Thursday 3 July 2014

Royal castle becomes GoT set






The Alcazar of Seville castle in southern Spain has been confirmed as a new filming location for season five of the HBO series "Game of Thrones."The Alcazar of Seville castle in southern Spain has been confirmed as a new filming location for season five of the HBO series "Game of Thrones."

Originally built as a fortress in 712, the castle functions as a royal palace today. Originally built as a fortress in 712, the castle functions as a royal palace today.

The biggest champion of the series' latest destination has been U.S. Ambassador to Spain James Costos, a former vice president at HBO, who announced the news Tuesday. The biggest champion of the series' latest destination has been U.S. Ambassador to Spain James Costos, a former vice president at HBO, who announced the news Tuesday.

Noted for its Moorish influences, the palace will most likely stand in for the Water Gardens of Dorne, the summer residence of House Martell in the popular fantasy series that pivots on blood feuds between rival kingdoms.Noted for its Moorish influences, the palace will most likely stand in for the Water Gardens of Dorne, the summer residence of House Martell in the popular fantasy series that pivots on blood feuds between rival kingdoms.

Having undergone numerous renovations during its long history, the palace is famed for its intricate Andalusian decor. Having undergone numerous renovations during its long history, the palace is famed for its intricate Andalusian decor.


We can't wait to see what Prince Doran will do about his younger brother's gruesome death that rocked last season.

We can't wait to see what Prince Doran will do about his younger brother's gruesome death that rocked last season.

In the series, Princess Myrcella Baratheon, daughter of Cersei Lannister, also resides in Dorne. She was sent to the kingdom in a move calculated to win Dorne over to the House of Lannister. You're getting all this, right? In the series, Princess Myrcella Baratheon, daughter of Cersei Lannister, also resides in Dorne. She was sent to the kingdom in a move calculated to win Dorne over to the House of Lannister. You're getting all this, right?

In addition to the Alcazar of Seville, more "Game of Thrones" filming destinations in Spain -- most likely to do with House Martell -- are expected to be announced. In addition to the Alcazar of Seville, more "Game of Thrones" filming destinations in Spain -- most likely to do with House Martell -- are expected to be announced.

Spain may receive a share of the "Game of Thrones" tourism boom experienced by Croatia and Northern Ireland. Spain may receive a share of the "Game of Thrones" tourism boom experienced by Croatia and Northern Ireland.









  • Read no further if you haven't finished the last season of "Game of Thrones"

  • Alcazar castle in Spain will stand in for Water Gardens of Dorne

  • Filming will commence in October

  • Spain likely to experience "Game of Thrones" tourism boom




(CNN) -- If, like us, you've been wondering about the Red Viper's vaguely Spanish pedigree, you may finally be getting an answer.


A medieval castle in southern Spain will serve as the newest backdrop in the next season of "Game of Thrones."


The staff of the Alcazar of Seville confirmed that the castle has been chosen as a filming site for the series, with shooting slated to begin in October.


Although Alcazar staff didn't confirm the specific fictional landscape the castle will portray, various Internet reports speculate the castle will stand in for the Water Gardens of Dorne, the summer residence of House Martell.


Barring flashbacks or resurrection (please?), we likely won't get to see the charismatic Red Viper, aka Prince Oberyn, in his native setting.


But his elder brother, Prince Doran, should be holding court, and hopefully plotting devastating revenge for his brother's explosive (in a manner of speaking) death in season four of the hugely popular fantasy series that pivots on blood feuds between rival kingdoms.


The biggest champion of the series' latest destination has been U.S. Ambassador to Spain James Costos, a former vice president at HBO, who announced the news Tuesday.


No doubt Spain is excited to receive the flood of "Game of Thrones" tourism that shooting locations in Croatia and Northern Ireland have experienced, although the Seville castle is already a popular destination in its own right.


HBO hasn't yet announced a premiere date for the fifth season of the program.


Royal palace


Built in 712 and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the Alcazar of Seville was originally built as a fortress and became a royal residence in 1248.


It still serves as a royal palace today, and is renowned for its Arabic influences and Mudejar art.


"We've been working with them to organize everything and are really glad with their final decision," an Alcazar representative tells CNN. "We have broad experience in (filming) -- 'Lawrence of Arabia,' 'The Kingdom of Heaven' -- so we're sure it'll be a success for both parties."


In addition to the castle, more "Game of Thrones" filming destinations in Spain -- most likely to do with story lines involving House Martell -- are expected to be announced.


MORE: 20 most beautiful places in Croatia



Dumpster diver's war on waste






Frenchman Baptiste Dubanchet cycled from Paris to Warsaw eating only food that was consigned to the rubbish heap.Frenchman Baptiste Dubanchet cycled from Paris to Warsaw eating only food that was consigned to the rubbish heap.

Dubanchet hopes his garbage-fueled voyage will help highlight the issue of food waste. He says Western countries needlessly throw away huge quantities of salvageable produce.Dubanchet hopes his garbage-fueled voyage will help highlight the issue of food waste. He says Western countries needlessly throw away huge quantities of salvageable produce.

The Frenchman says he ate a lot of raw and cooked vegetables, but without seasoning since he didn't find any. His favorite found foods included a jar of honey, dried apricots and cakes.The Frenchman says he ate a lot of raw and cooked vegetables, but without seasoning since he didn't find any. His favorite found foods included a jar of honey, dried apricots and cakes.

Dubanchet's journey saw him cycle 3,000 kilometers across Europe.Dubanchet's journey saw him cycle 3,000 kilometers across Europe.

Despite traveling through some of Europe's most scenic destinations, Dubanchet had to spend his time finding food rather than touring the landmarks.Despite traveling through some of Europe's most scenic destinations, Dubanchet had to spend his time finding food rather than touring the landmarks.

Supermarkets, restaurants and bakeries were all sources of food on Dubanchet's mission. He says Germany was the easiest country in which to find leftovers, while the Czech Republic was the trickiest.Supermarkets, restaurants and bakeries were all sources of food on Dubanchet's mission. He says Germany was the easiest country in which to find leftovers, while the Czech Republic was the trickiest.

Dubanchet says he's willing to do another dumpster-diving tour, but admits his 10-week trip across Europe took its toll. "It's a very long time to go without drinking a single beer," he says.Dubanchet says he's willing to do another dumpster-diving tour, but admits his 10-week trip across Europe took its toll. "It's a very long time to go without drinking a single beer," he says.









  • Baptiste Dubanchet traveled from France to Poland eating food only found in trash cans

  • The Frenchman says Germany was the easiest country in which to find food, the Czech Republic the trickiest

  • Dubanchet embarked on his mission to highlight the issue of food waste




(CNN) -- For most people a trip across Europe is a chance to see the sights and sample the continent's cuisine.


Unless, like Baptiste Dubanchet, they've got their head buried in a trash can.


The Frenchman, who celebrates his 26th birthday this month, has spent the last 10 weeks dumpster diving -- eating only discarded food -- from France to Poland on a mission to highlight the issue of food waste.


"I didn't really believe I would succeed," Dubanchet told CNN by phone from Warsaw shortly after completing his 3,000-kilometer (1,900 miles) journey by bicycle.


"I thought I would probably starve for four or five days and then I would have to buy something."


Instead, Dubanchet was surprised at the abundance of discarded produce he was able to scavenge from supermarkets, bakeries and restaurants.


He was easily able to fuel himself on his epic trek through Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic.


Along the way, the former fast food worker has learned valuable lessons about the trash habits of the different European nations he visited.


MORE: 25 things we love about Poland




Food for thought.



Rooting through refuse


"I'm trying to protest against the huge waste of food. It's completely absurd and pointless," says Dubanchet, who planned his trip to coincide with the European Union's declared "Year Against Food Waste."


"We're wasting really good resources -- there's so much water, energy and pollution involved in creating something that ends up in the trash. And there are millions of people starving."


Sticking to a strict rule of only eating food that had been thrown out or was destined for the trash, Dubanchet asked the permission of supermarket and restaurant staff before rooting through their refuse.


Occasionally he climbed fences to access dumpsters.


People in some countries were more understanding than others, he says.


"In the Czech Republic, it was quite difficult," he says. "People didn't really understand what the project was -- they thought I was homeless, they didn't really understand the foreigner who asked for food from the trash and all the supermarkets had it quite well locked up.


"I went for days eating mainly just bread."


Germany, he says, was the easiest country for dumpster diving, not because there was more food waste, but because people were more receptive to his mission.


"I think all the countries' waste is about the same. The supermarkets in all countries work in a similar way: the fruit and vegetables must look perfect and the ones that don't go in the trash.


"In Germany, a lot of people were supportive of the project -- sometimes at supermarkets, my request would be asked of the boss and the boss would say no. But then a guy would come back and say, 'I'm really sorry my boss says no, but wait, my boss is a jerk, so come back later and I will get you something."


MORE: Amsterdam's Wurlitzer wizards bring back the music


Right place, right time


Luxembourg, too, is a land of plenty for dumpster divers, according to Dubanchet, something he puts down to its relative wealth and relaxed rules on food disposal.


As part of his mission, the sustainable development graduate also visited schools to explain his mission to students -- and at the same time chow down on leftovers from the school cafeteria.




Hungry for change.



While he admits growing weary of a diet of stale bread and raw vegetables, there were some culinary highlights -- particularly during his darkest days in the Czech Republic.


"I arrived at a vegan restaurant in Prague where they were so busy they were turning people away," he recalls. "I explained what I was doing to the waiter and he came back minutes later with this beautifully designed plate of food and said 'do you want this?'


"It was the wrong order for the customer and they were going to throw it away. I was starving and I arrived at the right place at the right time."


Other highlights included a jar of honey and dried apricots found in Germany, some tinned goods from Luxembourg and a box of 12 eggs -- consigned to the garbage can because just one was broken.


"I was always happy when I had cakes and sweet things because they don't need cooking and when you're on a bicycle, you need the energy," he adds.


Dubanchet says he hopes in the future to work with supermarkets and restaurants to find ways of reducing waste.


He doesn't rule out further dumpster diving missions.


"Why not? Although when you're eating absolutely nothing that doesn't come from the trash, you go a long time without eating what you want.


"And it's a very long time to go without drinking a single beer."


You can follow Dubanchet's ongoing project at La Faim du Monde .



Contraception mandate exception?





  • Justices say college doesn't have to comply with Obamacare mandate

  • The decision favoring Wheaton College outside Chicago is only temporary

  • Wheaton is an educational institution, a religious charity previously won a similar ruling

  • NEW: Three justices issue sharp dissent to Thursday's decision




(CNN) -- A Chicago-area evangelical college won a temporary victory at the Supreme Court on Thursday over an Obamacare requirement that religious non-profits provide contraception insurance to their workers.


Wheaton College objected to potential fines if it refused to provide coverage or sign a release form, saying that doing so would be morally wrong. The court said it didn't have to do either for now.


The requirement in the health law championed by President Barack Obama has been challenged broadly by groups that oppose abortion.


Earlier this week, the justices ruled 5-4 the government cannot force certain for-profit companies to offer contraception coverage under Obamacare.


The court decision staying enforcement in the Wheaton case only gives the school a pass until the matter is decided by lower courts.


Still, it represents an important victory for those objecting to the socially-charged requirement and follows a similar high court ruling last year for a religious charity, the Little Sisters of the Poor.


The mandate stemmed from a compromise between the Obama administration and religous-based non-profits like hospitals and faith-based universities that oppose birth control.


It would make contraceptives available under the Affordable Care Act with no co-pay but give those entities a work-around through health plans written by third parties.


Three justices sharply dissented from Thursday's decision, including Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan.


"It is not the business of this court to ensnare itself in the government's ministerial handling of its affairs in the manner it does here," Sotomayor said.


The contraception issue has been a major sticking point of Obamacare, which has been the subject of enormous legal and political controversy.


The Supreme Court majority in the Wheaton case made clear it has not decided the larger legal and constitutional issues, but merely acted on the enforcement question.


The issue could be presented to the justices in coming months for final review.


Wheaton is a private Christian liberal arts school located in a Chicago suburb, and is represented in court by the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty.


What the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision means



Booted after mocking the white guys


Maya Peterson posted this image on Instagram with hashtags some called offensive.


Maya Peterson posted this image on Instagram with hashtags some called offensive.






  • First black, female student president removed for mocking white classmates at NJ prep school

  • Student says she only mocking white, misogynist culture of the school

  • Former student: "On my way to class and back, I passed by three confederate flags"




(CNN) -- Money, prestige and race are front and center in an ongoing controversy surrounding one of the most expensive prep schools in the country and its former student-body president.


Maya Peterson was the first black female student president of The Lawrenceville School, an affluent academy for boarding and day students located in New Jersey.


This March, after Peterson mocked her white male classmates on Instagram, she claims she was asked to step down or face disciplinary action.


According to reports, Peterson took the first option and resigned under administrative pressure.


The Instagram photos that led to Peterson's ouster are seemingly harmless: Peterson is dressed in stereotypical preppy male clothing, holding a hockey stick and staring straight into the camera.


But with added hashtags including "#confederate," "#romney2016" and "#peakedinhighschool" some Lawrenceville students thought the pictures were offensive.


"You're the student body president, and you're mocking and blatantly insulting a large group of the school's male population," one student commented on the photo.


Some took it further.


On the school's Facebook alumni page, comments included some visceral personal attacks calling Peterson "a racist" and one post referring to her has a "miserable person" and "spoiled malcontent."


"The PC policies and diversity for the sake of diversity over the last fifteen years ... have precipitated this sort of event," one commenter said.


Peterson acknowledged her post could make white students uncomfortable.


"Yes, I am making a mockery of the right-wing, confederate-flag hanging, openly misogynistic Lawrentians," Peterson told BuzzFeed. "If that's a large portion of the school's male population, then I think the issue is not with my bringing attention to it in a lighthearted way, but rather why no one has brought attention to it before."


Peterson could not be reached for comment by CNN as of publication.


Posting the Instagram photo was a response to fellow classmates' concerns regarding her yearbook picture, Peterson told BuzzFeed. In the yearbook photo, she and 10 black friends raised their fists in the classic "black power" salute.


Peterson's point of view is not unfounded, according to other Lawrenceville graduates.


Anthony Smith graduated from The Lawrenceville School in 2007 and recounted several instances of racism on campus, in an e-mail exchange with CNN.


In some cases racial slurs were directed at him, he said.


"I was really weirded out by how flippantly (racial slurs) were used," he said.


Other things on campus made him uncomfortable.


"On my way to class and back, I passed by three confederate flags," Smith said.


Smith noted that, to his knowledge, those responsible for the flags were never punished.


"The fact that Maya and friends were reprimanded for throwing up black power signs that made white students uncomfortable but these white students are never, to my knowledge, reprimanded for making black students uncomfortable is the definition of racism."


A school representative declined to comment on the presence of confederate flags on campus.


In a statement, The Lawrenceville School said it "works hard to foster an inclusive, open and engaging atmosphere that gives all students opportunities to be heard, feel respected and succeed."


Prior to the Instagram photo, Peterson was involved in several controversial incidents, according to BuzzFeed.


Soon after Peterson's election, Dean of Students Nancy Thomas told students she had received anonymous photographs that included evidence of marijuana usage and inappropriate tweets by Peterson. As detailed in an article in The Lawrence, the school newspaper, the tweets were found to be fabricated, and Peterson apologized for the drug usage.


The yearbook "salute" and Instagram photo were the final straw. Peterson was ousted as student-body president.


CNN confirmed Peterson has since graduated from The Lawrenceville School.


"I understand why I hurt people's feelings, but I didn't become president to make sure rich white guys had more representation on campus," she said.


"Let's be honest. They're not the ones that feel uncomfortable here."



Don't miss out on the conversation we're having at CNN Living. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest stories and tell us what's influencing your life.


Other students disagree, and believe The Lawrenceville School serves all its students with integrity.


Lindsey Gallinek, a 2012 Lawrenceville alumna now at Wake Forest University, posted a response to the BuzzFeed article titled, "In response to poor reporting."


"While I may never know what Maya Peterson endured, I do know that Lawrenceville tried to shape us to be the best people we could be," she wrote. "Students were constantly exposed to current events and controversial issues because The Lawrenceville School wanted us to realize that there are still many problems in the world."


Gallinek placed blame with the individual students who broke the school's honor code, including Peterson.


"While Maya Peterson should not have Instagrammed that photo because she was acting as a leader, the students quoted in the article should not have made such strong statements against her."


Even Smith, the 2007 alumnus who remembers instances of racism on the Lawrenceville campus, wanted to stress the kind nature of some faculty members.


Smith, who is openly gay, says that during his time there, staff went out of their way to make sure he felt comfortable.


One adviser for the Catholic Students Club added "that's so gay" to the swear jar to limit bullying.


"I felt so safe," Smith said. "I will never forget that as long as I live."


Even so, he stands with Peterson.


"Being comfortable enough to complain about another student by name in high school is the definition of privilege," he said. "I think that students of color at Lawrenceville stood so much more to lose when complaining about prejudice and discomfort than white students did."



Forget selfies -- make way for 'dronies'





  • A new breed of selfie -- the "dronie" -- is hitting the Web

  • Drone owners are using the aircraft to show themselves

  • The term "dronie" was coined on video site Vimeo

  • One family shares drone video from their nationwide trip




(CNN) -- Forget selfies. Those are so 2013.


Make way, instead, for a new way so show your handsome, or lovely, mug to the Internet -- a budding Web movement that combines high-tech geekery with the human desire to be seen.


Call them "dronies."


As personal drones find their way into more and more hands, folks have begun using the personal, unmanned aircraft, kitted out with video cameras, to add a little flare to the Internet's ubiquitous "look at me" self-shots.


"Let's be honest, selfies aren't going anywhere," said Alexandra Dao, a community development manager at video site Vimeo. "But the dramatic reveal aspect adds another level of interest."


There may be no such thing as a "dronie expert" just yet. But Dao does claim the distinction of coining the term.


About two months ago, she saw that a friend had commented on a video posted to the site by tech entrepreneur Amit Gupta. It was shot on San Francisco's Bernal Hill, starting with a closeup of Gupta and two friends, then panning up and out to show the San Fran skyline.





Amazon drones preparing for takeoff




Do drones jeopardize your privacy?




Why a college is using drones on campus

The friend "proclaimed it a new kind of shot," she said, "and I jumped in with the suggestion of 'dronie'."


A few more dronies popped up the following day, leading Dao to begin collecting them on a new Vimeo channel.


From there, it started the march to becoming a Web trend. A Web trend with a silly name? Sure. But, hey ... it's no "owling."


iReport: Remote aerial photography


Twitter got into the action last month. At the Cannes Lions advertising festival in France, the social-media service garnered some free publicity using drones to create scenic Vine videos of employees with other festival attendees.


The first was of "Star Trek" actor and social-media star Patrick Stewart, who appears in a new Twitter documentary.


Twitter's not alone. As these things go, some early Web celebs are emerging in the dronie world.


The Works family, Josh, Jessa and their son, Jack, sold all their stuff and took off on a permanent road trip in their Airstream bus in 2011. (Both parents have jobs that let them work from anywhere). They're documenting the trip with often stunning photos on Instagram and, somewhere along the way, got their own drone.


Voila! The "first family" of dronies is born.


There was the one three weeks ago from Camp Creek in Oregon, where the drone flies up to showcase the towering trees in the site's old-growth forest. Or their first, a vertigo-inducing zoom-out on Vance Creek Bridge in Washington, the second-highest built bridge in the United States.


It remains to be seen whether dronies will become just another flash in the pan on the fast-twitch Web, or a more enduring Web presence like the venerable animated GIF.


Dao says she's seeing some momentum.


"I've definitely noticed more interest in using drones for photography and filmmaking, even amongst my friends," she said.


"Drones just open up so many possibilities for interesting compositions and they're a lot more accessible than some of the professional equipment that filmmakers have had to use in the past to get these kinds of shots."



What life is like now for Casey Anthony





  • This week marks three years since the Casey Anthony verdict

  • Caylee Anthony went missing in June 2008

  • Today, Casey Anthony is in undisclosed location in Florida

  • She chooses not to go out in public




Editor's note:


(CNN) -- It was three years ago that people across the nation and around the world held their breath.


After a two-month trial, the jury in the Casey Anthony murder trial announced they had arrived at a verdict.


Anthony was found not guilty of first-degree murder and the other most serious charges against her in the 2008 death of her 2-year-old daughter.









Casey Anthony, pictured with attorney Cheney Mason last summer, was acquitted of the death of her daughter Caylee on July 5, 2011, after 33 days in court. Take a look back through her trial, which ended three years ago this week.Casey Anthony, pictured with attorney Cheney Mason last summer, was acquitted of the death of her daughter Caylee on July 5, 2011, after 33 days in court. Take a look back through her trial, which ended three years ago this week.



Anthony reacts to being found not guilty in Orlando, Florida, with her attorney Jose Baez by her side.Anthony reacts to being found not guilty in Orlando, Florida, with her attorney Jose Baez by her side.



Many people, both locally and nationally, followed the case. From left, Taci Bullis, Tina Barthlow and Julie Steele of Pittsburgh visit a memorial for Caylee Anthony, where the 2-year-old's remains were found on July 15, 2011.Many people, both locally and nationally, followed the case. From left, Taci Bullis, Tina Barthlow and Julie Steele of Pittsburgh visit a memorial for Caylee Anthony, where the 2-year-old's remains were found on July 15, 2011.



The not-guilty charge divided many people who followed the case. Flora Reece, center, of Orlando protests the verdict outside the Orange County Courthouse on July 7, 2011.The not-guilty charge divided many people who followed the case. Flora Reece, center, of Orlando protests the verdict outside the Orange County Courthouse on July 7, 2011.



Jose Baez, lead defense counsel for Casey Anthony, answers questions after jurors reached their verdict last year. Co-counsel Cheney Mason looks on.Jose Baez, lead defense counsel for Casey Anthony, answers questions after jurors reached their verdict last year. Co-counsel Cheney Mason looks on.



Judge Belvin Perry looks at evidence as it's presented during the trial last summer.Judge Belvin Perry looks at evidence as it's presented during the trial last summer.



Spectators in the courthouse wait for the trial's first day to begin on May 24, 2011.Spectators in the courthouse wait for the trial's first day to begin on May 24, 2011.



Anthony's mother, Cindy, reacts to a photo of her granddaughter, Caylee, on a monitor during her testimony on June 14, 2011, day 18 of the trial.Anthony's mother, Cindy, reacts to a photo of her granddaughter, Caylee, on a monitor during her testimony on June 14, 2011, day 18 of the trial.



Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton holds crime scene evidence during a cross-examination of entomologist Dr. Tim Huntington.Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton holds crime scene evidence during a cross-examination of entomologist Dr. Tim Huntington.



Anthony looks on during testimony at her murder trial.Anthony looks on during testimony at her murder trial.



Crime scene investigator Steven Hanson testifies about crime scene photos.Crime scene investigator Steven Hanson testifies about crime scene photos.



Dr. Werner Spitz, a forensic expert, testifies for the defense on Saturday, June 18, 2011. (Note: Per instruction from the court, the photo that he's using, which shows the skull of Caylee Anthony, has been digitally obscured.)Dr. Werner Spitz, a forensic expert, testifies for the defense on Saturday, June 18, 2011. (Note: Per instruction from the court, the photo that he's using, which shows the skull of Caylee Anthony, has been digitally obscured.)



An evidence photo shows trash found in the trunk of a car.An evidence photo shows trash found in the trunk of a car.



Anthony becomes upset and ill during testimony.Anthony becomes upset and ill during testimony.



Lee, Anthony's brother, takes the stand to testify.Lee, Anthony's brother, takes the stand to testify.



Anthony's mother, Cindy, wears a bracelet commemorating her granddaughter Caylee.Anthony's mother, Cindy, wears a bracelet commemorating her granddaughter Caylee.



Jennifer Welch, a crime scene investigator with the Orange County Sheriff's Office, shows letters from Caylee's T-shirt that were entered into evidence.Jennifer Welch, a crime scene investigator with the Orange County Sheriff's Office, shows letters from Caylee's T-shirt that were entered into evidence.



Casey Anthony's defense team surrounds her in a group hug after the then-25-year-old was acquitted.Casey Anthony's defense team surrounds her in a group hug after the then-25-year-old was acquitted.



Tim Allen, right, and David Antolic hold signs in front of a jail in Orlando, Florida, on July 16, 2011, the day before Anthony will be released.Tim Allen, right, and David Antolic hold signs in front of a jail in Orlando, Florida, on July 16, 2011, the day before Anthony will be released.



Anthony, second from left, leaves with attorney Jose Baez from the Booking and Release Center at the Orange County Jail on July 17, 2011.Anthony, second from left, leaves with attorney Jose Baez from the Booking and Release Center at the Orange County Jail on July 17, 2011.



Anthony has kept a low profile since her release. She remains in hiding, fearful for her safety and her life. She says she's received numerous threats because people still believe she is guilty of the crime. But she continues to fight to convince them that she is not guilty, which a jury decided 12 months ago.Anthony has kept a low profile since her release. She remains in hiding, fearful for her safety and her life. She says she's received numerous threats because people still believe she is guilty of the crime. But she continues to fight to convince them that she is not guilty, which a jury decided 12 months ago.







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Photos: Casey Anthony on trialPhotos: Casey Anthony on trial





Casey Anthony, pictured with Cheney Mason last summer, lives in an undisclosed location in Florida.

Casey Anthony, pictured with Cheney Mason last summer, lives in an undisclosed location in Florida.



The nation was first introduced to Casey Anthony in July 2008. The country fell in love with her precious daughter, Caylee, who had gone missing in Orlando, Florida.


A massive missing persons search for the little girl ensued.


Police were suspicious of what Anthony, then 22, was telling them. She lied about her nanny taking the child. She lied about working at Universal Studios.


Anthony suddenly became the most hated woman in America.


On July 16, 2008, Anthony was arrested on suspicion of child neglect. Her attorney was an unknown Florida lawyer named Jose Baez. A Florida grand jury indicted Anthony on capital murder charges October 14, 2008. A utility worker found Caylee's skeletal remains in a wooded area near the Anthony home in December 2008, and several months later, prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty.


Florida v. Casey Anthony: A look back at evidence and testimony


Watching in the wings was another Florida lawyer, Cheney Mason. A former president of the Florida Association of Criminal Lawyers, Mason, who just that year had been selected by Florida Monthly magazine as one of Florida's top lawyers, was disgusted with the local media coverage about the relatively inexperienced Baez.




Caylee Anthony was last seen alive in June 2008.

Caylee Anthony was last seen alive in June 2008.



"I was offended by it. I was offended by the fact that he wasn't being treated fairly. I didn't know Baez. I had never met him," Mason said.


Baez started asking Mason, a Florida death penalty qualified attorney, for advice. That propelled Mason to want to meet Anthony. He remembers going to the Orange County jail to introduce himself.


"They brought her to the room, and I have to tell you I was really surprised to see how small she is ... how tiny she is. I stood looking at a child herself. I said this can't be," he said.


I sat down with Mason exclusively to talk with him about his new book, "Justice in America." In it, he insists that the jury got it right, and the rest of the country had it wrong.


"Could she look you in the eye?" I asked.


"Oh yes," Mason responded, describing her demeanor as quiet, afraid and unsure.


After that meeting, with Anthony's approval, Mason decided to join the team pro bono. He said the unpaid time he spent on the case "was well over a million dollars" and cost him tens of thousands of dollars out-of-pocket.


Mason said in the years before trial, he normally met with Anthony in a lunch room at the jail. The jail would clear everyone out before Anthony came in. A stationary video camera in the room was positioned on their conversations, so he and Anthony would cover their mouths and speak in low tones to each other, Mason said.





Lawyer: Casey effectively still in prison




A look back at the Casey Anthony story

Shortly before jury selection was to begin, Mason got word that Anthony's handwritten letters describing sexual abuse at the hands of her father were going to be made public under Florida's open records law.


He believed it was only right that Anthony's parents, George and Cindy, were warned. He called them to his office late on a Friday afternoon.


"We had them one at a time come into my personal office and made the announcement: 'Monday's going to be a bad day for you George. I felt man to man I would tell you in advance.""


Mason said George Anthony's reaction was "basically none." "He looked at me ... I turned sideways a little bit, he clapped his hands down on his thighs -- let out a big sigh but didn't say anything," Mason said.


"He never admitted doing anything," Mason said. "All we had were the letters and (separately) the statements Casey had made to the psychiatrist."


Next it was Cindy Anthony's turn. "We called Mom in, Cindy, and told her and she immediately welled up with emotion, cried, was very upset," Mason said.


Once a jury was selected it was time for the evidentiary portion of the trial. Baez gave the opening statements. In the midst of telling the jury what the evidence would show, he delivered a bombshell that turned the case on its head by telling the jury that his client was a victim of sexual abuse by her father.


The country was stunned and so was Mason, who was sitting next to Anthony in the courtroom.


"I didn't know that he was going to say that. We had talked about all aspects of it, and I did not know. I don't know if anybody knew that he was going to say that other than himself," Mason recalled.


I asked Mason if he was concerned the defense would not be able to establish this with evidence as promised during the opening statement. Mason said he was.


"Yes, I was concerned about that because I knew we didn't have the ability to prove that unless George got on the stand and confessed," he said.


The prosecution responded by making George Anthony its first witness. The first question Assistant State Attorney Jeff Ashton asked him was whether he had sexually abused his daughter. George Anthony responded with a definitive no.


The trial went on for weeks. Witness after witness took the stand for the prosecution in the largely circumstantial case. They finally rested their case on June 15, 2011. Then it was the defense's turn.


Anthony's defense attorneys maintained that Caylee was not murdered at all. They said the child drowned in the Anthony's above-ground pool, and that Casey Anthony and her father panicked upon finding her there and covered up the death. George Anthony denied that in his testimony.


Casey Anthony: 'I didn't kill my daughter'


In the midst of the defense case, Mason described how out-of-court conversations with the prosecution suddenly turned to possible plea discussions. Anthony was approached with the possibility.


"Casey got very angry about that. She got very angry to hear talk about it. She didn't want to hear it." Mason said. "Casey would fight it 'til her last breath. She didn't kill her daughter."


Mason said he believes it took a lot of courage and strength for Anthony to end any talk of a plea agreement. She knew what was at stake in this death penalty trial.


So, plea discussions were stopped in their tracks, Mason said, and the trial went on.


Then, on July 5, 2011, after deliberating for 10 hours, jurors announced they had reached a verdict.


"She was holding her breath like a deep sea diver, waiting as we all were," Mason said.


Anthony was acquitted by the 12-person jury on the most serious charges, including first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child. But the jury convicted her on four misdemeanors of providing false information to law enforcement officers.


Anthony now lives in an undisclosed location in Florida and doesn't go out of the home she is living in because of the public hate and continued threats to her life, Mason said.


"She has to live constantly on guard. She can't go out in public," Mason said.


By her own choice, she works inside the home, Mason said, and is living as "a housekeeper, clerk, secretary and stuff like that."


"I think Casey has a lot of world left to have to deal with. She hasn't been freed from her incarceration yet 'cause she can't go out. She can't go to a beauty parlor, she can't go shopping to a department store, she can't go to a restaurant, she can't even go to McDonald's. She can't do anything," he said.


Mason and his wife, Shirley, have continued a relationship with Anthony. Now three years after being acquitted, Mason said Anthony still distrusts the outside world.


"Casey is aloof," Mason said. "She is kind of, I think, afraid of people ... she's not real close to. We've had a couple of occasions to have social gatherings that can include her -- close friends, the (legal) team. She still likes to back away from the middle."


2012: Anthony's 'video diary' surfaces


Anthony "does not have any blood family anymore," Mason said. The family she has is the residual of the defense team, Dorothy Clay Sims, Lisabeth Fryer and Mason's wife.


Mason said although there may have been a few conversations between Anthony and her mother in recent years, there is no relationship.


And as for a relationship with her father? "None," Mason said emphatically.


Shirley Mason has also gotten to know Anthony over the past three years.


"I'm a cross between a friend, a mother, but not a mother -- only someone who is older who has had experience in the world she has not had," she said.


Mason gives Anthony advice, but also listens to her when they talk.


"My hope for her is it gets better for her and the world or the people who have been so hateful can let that go and they can move on," she said.


Anthony "tries to make her life work," Shirley Mason said. She takes care of herself and stays physically fit by working out in the house.


"I do think she wants to speak out," Mason said. Anthony declined CNN's request for an interview.


"I have never asked her that, but I know she has very strong feelings for what has happened to her. I also know she's very saddened by her loss and she will never forget her daughter Caylee, ever."