Sentencing and beyond- JA General Discussion #6

[Madeleine74]

Salacious and confidential items were not what I was looking for. If you go back and read what I actually wrote you'll see that.

 

[TexMex]

I think it was because he was unable to write about anything that is still under seal..

Was hoping he'd put something out after they unsealed everything... Either way, he seems fairly private, and unbiased towards the most provocative details on JA - concentrating on the most case-breaking pieces of data and sticking to that personal armory.

Unfortunately for some of us :websleuther: , we have unturned practically every stone. The True Crime interview - wasn't there some interesting guesswork as to what was on those receipts? JM laughed it off as he'd never have put that much critical effort into them, think he had enough to deal with as it was, seeing as how she left half of her body's DNA at the scene and everyone in AZ could testify as to how much of a freak she really was...

Granted her trial took forever to get scheduled because of the 'Defense's' tactics, but JM seems good as long as he context in hand - motive, physical evidence, zero alibi, strong witnesses to defendant's deviance, expert witnesses for anything the jury may help in understanding... I don't think he has our sleuthing mentality, he'll only speculate so far as to put forward a (granted, spectacular) case.

Nurmi's book was more salicious... He gave away more tidbits about her personality than I think I figured he would... never purchased his book, only came across all his quotes from either here or Twitter. It was insane.. but at the same time, I am glad I didn't have to hurl my dinner right out... he commiserates endlessly with himself.

I thought Nurmi provided some insight into his client's manipulative, attention seeking brain. Her recorded jail calls berating her mom. He told the defense team he thought if Jodi walked out of the jail there would be 20 men waiting for her with roses, each thinking they were her one true soulmate.

Got into Houston early this morning, loaded truck full of groceries to take by a flooded senior apartment complex. Still high water and fixing to rain again.

Mother is making chicken and dumplings for lunch after I clean up the branches etc that fell during the storm. Then taking everyone to College Station for Aggie Muster this evening.

 

[geevee]

I thought Nurmi provided some insight into his client's manipulative, attention seeking brain. Her recorded jail calls berating her mom. He told the defense team he thought if Jodi walked out of the jail there would be 20 men waiting for her with roses, each thinking they were her one true soulmate.

Got into Houston early this morning, loaded truck full of groceries to take by a flooded senior apartment complex. Still high water and fixing to rain again.

Mother is making chicken and dumplings for lunch after I clean up the branches etc that fell during the storm. Then taking everyone to College Station for Aggie Muster this evening.

Stay safe Texy, it's coming down in droves here now, hopefully it'll be like yesterday and only last a half hour or so (for the heavy stuff).

I can smell the chicken and dumplings way over here. lol

 

[Hope4More]

Perhaps, although the things he didn't include that he could have (and that I think I and others wanted) were things like how he felt at certain points, his relationship with Flores (not just as LE and prosecutor, but as 2 people who became friends and how this case transformed them). He didn't touch upon his relationships with anyone (forget JA). None of those things would be appeal issues, but there was a human element missing in this book that I kept wanting. He never really addressed the obvious disdain he and the defense team shared, the circus-like atmosphere in which he found himself and how he coped. In the end the book just felt heavily edited and clinical, for lack of a better word.

(WARNING: Long, terribly verbose reply follows)


I understand your critiques, and agree with some of them, actually (including that the last chapter IMO felt anti-climatic and incomplete, and I too would have liked a lot more of "that human element."). But….I loved the book.

The book I wanted him to write but knew he couldn’t would have included his thoughts about the May 26th confrontation; a detailed tick tock of June 4th and the inclusion of every last little bit of evidence about that day permissable; whether or not he believed or had evidence of additional fabricated emails or texts, and did he think the May 10th call happened on the 10th, or was it spliced from different dates? Was NA55 actually Travis? My list goes on and on.....

In other words, I'd have loved a book that ventured into case detail weeds, even if he didn’t or couldn’t provide any definitive answers to any of the questions I’ve obsessed about for years.

What I learned about him from reading his book is he wouldn’t have written about those aspects of the case, even if appeals weren’t pending, and even if he was entirely free to include whatever evidence he wanted. He may have asked himself some or all of the questions I have, but ultimately, for him, they were all irrelevant.

He knew she had premeditated and committed what he believed to be an especially vicious murder and he wanted to convict her. Period. Planning, gas cans, a gun and knife, a bestial slaughter. He dipped very selectively into a far larger pool of evidence than we’ve seen and pulled out only what he needed to weave a spare narrative of why, and to prove his ruthlessly edited case of planning, gas cans, a gun and knife, a bestial slaughter.

I gathered from his book that he approaches everything trial-related in a similarly exquisitely focused, minimalist fashion. I think he didn’t write his personal thoughts about Nurmi (did he ever even mention JW by name in his book?) or virtually anyone else because his chosen court MO is not to go there, period. He doesn’t have co-counsel, he doesn’t socialize with opposing counsel, he doesn’t pay attention to jury or judge when he’s up, he doesn’t allow Flores to speak to him during tesrtimony. Work is work and when he walks out of the courtroom he’s a private person who insists upon his privacy.

I think what he chose to write reflects those personal and professional choices. IMO what he delivered, brilliantly, is exactly what he said was the purpose of writing the book—insight into his strategic thinking, and his decisions about key evidence and his cross examination of the .

My loving the book probably has a great deal to do with my fascination for exactly those aspects of trial…. 


PS….

JM being human and all, I think he had to have been angered by the relentless stream of personal attacks on his integrity and ethics by Nurmi, especially in PP2.
I think his reply to Tricia on TRC about Nurmi criticizing him for deciding against bringing in her jail calls (IIRC) revealed a bit of what he felt—it was cutting, had a flash of ego, irritation, and contempt, but it was also brief then done, and JM moved right on.

 

[Hope4More]

Stay safe Texy, it's coming down in droves here now, hopefully it'll be like yesterday and only last a half hour or so (for the heavy stuff).

I can smell the chicken and dumplings way over here. lol

Are you still stranded in your "cabin," Geevee? :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

[Hope4More]

OMG!!! Just got the news that my DH is going to be meeting ONE on ONE tomorrow with the presidential candidate he's been working so hard to support!!! WOW!!! The Secret Service is screening his background as I write this. WOW

 

[lewcch3]

OMG!!! Just got the news that my DH is going to be meeting ONE on ONE tomorrow with the presidential candidate he's been working so hard to support!!! WOW!!! The Secret Service is screening his background as I write this. WOW

Wow!!
Congratulations to your DH and you - I know you worked so hard to assist your Dh!!

 

[LinasK]

Just checked Twitter for the grandmother news and saw a new tweet announcing that the will be voting in this election. Vicariously. :hilarious:

Still the same . I imagine that after her appeals are denied she'll be tweeting that she's won her appeal. Vicariously.

Gee, lemme guess- she's anti- Death Penalty!

 

[Hope4More]

Wow!!
Congratulations to your DH and you - I know you worked so hard to assist your Dh!!

Thank you.

I'm so thrilled for DH--and can't wait to see a selfie of the two.

DH may or may not get elected next week as a pledged delegate, but this is even more of a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity.

 

[krkrjx]

For those WSers potentially in harm's way with the weather, stay safe.

[video=youtube;lIPan-rEQJA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIPan-rEQJA[/video]

 

[LinasK]

Thank you.

I'm so thrilled for DH--and can't wait to see a selfie of the two.

DH may or may not get elected next week as a pledged delegate, but this is even more of a once in a lifetime kind of opportunity.

Will we get to know which candidate?

 

[TexMex]

Hey y'all...how do I post a video....? Whenever I do it just puts a link...

 

[Hope4More]

Hey y'all...how do I post a video....? Whenever I do it just puts a link...

sorry, I have no idea. What site/source are you trying to upload from?

 

[TexMex]

sorry, I have no idea. What site/source are you trying to upload from?

YouTube. Sitting in the hotel in College Station waiting for Aggie Muster and I'm bored. Bout to go to Fargos BBQ though

 

[Hope4More]

Will we get to know which candidate?

Nope.

 

[Hope4More]

YouTube. Sitting in the hotel in College Station waiting for Aggie Muster and I'm bored. Bout to go to Fargos BBQ though

My DS says you have to have a YouTube account to upload videos....do you have one?

 

[LinasK]

YouTube. Sitting in the hotel in College Station waiting for Aggie Muster and I'm bored. Bout to go to Fargos BBQ though

I've had problems uploading from YouTube, especially with the player. Look for the sideways V on the top right corner to share it, or there is code for sharing at the bottom of the video. ILikeToBendPages is an expert.

 

[LinasK]

Nope. The only clues: DH isn't paying a penny for the privilege, and the thank you the candidate wants to tell him in person isn't just or mostly for DH's leadership and support (though that's how candidate X knows about him), but for DH's service to the country as an Army vet.

Any hints like which Party???

 

[GigiG]

YouTube. Sitting in the hotel in College Station waiting for Aggie Muster and I'm bored. Bout to go to Fargos BBQ though

I usually just cut and paste the link. I think that works? I guess it takes an extra step for people to watch, but I don't think anyone minds that...

Had to look up Aggie Muster. That sounds a little depressing, but Fargo's BBQ sounds pretty good. (As usual, I'm hungry!)

 

[Hope4More]

Came back here originally to post this wee update:

From the COA docket. Amended motion granted, attorneys are to receive the full court record by May 2. Next step: Their review of the record, writing of appellate briefs, no input from required. If the wants to dictate strategy this time, I'm afraid she'll have to do so vicariously.