Death penalty possible in Caylee case

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 18 (UPI) -- A judge in Orange County, Fla., ruled Friday that prosecutors can seek the death penalty against Casey Anthony, mother of slain 2-year-old Caylee Anthony.

The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel said in response to a motion from defense attorneys for Casey Anthony, Orange County Circuit Judge Stan Strickland denied the motion aimed at stopping any death penalty procedures in the murder case.

Anthony, 23, is charged with first-degree murder for the death of her daughter, who disappeared in June 2008 and whose remains were located in Orange County last December.

Casey Anthony's attorneys argued in their motion their client's constitutional rights would be violated if prosecutors chose to seek the death penalty.

Strickland said the death penalty issue should be left for a jury to decide, the Sentinel reported.

"While the quantum of evidence sufficient to seek the death penalty will virtually always be an issue, that matter is generally best left for the jury," Strickland said in his ruling.