I too cant quite get a reading on Jodis mom. I cant imagine the range of emotions that Jodis mother is going through right now. When you have a child you have such great hopes for their future. As you hold your small child you imagine their first day of school, their graduation, their wedding day, but NOT the day they will be on trial for butchering another human being.
While Jodis mother might believe that Jodi is innocent, I do feel that she is there out of obligation. I think that many mothers would be there for their child even if they felt they were guilty of the crime. I would also bet that many mothers would believe in their childs innocence even with such compelling evidence. I cant image trying to come to grips with the fact that your child is a monster. I would think that Jodis mother feels a horrible sense of guilt herself wondering what she could have done to make Jodi turn out differently.
As for Jodis mother and her twin acting inappropriately, I have mixed feelings about this issue. Maybe they are wearing the DV ribbons with the small hope that it might save her child from death. (Yes, I know Jodi killed Travis and being sentenced to death would be appropriate, but I doubt the mom wants to see her own child die). When the camera turns on them briefly, we only see a snapshot of that moment in time. We dont know what caused their facial expressions at that moment. I can think of many things that would cause me to smile (and perhaps laugh) during such a serious time especially with my sibling (eg. both yawning at the same time because Nurmi is rambling on and on, mumbling the same words at the same time
this is never going to end, dropping something that rolls under the chairs in front of me and trying to retrieve it with my foot). Believe me, Im not trying to make light of this situation. Her daughter is in the middle of a death penalty case and there is a good chance that she will be sentenced to death. However, Im not ready to condemn the mother from just a snapshot in time. (However, I reserve the right to change my mind at any time :floorlaugh