Anthony Found Mentally Competent to Stand Trial

The most compelling data points in the Casey Anthony trial may very well center around duct tape, forensics, and the ladder climbing skills of a young child, but another significant data point occurred Monday, when a judge ruled that the 25-year-old is competent to remain on trial.

Judger Belvin Perry told jurors Monday that attorneys had asked that Anthony be examined for mental competency in order for the trial to proceed, CBSNews.com reported Monday.

Perry stated that Anthony was determined to be mentally competent to continue with the trial after she was seen by three, court-ordered psychologists, the Orlando Sentiment reported Monday.

Anthony has been charged with first-degree murder. If convicted, she faces a possible death sentence. She has pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution claims Casey Anthony suffocated her daughter, Caylee, with duct tape in June 2008, then stored the body in the trunk of a car. Casey Anthony didn't report the toddler was missing for 31 days.

Conversely, the defense has concentrated on the prosecution's forensic evidence, including an FBI technician's testimony that duct tape found attached to Caylee Anthony's decomposed skull was contaminated during testing by another technician.

On Friday, attorneys defending Casey Anthony Friday showed what they hope will be a compelling fact when jurors deliberate: the lawyers showed photos of 2-year-old Caylee climbing a ladder into the family's swimming pool.

Prosecutors, who rested their case last week, have presented ample evidence that Casey Anthony lied repeatedly, and that she is a habitual partier, but whether they have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that she murdered her 2-year-old daughter Caylee remains an open question, The Washington Post reported.