enough evidence to convict by its own merits.
I can't wait until the defense gets to the heart of its case. Should be very interesting.
Spitz, in his thick accent, also gave us the quote of the day: "The skeleton speaks for itself, it's looking at you, it's looking at me."
I guess I'm a trial geek, but I had to watch the coverage online and HLN due to the incessant commercial breaks. Besides, I need a break from Jean Kasaris, she really annoys me.
Other courtroom observations:  Did the deputy behind the podium start to nod off at one point? Did Casey Anthony turn on the faucet again during Dr. Spitz's testimony, or were those tears real?
More to come!