Retrial for Sentencing of Jodi Arias - 12/3 -12/04 In recess w/hearing

[lilyet]

I must be in the minority about the jury and verdict, which is OK, I'm quite accustomed to being there.

I think she's going to get the DP. And I don't think jurors were swayed in any meaningful way, if at all.

I've really tried to put myself in their place. They were instructed that she has been convicted of premeditsted, first degree murder, and that she killed him in an especially cruel way. They have seen the photos that conclusively prove that cruelty.

They were also instructed that they MUST accept that verdict. That their job was to listen to mitigation and weigh whether or not she deserves life rather than the DP.

OK. They hear one week of recap, a very abbreviated version of what happened and who is who. Many of us thought that the recap was likely confusing to these new jurors. As in, where di we come in?

Then heartbreaking VIM's, which left every single juror crying or stunned. Awful. Reality sets in.

Imagine sitting there for what came next. The court room cleared, the murderer on the stand and then not, delays, days upon days off, attorneys up talking to the judge every few minutes. Nothing gets explained.

Then, this witness, who seems to want to only talk about sex and to speak ill of the dead, of the murder victim. For days. If they're focused on their duty they are asking themselves....what are we being told here about mitigation?

For most, I bet its beyond their comprehension that they're being told her mitigation is that the victim may or may not be a pedophile. The quack spoke almost not at all of physical abuse. It was sex sex sex and the victim's dark side , his hiding and shaming a 3 hole wonder.

They got to ask questions. IMO they asked the questions they did because they're trying to make sense of how talk of a Mormon boyfriend in a 5 month long relationship having some issues is relevant. Where is the part about her feeling sorry? Remorse? Anything?

By any objective measure that quack was a disaster for the defense, and besides a murderer, that's about all they have. JM is brilliant, he knows how to read juries, and he has to convince a jury of one single truth- that she doesn't deserve their mercy.

As long as there aren't any stealth jurors, Im actually increasingly confident she'll get the DP.

I agree with your reasoning and agree the doc was a disaster for the defense. The problem with Jodi's defense is that there isn't a defense for her actions, she plain and simple tracked Travis down and killed him. None of the mitigation testimony offered by this Doc. provides a reasonable "reason" for the brutality Jodi executed on Travis. When it is all said and done, it will be more apparent than not that she "has no excuse" for her actions, other than she is a killer.

 

[DEPUTYDAWG]

I must say I'm conflicted at even getting involved in this sentencing phase of this trial - this has me so angry, now moving to the sad phase.

Angry, and then sad...#1 for TA's family having to endure this ongoing "joke" of a trial, at this point. What an injustice that there is such a lack of respect for the process and players involved.

Angry, and then sad...#2 for the criminal justice system being played out in that courtroom. As one who has experience in trials (but from another perspective, not from AZL's/attorneys, etc.), where our work/investigations are scrutinized and played out, I have NEVER witnessed what we are "hearing" from inside that courtroom. I truly do not know what to make of it. I cannot imagine. I give Juan so much respect for his brilliant strategy and sheer patience, to withhold his true emotions, all in the name of the long game. Composure #101...oh, there are some that say he's too rough...can you imagine what he really could say or do? LOL

I truly do not understand what a mockery this seems to be in that courtroom, and WHY? I truly do.not.understand.

AZL - during the process, is there no presiding judge that can assist/mentor/coach JSS? Would it be "normal" for a judge to ask for guidance in a sticky situation during a trial?
Even so much as the scheduling/delays...there have got to be budgetary constraints that someone above her is worried about...is there no one that would remind a judge to try to keep things on track, push for longer days/hours, etc. so there aren't so many delays, which yes, do cost $$$$?

Angry, and sad...that's where I'm at. But, certainly nowhere compared to the family. God Bless them...............

 

[rose222]

It worries me that this panel of jurors are not aware of the extent of Arias' lies, and won't be until they have made a decision (if they care to research afterwards). IMO the amount and character of the lies has a great bearing on her cruelty and the ultimate punishment.

I wonder whether they know that Travis and Arias exchanged thousands upon thousands of text messages. The number of times that Travis sent Arias 'mean' messages is minuscule. I love Juan but I wish he'd make this crystal clear.

 

[ShadyLady]

Do you mean Darrell Brewer? ( not sure I spelled his name correctly ) but, yes, I would like to see him on the stand as well... this time maybe we can see more than his hands ...I think that would go far to show the jury that CMJA is not little Miss Polly Pureheart . JMO

I'd like to see Darryl questioned about the remote. Did he received a dvd player from Arias, and is he prepared to lie under oath and deny knowledge of player. What would his now grown son think. This might be another reason Darryl wants to testify in secret. Ashamed of lying in public.

 

[Foghorn]

They are assigned randomly, but there are only a few judges on the capital case list. JSS is one of the few. I'm telling you, she was a respected judge before this retrial started. Even in the first phase, I and many others had criticisms of her courtroom management style, but she was managing the courtroom much better then than she is now.

Could she possibly be overloaded with cases? I noted earlier that JSS appears to be very tired, I have also noticed in several of the still photos that she appears to "zone-out" and at times looks a bit confused. I say this with all due respect and realize that her dealing with this DT cannot be an easy job. But, something has changed.

The two days of cancelled court, when JSS cleared her calendar, caught my attention and I had hoped then that the cancellation was not due to a medical event concerning JSS. I do hope that if she is in fact about to take on new capital cases that she is allowed to take a small break between now and then. My concern is that she is simply burned-out, hence the poor decisions and outward appearance of being exhausted. :moo: MOO :moo:

 

[RadarLuv]

I am just saying......would that be a good excuse for a juror? A witness? Prosecution? I know that excuse would never allow me not to show up at work, and being a flight attendant I have severe insomnia. And while there are likely times I have had so little sleep I shouldn't fly, I don't dare use that as an excuse.

BUT, that being said, I seriously doubt that was it, or that it would be hindering her ability to be a judge 100% of the time, but it is funny to think of this 60+ year old lady taking care of a colicy baby full time AND ruling over the most prominent DP case in the country. heh heh.

Speaking as a woman who had her baby at 43 , and who didn't sleep for longer then a few hours at night because of a baby with colic , I can assure you from personal experience that sleep -deprived middle aged ladies aren't always at their best, even when its required that they be so.

 

[krkrjx]

State still gets to do a rebuttal. I am reserving judgment on which direction the jury is swayed until after that. It would not be unusual for some jurors to be swayed toward the defense at the stage the trial is now. But as the proverbial fat lady allegedly said, "It ain't over til I sing." Or words to that effect.

 

[bznbear]

She's a person first and a judge second.

By all accounts she was well respected and considered fair and knowledgeable going into this trial. She seemed to have plenty of confidence all the way through the first trial.

I think AZL had it right awhile ago that she started down a path towards here when she began agreeing with Nurmi about the perils of media and witness intimidation. One step then another then swoosh , down the rabbit hole when she agreed to evict the media.

The very public smackdown from the COA must have been humiliating for her. And more. She has tried so hard to avoid giving grounds for a successful appeal, and before the retrial is even over her judgement has been called into question by the COA.

She looked so defeated and exhausted when court first reconvened afterwards. I don't think she's scared. I think she might be paralyzed because of self-doubt and the prospect of losing her seat on the bench come next election.

Paralyzed is a great word. Yes, I see self-doubt. When I said scared, I didn't mean fear for her life, but for her career. I'm on your page.

 

[grammieto5]

it's always possible she could be suffering from an illness and I don' think the law can be prejudiced by disability. Maybe she is in the beginning stages of something and it can't be proven that it is hindering her judgment.

Well that would be a bummer, I'd rather it be a colic-y grandbaby.

 

[Steve44]

I must be in the minority about the jury and verdict, which is OK, I'm quite accustomed to being there.

I think she's going to get the DP. And I don't think jurors were swayed in any meaningful way, if at all.

I've really tried to put myself in their place. They were instructed that she has been convicted of premeditsted, first degree murder, and that she killed him in an especially cruel way. They have seen the photos that conclusively prove that cruelty.

They were also instructed that they MUST accept that verdict. That their job was to listen to mitigation and weigh whether or not she deserves life rather than the DP.

OK. They hear one week of recap, a very abbreviated version of what happened and who is who. Many of us thought that the recap was likely confusing to these new jurors. As in, where di we come in?

Then heartbreaking VIM's, which left every single juror crying or stunned. Awful. Reality sets in.

Imagine sitting there for what came next. The court room cleared, the murderer on the stand and then not, delays, days upon days off, attorneys up talking to the judge every few minutes. Nothing gets explained.

Then, this witness, who seems to want to only talk about sex and to speak ill of the dead, of the murder victim. For days. If they're focused on their duty they are asking themselves....what are we being told here about mitigation?

For most, I bet its beyond their comprehension that they're being told her mitigation is that the victim may or may not be a pedophile. The quack spoke almost not at all of physical abuse. It was sex sex sex and the victim's dark side , his hiding and shaming a 3 hole wonder.

They got to ask questions. IMO they asked the questions they did because they're trying to make sense of how talk of a Mormon boyfriend in a 5 month long relationship having some issues is relevant. Where is the part about her feeling sorry? Remorse? Anything?

By any objective measure that quack was a disaster for the defense, and besides a murderer, that's about all they have. JM is brilliant, he knows how to read juries, and he has to convince a jury of one single truth- that she doesn't deserve their mercy.

As long as there aren't any stealth jurors, Im actually increasingly confident she'll get the DP.

All I can say is if I were a juror I would be onto Dr. F like white on rice. She focused on Travis' faults exclusively. Everything was his fault, none was Jodi's. We all know relationship 'dynamics' don't work that way. Her use of idioms like 'gutted' and 'snuffed out' I would find blatantly disgusting in the 'context' of this trial, and finally, her stonewalling of Juan would have removed the last dying embers of respect I could possibly have mustered. If this is the face and character of Jodi's mitigation, I would be more convinced than ever that she deserves the DP.

 

[RadarLuv]

Well, obviously it is likely neither, and instead, just BAD judgment. Or depression or lack of self confidence. Who knows, but it would sure be nice to find out.

Well that would be a bummer, I'd rather it be a colic-y grandbaby.

 

[BritsKate]

I wonder whether they know that Travis and Arias exchanged thousands upon thousands of text messages. The number of times that Travis sent Arias 'mean' messages is minuscule. I love Juan but I wish he'd make this crystal clear.

I hear you - it's on my list too. I'd also like a domestic violence expert to explain the difference between abusive behaviors and an abusive relationship and a mental health professional to go whole hog on explaining how manipulative and destructive people diagnosed with a cluster B personality disorder can be - hopefully Demarte really hones in on this. I'm very firmly of the mind that one can't be disordered and not be abusive - time to tell the jury that and show the abuser for whom she really is.

JMO

 

[Steely Dan]

All I can say is if I were a juror I would be onto Dr. F like white on rice. She focused on Travis' faults exclusively. Everything was his fault, none was Jodi's. We all know relationship 'dynamics' don't work that way. Her use of idioms like 'gutted' and 'snuffed out' I would find blatantly disgusting in the 'context' of this trial, and finally, her stonewalling of Juan would have removed the last dying embers of respect I could possibly have mustered. I would be more convinced than ever that Jodi deserves the DP after her testimony.

^^^^^ That! :thumb:

 

[bznbear]

BBM

JMO, but she should have at least asked CMJA what set him off. Her answer, no matter what it was, would be very telling to a trained psychiatrist.

You'd think right? But I think they just chatted, bonded, and plotted revenge.

 

[Nosey Parker]

State still gets to do a rebuttal. I am reserving judgment on which direction the jury is swayed until after that. It would not be unusual for a jury to be swayed toward the defense at the stage the trial is now. But as the proverbial fat lady allegedly said, "It ain't over til I sing." Or words to that effect.

I'm totally with you. For me, it ain't over until Juan rests. However, it doesn't stop me from feeling intense anger at the unfounded trashing of victims. Something has to be done about this malignant issue. The fact that the death penalty is on the table is not a moral excuse!

 

[AZlawyer]

I must say I'm conflicted at even getting involved in this sentencing phase of this trial - this has me so angry, now moving to the sad phase.

Angry, and then sad...#1 for TA's family having to endure this ongoing "joke" of a trial, at this point. What an injustice that there is such a lack of respect for the process and players involved.

Angry, and then sad...#2 for the criminal justice system being played out in that courtroom. As one who has experience in trials (but from another perspective, not from AZL's/attorneys, etc.), where our work/investigations are scrutinized and played out, I have NEVER witnessed what we are "hearing" from inside that courtroom. I truly do not know what to make of it. I cannot imagine. I give Juan so much respect for his brilliant strategy and sheer patience, to withhold his true emotions, all in the name of the long game. Composure #101...oh, there are some that say he's too rough...can you imagine what he really could say or do? LOL

I truly do not understand what a mockery this seems to be in that courtroom, and WHY? I truly do.not.understand.

AZL - during the process, is there no presiding judge that can assist/mentor/coach JSS? Would it be "normal" for a judge to ask for guidance in a sticky situation during a trial?
Even so much as the scheduling/delays...there have got to be budgetary constraints that someone above her is worried about...is there no one that would remind a judge to try to keep things on track, push for longer days/hours, etc. so there aren't so many delays, which yes, do cost $$$$?

Angry, and sad...that's where I'm at. But, certainly nowhere compared to the family. God Bless them...............

The presiding judge wouldn't get involved in micromanaging the courtrooms, and I don't think JSS would ask for advice, because the answers are obvious. There are, however, periodic meetings of the capital case judges to ensure all the cases are moving along on schedule...don't know what to tell you about that.

 

[ShadyLady]

One big thing has made me feel better about this trial, I reviewed Juan's closing statement from the first trial and I am convinced that if anyone can put the puzzle together and tie up all the strings for the jury, Juan Can.

It was really a thing of beauty, worth watching again.

 

[Hope4More]

Is Court dark today? I thought for some reason that a hearing had been squeezed in at the last minute. Wishful thinking?

 

[pinkandgreenmom]

Is Court dark today? I thought for some reason that a hearing had been sweezed in at the last minute. Wishful thinking?

Nothing today. Computer/*advertiser censored* hearing is tomorrow, and then there is some hearing on Friday but I am not exactly sure what the subject is.

 

[atthelake]

I want to say so many things and every single one of them is against the TOS here.

You have a blog to do that type of thing :floorlaugh: