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

[LinasK]

I'm trying... but after having just followed the OP trial(not to mention many others since OJ), it's really difficult to believe in justice when so much of the truth never sees the light of day because it might trample on some perp's rights.

For all the posters complaining that this trial will be lost because of JSS let me mention- you don't see Juan filing judicial complaints against her do you??? Juan's got this, even when the defense witnesses get nasty against him. He's giving them enough rope to hang themselves and make themselves dislikeable to the jury. I highly doubt the jury likes their snarkiness on the stand.
OJ, Casey Anthony, Michael Jackson, and Robert Blake all got off because of bad juries.

 

[pacnwgal]

The judge seemed, IMO, very aware that everyone was trying to manipulate her, not just Jodi. Every time she offered a solution to their concerns that didn't involve closing the proceedings, they'd shoot it down and say no, that won't work. I could practically feel her sighing. Willmott brought up that some who were sending Jodi mail were sitting in court the judge said tell me who I'll throw them out. Willmott was all, uh...oh, never mind. Can't have that. That's too simple a solution.

As the COA kind of alluded to, the judge wasn't concerned about Jodi being threatened becusse she was in jail and she was safe. They already protected her once from the crazy guy. She also made note of the fact that Jodi testified at length in the first trial and the threats wouldn't stop just because her testimony was sealed. It's eventually get out.

She was only concerned about appeals and how a future appeals court might see this. That's it.

IMO I don't think this judge has ever shown sympathy or favoritism towards this particular defendant. I don't agree with the judge's pacing, but isn't her job to make sure that every defendant, especially one facing death, is given fair application of the law and protection from the power of the State? I believe this judge is protecting a just verdict by providing the defendant with every opportunity to exercise the defendant's rights under the law. I'm sad that the protracted nature of this particular trial has hurt the Alexanders, they don't deserve this and I can't imagine what they are going through, but I am proud to live in a country that provides equal access to the law, even when it is someone despicable as JA.

 

[LinasK]

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.

Ummm, someone help me out figuring out Jodi's logic here: Why exactly would her testimony prompt people (other than her whacko supporters) to send hate mail to the Alexanders???:thinking::waitasec:

 

[Meemaw12]

Their idea not to release the book until AFTER the sentencing is a correct one. If it were up to me I would have had them not make any public mention of it until then, too. Nevertheless, I am sure their hearts are true and they are NOT exploiting Travis.
Chris and Sky loved Travis like a brother. It was a huge expense to write this book. They published it on their own dime. If, as and when ANY profit is made beyond recouping their expense, they have said they will donate it to charities Travis supported. This trial will begin and end. Travis' truth will now be known and read about. Forever. It matters! He inspires people, even after his death through the sharing of stories of how he helped others. It is a story that deserves to be told. Perpetually.

Their children are fine. Of course.

They rented a home to be there for the family, now as in the last trial, rather than trying to fly back and forth and back and forth. Travis was Chris' best friend, he wants to see this trial through to the end.

Some of Travis' siblings have a fear that this would be used against the State during this phase of the trial, I am guessing. Unfortunately, that did happen, but not to a degree that will change the jury's opinion.

The book is a compilation of many, many stories from folks that knew, trusted and loved Travis Alexander. I believe once it is complete and the family members who were concerned will be ever thankful for this testament to the GOOD GOOD works Travis did in so many people's lives. All one has to do is look at the Hughes when they are in the courtroom, they are VERY MUCH WITH THE FAMILY. The love and respect between them is overt.

http://www.travisalexanderjustice.com/friends



Respectfully, please rest assured their hearts are TRUE. They wrote this book as they did NOT want their beloved friend's memory to be tarnished forever by Jodi Arias' lies.

The book is named "Our Friend Travis" . Please have calm in your heart it was written in loving LOVING memory of their friend. Travis' photo hangs in their living room, right along side of their family pictures as that is how they loved him then, and now. Here is Chris Hughes from his longer three hour interview with Tricia



Chris Hughes was asked by the host, What would Travis say to this group of people?

Chris Hughes "Travis would preach a sermon,
You are a divine child of God
Greatness is in you
Your past does not have to equal your future

What Travis wanted to do
(Chris is crying)
He wanted to share God, JESUS, and personal development

If you are happy, awesome!
If you are not, you do not have to live like that anymore
you can tear up the pieces of the paper of your life tear it up into little pieces and write it all over again

be better today than you were yesterday

Travis would tell you, my life was a MESS, and I pulled myself up.... with the help of God.
Tricia, for your listeners, there may be somebody like Travis, or like me, we did not have anything, not even the money to go to college, but you know what he
lifted himself up
You can live any life of your choosing, it is your choice and ONLY YOUR CHOICE

If Travis were here he would lift you all up in Christ right now
That was Travis
Travis was good as Gold.

We all have an obligation to forgive, I am going to ask everybody that is listening to not allow Jodi to have any power in your life.
Regardless of the verdict, if we do not forgive she will have power in our life. I refuse to give that to her. We have to forgive.
I am unsure if I have the scripture quote perfectly, but it says
I the Lord I will forgive, it is given to you to forgive ALL people.
I will forgive and I will be liberated, completely, from this tragedy in my life. We cannot hold the grudge and keep the darkness in our life, that does not hurt the other person,it only hurts us. Allow the light of forgiveness to penetrate your heart."
______________________________________________________________________
The interview is three hours long and well worth the listen.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/websle...as-true-crime-radio-sunday-night-8-pm-eastern

check out the book for yourselves www.ourfriendtravis.com

Thank you

I am looking forward to reading the book and hearing the truth about Travis.

I also hope the Alexander's write a book I want to read it also.

May Travis light shine so bright that the ugliness of this trial be long forgotten




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LinasK]

Just based on reports here on the in-chambers secret testimony hearing, JSS's decision is totally insupportable imo. I imagined that Geffner and/or another psych hack had provided JSS with persuasive sounding affidavits regarding JA's "mental impairments" requiring the closed testimony ... but so far it sounds like JSS made the incredibly bad decision to close the courtroom and seal the transcripts on her own.


ETA after reading Hope4More's excellent recap: JSS's decision looks even worse. She's a disgrace imo.

No I think she did it knowing Jodi was being manipulative, and that it would give them less grounds for appeal, and she'd be overturned anyhow. I think it took great courage to make an unpopular decision.

 

[DebinGA]

A prosecutor filing a judicial complaint against a sitting judge mid-trial? Hmm...? I do remember reading about JM getting a different judge (than the one originally assigned) for an upcoming murder case he was handling because the judge was documented as anti-death penalty. The article noted that a number of MC judges were unhappy w/JM.

 

[Hope4More]

The judge seemed, IMO, very aware that everyone was trying to manipulate her, not just Jodi. Every time she offered a solution to their concerns that didn't involve closing the proceedings, they'd shoot it down and say no, that won't work. I could practically feel her sighing. Willmott brought up that some who were sending Jodi mail were sitting in court the judge said tell me who I'll throw them out. Willmott was all, uh...oh, never mind. Can't have that. That's too simple a solution.

As the COA kind of alluded to, the judge wasn't concerned about Jodi being threatened becusse she was in jail and she was safe. They already protected her once from the crazy guy. She also made note of the fact that Jodi testified at length in the first trial and the threats wouldn't stop just because her testimony was sealed. It's eventually get out.

She was only concerned about appeals and how a future appeals court might see this. That's it.

I agree JSS didn't buy the threat drama. But she was, from the very beginning of the session, entirely sympathetic to the idea of closing the courtroom. That's the goalpost the DT kept moving. Closed to cameras, which she was entirely on board with- no video, period, became no overflow room either, because the DT kept pushing the limit, and because she had clearly already bought into the idea that protecting JA's "rights" trumped other considerations.

By her own admission, she had all of lunchtime to contemplate which was more important- the ridiculous and unprecedented demands of a manipulative murderer, or the First Amendment. She was quite straight forward in saying which she concluded was more important. I really think that distortion in her thinking is what led to her fear of being vulnerable on appeal.

 

[LinasK]

All on her own. More amazing, she verbally acknowledged or stated herself every single reason why closing court was wrong legally, but went ahead and did so without any noticable hesitation after JA played drama queen.

Yes, I think it was very clever strategy, and no harm done since it's not secret anymore. Give the DT what they want to shut them up and they'll still lose!

 

[Amster]

Ok....finished reading the super secret testimony hearing.....really Sherry?? You spent one whole hour making your decision?? You know you were being manipulated but what the heck? Go ahead and do something unconstitutional for the special snowflake and your sidebar buddy, JW? :facepalm:

"Judge" in front of SS's name is :crazy:

So sad for the victim, Travis Alexander, having a judge who is willing to disregard the constitution on behalf of his killer and is perfectly content with allowing his killer to trash him with whatever vile lies she wishes. It's disgraceful.

 

[LinasK]

I truly believe JSS has PTSD from this case. The difference in pics of her two yrs. ago and now are stark. Her face now looks "ravaged". She seems to be barely holding it together on the podium ... going through the rote moves of a judge while remaining somewhat detached and unengaged now ... just trying to hold on until the nightmare finally ends. imo

Can we not comment on the judge's looks? This is going too far in bashing her.

 

[bettybaby00]

Zoey, the key word here is that you are "guessing" why some family members seem to have objected to the Hughes' book. If an earlier poster accurately related what happened on Tricia's show, Chris Hughes refused to name dissenting family members. If they were all on board, the question would have been easy to answer.

I've defended the Hughes many times for many things here. I don't believe that they are greedy. I do think Travis loved them, which is good enough for me.

But....the Hughes don't "own"Travis. His story is NOT theirs, and not theirs to tell without the full permission of T's family, IMO.


ETA. The grossest injustice that has been done throughout both trials, IMO, is that the Alexanders have had to sit in silence as others defined Travis. I have no doubt that the Hughes genuinely believe they are doing a good thing by presenting the "real" Travis to counterbalance what's been said. If the Alexanders aren't fully supportive because of timing, I wish the Hughes had honored that concern and not spoken of the book until the trial was over.

If timing is not the issue, I'd like to know why the Alexanders aren't fully supportive. They've more than earned the right, as far as I'm concerned, to define Travis as they see him, if they so choose, or to give their blessings to someone else who wants to do so.

BBM This has been one of the most heartbreaking aspects of this whole process/tragedy. I've only followed a handful of trials, but I've still never witnessed the trashing of the victim as what has happened here. What makes this even more egregious, has been the type of allegations being heaped upon Travis's memory. As obnoxious as all the *advertiser censored*/chorn testimony has been I'm very happy that Juan diligently fought all of the murderess's hateful ploys. No matter what happens with the verdict, I feel that at the very least Juan has restored Travis's reputation.

 

[Stripehaven]

According to the Maricopa County Jail website, inmates are only allowed to receive postcards - the only letters that they are allowed to get are from their legal team. So JA and MDLR are, once again, lying.

This is interesting. About 10 years ago, I had a family member in the Maricopa County jail. At that time, we could send letters but everything was screened and even censored. I once sent a newspaper clipping about the Mars landing or something similar, and was advised that it wasn't allowed. There is no way, IMO, that anything remotely threatening would reach Jodi. MAYBE the DT receives the threats meant for her, but that doesn't seem to be what they are claiming.

 

[Hope4More]

Ummm, someone help me out figuring out Jodi's logic here: Why exactly would her testimony prompt people (other than her whacko supporters) to send hate mail to the Alexanders???:thinking::waitasec:

She has no logic. She has a terrible compulsion to make the whole world hate Travis as much as she does. In her deluded grandiose evil way of looking at things, she believes if she keeps telling her lies, the world WILL hate Travis, and will write the Alexanders to tell them that.

 

[LinasK]

The only good thing about having done so, and then it being overturned by the COA, is that it should remove any of the DT arguments for doing so as appeal worthy.

And I think it was the basis of her decision, once Juan informed her of it.

 

[Marshmallow]

having read the super secret meeting notes I am left with two thoughts.
1. the personnel at the jail must be lacking as no one got the name of the want to be atty lurking and skulking around.
2. the Judge got bamboozled beyond normal bamboozling. My 6 year old granddaughter would have seen through the "fog" the defense was floating. What a waste of court time, COA time and the jurors time.

 

[DebinGA]

No I think she did it knowing Jodi was being manipulative, and that it would give them less grounds for appeal, and she'd be overturned anyhow. I think it took great courage to make an unpopular decision.

I think JSS committed that serious "brought the administration of justice into disrepute" legal no-no. She enabled JA to get a free-pass at affecting the jury's view of her and the case facts without any cross-examination. JSS apparently didn't even require the DT to present any evidence beyond their/JA's word that her "mental infirmity" required the court closing.

 

[My-Future-Ex-Husband]

Me too. She uses anything and anybody to try and get her way, it seems she threw that in to manipulate the process to her advantage. It was so very obvious and transparent what she was doing when she started to back-pedal, changing her tune after JM made it clear that the Alexander family had no concerns whatsoever.

That was funny though. As soon as JSS showed the Alexander family concern CMJA is all "Hello!!! Not them, ME!" and JM and JSS are like "Didn't you just say...." and she's "Yeah, well, I lied. Me, me, me!!!!"

 

[ShadyLady]

Nurmi said:

Like I said at bench, we have a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I thought his shrinks were not licensed in Arizona??? And Dr Demarte said NO PTSD!!!

 

[MaLou]

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! I am behind so perhaps it has been mentioned, but JA didn't want it known that she was testifying, not just that she doesn't want she said to be public. It was also said she wouldn't be able to adequately express remorse with an audience.

Yeah, but she testified for 18 days last time around and has no problem giving national TV interviews.

Juan also mentioned that he thought perhaps JA's real reason for wanting to clear the courtroom was because she was going to lie. He really does sound like the only rational person! JW comes off as whiny and Nurmi always comes off as if JW is stupid and he can explain it better than she. My impression of JSS is that she is really cautious. I bet she knew this would go to the COA and be denied. I am wondering if she did this knowing that would happen and thought it would be best to tackle the issue now vs. in the future with the AC. I don't know, I am just trying to make sense of all of this, considering the argument was so weak and JSS didn't even believe the argument.

 

[LinasK]

Just read 25 pages of the 34 pages of closed in chambers meeting regarding secret JA testimony. On page 26 computer shut down, twice, and I gave up. Hope is correct regarding the gist of the whole thing. Any of us could have written it. Typical JA whining. Typical defense conning judge. Typical JSS bending over backward to do all she can to help Jodi. Juan doesn't have a friend in those chambers meetings. The Alexander family must feel crushed.

<modsnip> JSS had no idea what the court proceedings were, and never a mention of breaking the US Constitution, just giving in so that the little whiner could have her sealed testimony. It was just ...oh, well if Jodi wants this, let's give it to her. And this judge knows what a cold blooded killer this woman is!!

I predict if jury hangs, JSS will give JA LWP. IMO, JSS is aching to be promoted to the 9th Circuit.

Juan Martinez, and a clear thinking jury is the only hope Travis Alexander has.

BBM. Once again, I firmly disagree. Yes JSS gave her what she wanted, but not because she wanted to violate the constitution. JSS had nothing to lose, she knew it would be overturned, and it would shut the DT up.