Casey Anthony
Casey Anthony sits in court during her sentencing at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, July 7, 2011. Reuters

Casey Anthony's lawyer on Friday accused prosecutors of being sour grapes because they are seeking to force his client to pay back $517,000 spent investigating the Caylee's disappearance.

Defense Lawyer Cheney Mason claimed the State Attorney's Office is trying to punish Anthony by demanding she pays the full cost of the murder investigation and prosecution -? even though a jury found her not guilty of murder back in July.

I think it is time [prosecutors] accept the fact that they lost this case, Mason argued at a court hearing.

He added that the reimbursement request had nothing to do with justice.

The state wants to charge her the entire cost of prosecution, not the legitimate expenses related to the convicted counts, Mason argued at the Orlando hearing. That has nothing to do with justice. It has everything to do with [public] outrage and sour grapes.

Prosecutors beg to differ, arguing that the state wouldn't have incurred the expense of a three-year investigation and a seven-week nationally televised trial in Orlando over this summer if Anthony had only told the truth.

The argument of the defense completely misses the point of my position as it relates to the costs of prosecution specifically, Prosecutor Linda Drane Burdick said. And that is that, but for Ms. Anthony's lying to law enforcement at the inception of this investigation, there would be no costs of investigation.

Back in July, Anthony, 25, was acquitted of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee, who disappeared in 2008 and sparked a nationwide search. At the time of the toddler's disappearance Anthony lied that her daughter was kidnapped by a nanny.

There was no nanny.

The toddler's skeletal remains were later found in woods near Anthony's family home. When the trial came around, Anthony's defense team argued that Caylee died in an accidental drowning in the family's backyard pool.

The jury, however, found Anthony guilty of misdemeanor charges of lying to detectives during the investigation.

The state wants back the money they spent on Anthony's false kidnapping claim.

In seeking reimbursement, CNN reported that prosecutors have cited a Florida law that allows the state to fine defendants in criminal cases to recoup money spent.

The costs break down as follow:

Prosecutors said the Orange County Sheriff's Office spent $293,123.77 on the case and the district attorney's office spent at least $140,390.60.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement spent $71,939.56 and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation spent $10,645.38, according to court documents.

Judge Belvin Perry said he expected to rule by Sept. 22.