Prosecutor in Casey Anthony trial plans to retire

ORLANDO, Fla. – A spokeswoman for the Florida state attorney's office says one of the prosecutors in the murder trial of Casey Anthony plans to announce his retirement at the end of the week.

Fifty-three-year-old Jeff Ashton has spent more than 30 years as a prosecutor and was one of the first in the country to use DNA evidence in a court case. Spokeswoman Danielle Tavernier says he has already notified state attorney Lawson Lamar of his decision.

Tavernier says that Ashton and Lamar have previously discussed his retirement. Neither he nor any of the other members of the prosecution spoke to the media following Anthony's acquittal on charges she murdered her 2-year-old daughter in 2008.

Anthony was convicted on four counts of lying to law enforcement and will be sentenced Thursday.