Lawyers for Fla. mom charged with killing toddler to ask judge to block death penalty in case

Casey Anthony lawyers seek to block death penalty

ORLANDO, Fla. — Attorneys for a Florida mother charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter are expected to ask a judge to stop prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.

A hearing in Casey Anthony’s case is set to begin Friday morning in Orlando.

Anthony is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Caylee, whose body was found six months after she went missing. She has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have said they will ask for the death penalty if Anthony is convicted.

The toddler’s remains were found last December in woods near the home where she lived with her mother and grandparents. Although the death was ruled a homicide, a specific cause was never determined.