Retrial for Sentencing of Jodi Arias - 2/20 thru 2/23 - Break

[Mindmatters]

Summary of notes, for those who can't access BK:

The COA opinion included nearly everything important that happened in chambers. There was no extended discussion of the legal merits of closing court...the COA included all on that score.

The main thing that happened was JA and MDLR teaming up to illustrate the DT's contention that JA was vulnerable to the hordes of haters out there, and therefore deserved special treatment.

The DT told JSS they wanted the court closed because JA was mentally ill and testifying in front of the "crowd" in court would make her nervous. As usual they opted for the spaghetti throw approach so added that the crowd in the court included people who didn't like JA and who therefore scared her. JSS asked- anyone specific? Offered to toss out 'em out. But no. The DT couldn't identify anyone, so MDLR helped out by telling a tale of being at the jail and witnessing a crazy person trying to see JA who was SO SO scary that JW and MDLR were advised to not sign in that day! They had to stay anonymous to feel safe, just as JA now must too!

JSS initially opted for media to overthrow room, but JW warned her...JA isn't going to like that! So JA was summoned and promptly took center stage with her... No, I do not like that one bit! refusal to testify.

JA said she had received "thousands and thousands and thousands" of pieces of mail. Mostly supportive, she said, but some hateful, just like the Alexanders. Her concern wasn't who was in court, but that anyone would ever hear what she said, because if her testimony was made public , no matter what she said there would be a deluge of mail, including hatemail going to everyone, including the Alexanders, and she didn't want that.

JM spoke for the Alexanders- no concern by them, and JA quickly edited herself....OK, it's about ME!! I'm worried about my physical safety in my "housing unit." Which prompted at last a comment by JSS that she didn't think JA's safety from strangers while in jail was a big concern .


The request , though, gradually morphed from closed court to secret testimony by JA that was NEVER to be released.

Good summary Hope.

I would like to clarify something though--JSS's comment about JA being safe as she is in jail was specific to JA adding (after realizing that the Judge wasn't totally convinced with her jail mail threats) that she had heard that one of TA's friends said he/she would like to shoot her between the eyes.

 

[MeeBee]

Good summary Hope.

I would like to clarify something though--JSS's comment about JA being safe as she is in jail was specific to JA adding (after realizing that the Judge wasn't totally convinced with her jail mail threats) that she had heard that one of TA's friends said he/she would like to shoot her between the eyes.

Stupid. Jodi knows and judge knows that you cannot get a gun into the jail. And is she expecting sympathy? The judge was probably thinking uh, yeah they do!

 

[turaj]

Thanks for letting us know. I'm not going to buy it either. Why write a book if some family members do not approve? If the Hughes cared so much about Travis then they would now do only what his family wants. At least wait till the trial is over. I don't care if they give all the money to charity. Money isn't everything. Silence, respect and grace go a long way in honouring the departed. I do not understand the Hughes.

I have not followed this phase because honestly I am so sick of JA and her attorneys and JSS...and I feel it is pointless and doubt she will get the death penalty....I am glad that some here who have been following feel the same way about the Hughes. Clearly that comment about Juan not putting them on is proof positive that their actions have been questionable since day one. never would buy or read their "book"...they are to my way of thinking "opportunists" or "vultures" and the entire Alexander family should be able to spot them and probably will as time goes on.

 

[fillymj]

This may be perceived as "off topic" but just curious if anyone has an opinion on The Hughes and their writing a book to be released soon after the end of the "retrial"?? I heard Chris Hughes last night on Tricia's True Crime and he said that clearly not all of Travis' family members were happy with the book. I know he has a right to publish this but without full family support not so sure I see it as appropriate . Chris also mentioned that he and his family (kids) are living in the Scottsdale area during this entire trial. why? I understand they were friends but this seems like too much and frankly unfair to his kids. The Hughes seem to always be available to media and may I ask ///all books make money...who is getting the profits from this book? I know they are highly regarded by many but frankly I can't help but think they are now exploiting the death of Travis.

The Hughes were quick to jump on the media bandwagon IMO. To me it appears that might have liked Travis but were using him. They were very judgmental of Travis & his life wanting to control him. Read the emails they sent to Jodi and it shows no loyalty to Travis. What business was it of theirs to trash Travis? Even with the Alexander family asking them not to do the book, they marched right ahead with it. They just could not wait until after a verdict. Very self serving. Don't like them- don't trust them.

 

[NashBridges2]

Also, I now have a better understanding (not that I agree) as to why it was such a big ordeal about a trial watcher singing outside the courtroom. JA and her team, specifically JW, basically told the Judge at the onset of the hearing (as to the whole threatening/harassing JA) thing that there are court watchers that do this--the Judge to her credit told JW to identify the person doing this and they can have them removed from the court rather than closing down the entire courtroom. At which point JW, despite implying otherwise, said their wasn't anyone they knew specifically.

I'm still disgusted with the behaviour of some at the court house, it floors me. Especially now that I know that these "court watchers" aren't just there to support Travis, but that they are there, case after case and are actually court house junkies. Like, WTF? I think it's great people want to support victims families but you can do that in many ways, without acting out and hanging around the court house acting like this. On her own blog she admits to purposefully getting into an elevator with Juan and then saying "I'm stalking you". Something is just not right about that.

 

[LambChop]

Welcome La-Cooks. Great to see you posting here.

:welcome:

 

[Love Never Fails]

Curious, if you hit refresh, it usually correctly repopulates the pages. From the last pages it becomes clear what will come down the line...Arias says she is being threatened in these letters/postcards about what she is to say in her testimony. She is threatened with "if you say this..." type of things. That's why she doesn't want anyone to hear her. Juan calls her on it asking her if she is planning to lie on the stand or make her testimony fit others expectations. It would not surprise me a bit to hear that allowing the media to hear the testimony is a cause for her to request a reversal on appeal. Further, the final pages are where the MDLR/Keifer connection is made.

Thanks. I didn't know that. I did get to read about MDLR and the Arizona Republic and how close they are. I am glad we had kCL during the last trial to warn us about MK. I will go back now and when it stops, I will refresh the pages. Thanks again.

 

[east2west]

Stupid. Jodi knows and judge knows that you cannot get a gun into the jail. And is she expecting sympathy? The judge was probably thinking uh, yeah they do!

[emoji4]

 

[pacnwgal]

I too was shocked and offended, but on quick reflection I recognised that ICit is a compassionate and intelligent poster here, so I decided not to comment. This frustrating trial makes it so easy to get carried away in our wording, and I know I have done it myself.

BBM /I agree :loveyou: I'm glad I did comment, however, because I appreciated the clarification and wish I would have given the benefit of the doubt in my own haste. OK, moving on to persons I don't respect....CMJA, CMJA, CMJA

 

[La-Cooks]

Welcome La-Cooks. Great to see you posting here.

:welcome:

Thank you so much for the welcome. I have followed the trial since its beginning and can't wait for it to be over. I've followed this phase only on Twitter, so it was great to find a room with such a great volume of information already identified, investigated and organized for its users. I've been reading a lot

 

[Val1]

Did anyone else catch that, according to Dr.G, Bobby Juarez had been interviewed?

Sanders had written that while JM was crossing Dr.G about the physical violence JA claims to have experienced, that Dr.G had said his source for this came from JA and BJ.... so unless there's an affidavit or witness testimony or even an instant message record that can be traced back to and verified by him, why bring that up now during mitigation?

Wouldn't that be classified as new evidence? Did the PT interview him too?

So could BJ have actually witnessed JA getting attacked at 12 or 13 by this knife wielding boy, as Sanders reports Dr.G as having said? I thought she didn't even meet BJ until she was around 16 at some fair, so how could he support this incident as having happened, was it yet another manipulative story that JA had concocted to pull BJ into her life? (ie. Oh Bobby! Help help, protect me I'm just a poor defenseless girl all alone and some mean boy over behind that tent attacked me... with cutting wo... umm I mean a knife, I'll love you forever and ever and ever and NEVER let you go....)

 

[Hope4More]

Good summary Hope.

I would like to clarify something though--JSS's comment about JA being safe as she is in jail was specific to JA adding (after realizing that the Judge wasn't totally convinced with her jail mail threats) that she had heard that one of TA's friends said he/she would like to shoot her between the eyes.

Thanks.

I don't think JSS was moved in the slightest by anything JA said relating to threats by mail, or online.

JSS was legitimately concerned when members of the defense bar told her, a trial judge in chambers, being asked to violate the Constitution and AZ law, that the defendant was being threatened by persons sitting in her courtroom.

That gross misrepresentation quickly discarded for another, JSS moved on.

 

[pacnwgal]

Exactly. It sounds like bad farce to read that JA complained in that hearing that one of TA's friends had threatened online to shoot her between her eyes ... to JSS, who should be very familiar with the grisly autopsy pic of the bullet hole in TA's forehead.

Gosh Jodi, now you understand how the rest of society feels having to fear being shot by someone murderous, someone like you.... :facepalm:

 

[Bravo]

I have this vision. Jodi has all her "positive" mail taped about her cell. She stands and rereads it over many, many hours as she chants. I am a Goddess, I look like a Goddess and I smell like a Goddess. No way is that paper going to hit "her fab new recycling" program. If i remember correctly I do believe somebody posted there was already such a program in place. Lordy!

 

[Bravo]

Thank you so much for the welcome. I have followed the trial since its beginning and can't wait for it to be over. I've followed this phase only on Twitter, so it was great to find a room with such a great volume of information already identified, investigated and organized for its users. I've been reading a lot

Looking forward to your future posts. Glad u jumped in :happydance:

 

[Hope4More]

Two favorite (paraphrased) quotes from the Secret Chamber:

Nurmi...It doesn't matter if the concerns JA is expressing are valid or not, the fact that she feels them is sufficient for you to agree to our motion to seal the court.

JA (challenged by JM that she's essentially saying she'll tailor her testimony in response to specific threats) "I will always tell the truth." It's just my ability to tell the truth in the way I need to tell it that's at issue.

 

[josie1986]

just read the sealed chamber transcripts and her bs reasons for not wanting to testify in public courtroom.

basically,she didn't want anyone to hear more lies come out her mouth so they couldn't be proven wrong and come back and bite her on the azz

 

[Hope4More]

AZL....what theoretical constraints are there on what JA can say in allocution? If any? I know you've said she'd open herself up to cross if she tried to introduce new "evidence," but what's to stop her from going straight for residual doubt, for example? Or for lying about why family didn't testify for her? Etc.

 

[pacnwgal]

Two favorite (paraphrased) quotes from the Secret Chamber:

Nurmi...It doesn't matter if the concerns JA is expressing are valid or not, the fact that she feels them is sufficient for you to agree to our motion to seal the court.

JA (challenged by JM that she's essentially saying she'll tailor her testimony in response to specific threats) "I will always tell the truth." It's just my ability to tell the truth in the way I need to tell it that's at issue.

No power or control issues there.... The entire transcript reaffirmed my belief that all of these concessions and "planning sessions" would never occur if the defendant was male, let alone a male already convicted of first-degree murder.

 

[Nosey Parker]

Two favorite (paraphrased) quotes from the Secret Chamber:

Nurmi...It doesn't matter if the concerns JA is expressing are valid or not, the fact that she feels them is sufficient for you to agree to our motion to seal the court.

JA (challenged by JM that she's essentially saying she'll tailor her testimony in response to specific threats) "I will always tell the truth." It's just my ability to tell the truth in the way I need to tell it that's at issue.

LOL Typical Jodi-speak. Translation: 'It's just my ability to manufacture versions to fit the evidence that's at issue'.

ETA: How many ways are there of telling the truth, Jodi? One? Two?