ALV asking for a break shortly before the regularly scheduled break is a mark of a narcissist.
In her mind, she showed everyone in the court she has power - power to halt courtroom proceedings on
her command. She was 'subtly' re-defining the rules. IMO, this was what Nurmi would call a stunt.
Asking for a break just a few minutes shy of a known, scheduled break time is appropriate in only a few instances: imminent peeing or pooping of one's pants, the unmistakable feeling one gets right before vomiting, sudden onset of extreme chest pain. In any of those examples, one would NOT stop to dilly-dally and chit-chat in the courtroom with a member of the murdered victim's family. She didn't sprint out of the courtroom; she took her time to stand near and speak to Samantha.
She
obviously had no pressing need to ask for a break early when one was coming in just a few minutes. She did it solely because she feels entitled to run things as
she wants and wanted everyone to know it. Narcissists have little use for rules and standard decorum, especially when they see no personal benefit.
I'm SO looking forward to next week.
Really appreciate all of our court watchers; y'all are the next best thing to being there myself. :grouphug:
Thank you Brooke! These were my exact thoughts yesterday. She derailed the court last week by being so "ill" she couldn't even attempt taking the scheduled 90 min break to compose herself in whatever way she needed to (after looking completely composed on the stand before she requested that break).
Then this week, she requests a break a mere 5 min. before the scheduled break and instead of attending to whatever urgent matter demanded this, she decides instead to make a beeline straight for Samantha who is sitting alone as all of the rest of the family had already left for the Victims Room and lean down , get in her face and talk to her about God knows what, stand up and make a gesture circling her hands and shrugging. If I put a cloud over that gesture it would say something like "well, what can ya do with all of this?".
Then she may have even stopped to visit with her courtroom supporters before attending to her "immediate need".
I think she's all about control.
And I think her approaching Samantha was nothing but manipulative.
She disgusts me.
How it went down was this:
1. She requested the break.
2. The Judge dismissed the jury telling them to come back at 3:10.
3. She stood (as we all did) while the jury filed out. (I suspect the camera went to the seal at this point as it always does, thus no cameras filming the courtroom).
4. She exits the stand, walks toward the gallery yet walks straight up to Samantha, leans down and close talks to her in her face. To my recollection, Samantha's face was down either reading or looking at something when she was ambushed.
5. She speaks to Samantha and Sam looks up, maybe replies a short word or two and she stands up and does that circling motion with her arms while still talking.
6. Sam stands up and quickly exits toward the victim room.
I stood right there watching the whole thing. ALL of the media were fixated on Juror 5 across the aisle as this was their first potential opportunity to interact with her (or not). She was definitely the focus of most of the courtroom , but not me as I was standing literally right behind Samantha.
I exited the courtroom and went right up to a member of the media and reported this. I actually should have gone to the Victim Advocate but Nicole was out of the courtroom in the afternoon and had a stand in.
I will report my observations to Nicole on Monday though.
I did tell Aunt Heather and Sam and Tanisha when they returned to the courtroom that what occured violated their rights and they had the RIGHT to not be approached. I was told "Juan is taking care of it".
I don't pry with them ever. I'm more of a silent support person and wait for contact to be made with me usually.This time I asserted myself because I was so appalled this had happened. In my Victim Impact Statement I outline briefly what occured to me similarly and because of it, I got an attorney and we changed laws in AZ to disallow one loophole that was allowing these kinds of unconscienable acts of revictimization to befall victims.
My VIS is here in case anyone hasn't read it. It speaks to the continued abuses by the system to victims and with the DP it gets worse:
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2009/07/retarded_german_killer_rudi_ap.php
I'm obviously very bothered by this hypocritical and beyond disrespectful behavior by this "expert". Maybe I"m more bothered than Samantha actually. But this should not be tolerated anywhere with any victim, ever.
Sorry for the rant...I'm still quite upset over this.