Re: the cut finger- Juan did show the pic from early 2008 with Jodi’s arm around Angela, but no, he didn’t spend much time refuting that testimony. And I believe Ryan & Leslie Udy confirmed the killer had her hand bandaged in Utah post murder 6/5. But why Juan didn’t cite this cut directly from the Flores investigation when the killer said it was done by the “ninja” female?
That finger....I hope every single day the incorrect healing of her finger reminds her of what she did to Travis. Her being left handed, it has to.
I’ve often wondered if that, after many years go by or on her deathbed, the killer will tell the truth about what happened that day. That’s a big “if”.
Ten years it will be on June 4 that Travis is gone. Ten years for the killer to be in jail. I am sure she’s acclimated by now but am sure she is in misery.
And next month - appeal brief due. With no new motions or complaints on the record since October 2017, I don’t see it being delayed. Her appeal - do you think we will know by the end of this year?
I personally think there is no way in the world she’ll be given a new trial. The evidence against her was too strong. Very few procedural errors were made by JSS; nothing that will warrant another trial as any procedural error IMO would not have changed the verdict.
A question I have is that if this first appeal is denied, what are the factors the killer & her legal team have to establish to exist for an appeal paid for by the killer? Apparently there is an “Appeal Fund”. Can a defendant simply ask for a “do over”? I don’t think so unless new evidence is found disputing the conviction.
She’ll never fade away, however. Killer loves herself too much to go quietly.
Salberg--
1. The COA appeal will be heard and decided (not before the end of this year, at the earliest).
2. If the appeal is denied, the has the option of petitioning the AZ Supreme Court to hear her case. They are under no obligation to do so. If they do, that appeal will also be state-funded.
3. The possible outcomes if the COA rules in her favor: the verdict can be thrown out & the case returned to Superior Court; the verdict can stand and her sentence be reduced; the verdict can stand but the sentence thrown out (most difficult option to imagine happening in this case, since the DP is off the table & there AZ doesn't allow parole).
4. If her COA appeal is denied, and the AZ Supreme Court declines to hear her appeal/she doesn't appeal to the SC, then she has one final option at the state level: to petition for Post Conviction Relief (PCR), which will also be state-funded.
5. She is almost certain to petition for a PCR because it provides her the first and only opportunity to claim ineffective counsel, and to assert that she has new evidence to present that could have changed the outcome of her (guilt phase) trial.
6. The court she'd apply to for PCR is the AZ Superior Court, and the judge reviewing her petition would be JSS- the trial judge.
7. JSS is obligated to review the petition, but is not obligated to order hearings in response. Her options: deny the PCR petition outright (the end), or grant hearings in which the "new" evidence and/or arguments about ineffective counsel would be argued.
8. If she allows those hearings (not going to happen, imo), then the arguments will be presented & refuted, and JSS will rule whether or not any portion of the original outcome (guilt & sentencing) needs a redo.
9. The may appeal the PCR being denied at any of these stages, but she would have to pay for that appeal herself, and it would have about a 1% chance or less of succeeding.
10. The can appeal to a federal court of appeals after all her State level appeals are exhausted, but again, she'd have to pay herself, and the cost would be prohibitively expensive- hundreds of thousands of dollars.
11. The does have an appeals trust fund set up in her name. I very much doubt it ever contained the $80-90k or so funds claimed. Even if it once did, I suspect she has used/is using a great deal of that money to pay her civil attorney for the various civil suits she's brought against JM and Nurmi.
And, even if she has $80-90k intact, that won't be enough to pay for even the retainer of a federal appellate attorney.