Travis Alexander and Jodi Arias - What do you believe?

[Chanler]

http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/072012/m5326516.pdf

http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/072012/m5325421.pdf

http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/072012/m5325420.pdf

I haven't perused these documents exhaustively or, for that matter, with legal expertise, but to me the most fascinating points are evidences of Jodi's hope that a lie detector test will be allowed in the penalty phase of the trial [a touch of realism on her part.] As the prosecution noted, the exact contents of the test (which, we can assume, was administered by someone the defense hired) remain a mystery. I doubt that it will be admissible. [Given Jodi's calm demeanor, it would not surprise me that she would be a prime candidate for baffling the test, especially a badly administered test.]

The third request (for Spanish-only jurors) seems to be jumping even further ahead to the appeals stage. Given the ongoing controversies about the Arizona sheriff's anti-Hispanic practices, Jodi and her lawyers are hoping that this claim might eventually provide the basis of a call for a retrial. Not likely, but it seems to be yet another indication that Jodi is attempting to pull out all the stops for what she obviously believes will be a very protracted fight.

These motions seem an acknowledgment that she will be convicted at least the first time around.

 

[Chanler]

http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/082012/m5358964.pdf

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED vacating the Trial set 10/17/2012 and resetting same on 11/19/2012 at 10:30 a.m. before this division.

 

[hellinor]

http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/082012/m5358964.pdf

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED vacating the Trial set 10/17/2012 and resetting same on 11/19/2012 at 10:30 a.m. before this division.

Good Lord! By the time this happens it better not be "time served"

 

[MandyLeigh]

:what:

I can't believe how long this is taking just to start.

She wants a lie detector test to be allowed in the penalty phase? She is exactly the type of person who is insane enough to be able to pass a lie detector test. If the jury finds her guilty I am betting they are going to see that too.

 

[SyraKelly]

This trial is going to be on TRU-TV this fall-should be interesting.
I want to know-why was she carrying a gun in the first place.I think
she gave him an ultimatum that night-Her or the other girl..
I am only on pg 10 of this thread-but that is what I think so far
great post by everyone BTW..looking forward to this trail!!!

 

[Chanler]

http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/092012/m5404143.pdf

The judge postponed the a decision until the penalty phase on whether the prosecution will be able to argue that Jodi showed a lack of remorse of her crime.

I suspect that whatever that post-conviction decision, the prosecution will have already placed into the record ample proof of that lack of remorse, thanks to Jodi's own egotistical TV interviews and police statements.

 

[Chanler]

http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/092012/m5410038.pdf

IT IS ORDERED setting Oral Argument re: State’s Motion for Unredacted Copy of
Expert’s Notes on 9/24/2012 at 10:00 a.m. before this division.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED setting a Capital Case Management Conference on
10/16/2012 at 8:30 a.m. before this division.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED affirming prior custody orders.

Another session, not helpful to Jodi, except that she was able to spend another few hours outside of jail. I assume that her lawyers attempted again to have the bail lowered; it didn't work.

The experts alluded to are probably psychologists that the defense will present to further the theory that Jodi had the type of addictive personality that could get involved in a destructive relationship with a controlling male and then suppress the facts after she killed him in self-defense. At least, that's the best I could fabricate.

 

[bryanwd]

http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/092012/m5410038.pdf

IT IS ORDERED setting Oral Argument re: State’s Motion for Unredacted Copy of
Expert’s Notes on 9/24/2012 at 10:00 a.m. before this division.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED setting a Capital Case Management Conference on
10/16/2012 at 8:30 a.m. before this division.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED affirming prior custody orders.

Another session, not helpful to Jodi, except that she was able to spend another few hours outside of jail. I assume that her lawyers attempted again to have the bail lowered; it didn't work.

The experts alluded to are probably psychologists that the defense will present to further the theory that Jodi had the type of addictive personality that could get involved in a destructive relationship with a controlling male and then suppress the facts after she killed him in self-defense. At least, that's the best I could fabricate.

Doctor patient privilege would be the defense's argument against turning over unredacted notes from a psychologist, but I think Arizona gets an exception if she's pleading insanity:

http://apaac.az.gov/specialized-top...-rule 11 incompetency and mental examinations

 

[Chanler]

Doctor patient privilege would be the defense's argument against turning over unredacted notes from a psychologist, but I think Arizona gets an exception if she's pleading insanity:

http://apaac.az.gov/specialized-top...-rule 11 incompetency and mental examinations

Hi, Bryanwd. I don't doctor/patient confidentiality can be invoked, because the psychologist is described as an expert. As such, he or she would be coming forward as a defense expert witness. The defense can't have it both ways: The psychologist can't be presented as an expert and then protected under confidentiality stipulations.

Jodi won't be pleading insanity; it's against her nature and a practical impossibility. She would not have a scintilla of a chance to get that by an Arizona judge.

And as far as we know, Jodi hadn't been seeing a shrink....

 

[CarolinaMoon]

I never heard of Jodi pleading not guilty due to insanity. This close to trial, her defense would have had to change her original plea and allowed prosecution doctors to examine her.

I also think they are going to do what Chanler said. They are going to use a psychological defense to further her claims of self defense.

The defense has a major problem with that because of all her changing statements. They'll say she was psychologically impared and it caused her to keep changing her story.

 

[bryanwd]

I never heard of Jodi pleading not guilty due to insanity. This close to trial, her defense would have had to change her original plea and allowed prosecution doctors to examine her.

I also think they are going to do what Chanler said. They are going to use a psychological defense to further her claims of self defense.

The defense has a major problem with that because of all her changing statements. They'll say she was psychologically impared and it caused her to keep changing her story.

I hear what Chanler is saying, but it seems like double talk because the "battered woman syndrome defense" is a claim of diminished capacity, or some kind of temporary insanity with the added twist of smearing the dead victim. If her claim of self-defense only has a basis if you take her mental condition into consideration, she's trying to have her cake and eat it too.

I agree that her lawyers don't want to specifically say anything like temporary insanity or diminished mental capacity. She's dead if they do. But if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck . . . It seems her lawyers will have to dance on eggshells to not say the wrong words. But now that I think of it, I was missing the bottom line when I brought it up.

Ultimately, her freedom depends on making 12 people believe that Travis Alexander deserved to be shot in the face, stabbed 40 times, and have his throat slit from ear to ear while he was naked, taking a shower. Whatever story she comes up with, she'll be telling it to 12 people who will also see her televised interviews giving conflicting accounts of what happened as well as the different stories she gave to the police. If the combined IQ of the jury is anywhere above 50, I don't think she has much of a chance of getting a not-guilty. Unfortunately, I've been very wrong on these things more than once.

 

[CarolinaMoon]

I hear what Chanler is saying, but it seems like double talk because the "battered woman syndrome defense" is a claim of diminished capacity, or some kind of temporary insanity with the added twist of smearing the dead victim. If her claim of self-defense only has a basis if you take her mental condition into consideration, she's trying to have her cake and eat it too.

I agree that her lawyers don't want to specifically say anything like temporary insanity or diminished mental capacity. She's dead if they do. But if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck . . . It seems her lawyers will have to dance on eggshells to not say the wrong words. But now that I think of it, I was missing the bottom line when I brought it up.

Ultimately, her freedom depends on making 12 people believe that Travis Alexander deserved to be shot in the face, stabbed 40 times, and have his throat slit from ear to ear while he was naked, taking a shower. Whatever story she comes up with, she'll be telling it to 12 people who will also see her televised interviews giving conflicting accounts of what happened as well as the different stories she gave to the police. If the combined IQ of the jury is anywhere above 50, I don't think she has much of a chance of getting a not-guilty. Unfortunately, I've been very wrong on these things more than once.

I know what you mean. I wonder if she has any witnesses to back her up. Otherwise, she'll have to take the stand, since self-defense is an affirmative defense. Based on her TV interview, I going to assume that the defense attorneys are giving her acting lessons, just in case. The trouble is, she is so self-confident, I doubt they will work.

 

[Tiger09]

While I think there's no doubt she's guilty as can be- evidence doesn't lie- I think that a good lawyer is probably going to say psychological disassociation. Not like DID, but disassociation, like she got in such an extreme psychological state that when she committed the crime she disassociated and got so emotional due to the so-called "abuse" from Travis. If anyone was abused, IMO, it was her stalking and emotionally torturing Travis for months. She knew about the guy's background and she probably knew it was a casual relationship and his religious beliefs, but she kept going. It all reminds me a bit of the documentary I watched called Tabloid, but luckily, that guy got out alive. Hopefully, the jury sees beyond her pretty face and sees how she brutally murdered a young man in his prime. Because if she did this before over a relationship, without help, she will most likely do it again.

What's weird is that if this were a man that did this to a woman, there would be no question of what do you believe. Straight up. We would be calling the male murderer a sicko and the poor female victim an innocent. Why is it any different since Travis Alexander was a young man and Jodi Arias is a young woman? It's not. She still committed a heinous act and took pictures of it. She lied about it multiple times. She made a shrine to him on her myspace. She stalked him while he was alive. She was a predator and he was her prey. She deserves to be locked up where she cannot hurt anyone else. Travis deserves justice.

 

[Chanler]

I hear what Chanler is saying, but it seems like double talk because the "battered woman syndrome defense" is a claim of diminished capacity, or some kind of temporary insanity with the added twist of smearing the dead victim. If her claim of self-defense only has a basis if you take her mental condition into consideration, she's trying to have her cake and eat it too.

I agree that her lawyers don't want to specifically say anything like temporary insanity or diminished mental capacity. She's dead if they do. But if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck . . . It seems her lawyers will have to dance on eggshells to not say the wrong words. But now that I think of it, I was missing the bottom line when I brought it up.

Ultimately, her freedom depends on making 12 people believe that Travis Alexander deserved to be shot in the face, stabbed 40 times, and have his throat slit from ear to ear while he was naked, taking a shower. Whatever story she comes up with, she'll be telling it to 12 people who will also see her televised interviews giving conflicting accounts of what happened as well as the different stories she gave to the police. If the combined IQ of the jury is anywhere above 50, I don't think she has much of a chance of getting a not-guilty. Unfortunately, I've been very wrong on these things more than once.

Bryanwed, well-stated. A powerful last paragraph. Jodi's defense is almost irrelevant; I honestly can't imagine any strategy on earth working in the face of the forensics and the death scene photos--and we haven't even talked about emails and phone records that register her obsession.

 

[Chanler]

While I think there's no doubt she's guilty as can be- evidence doesn't lie- I think that a good lawyer is probably going to say psychological disassociation. Not like DID, but disassociation, like she got in such an extreme psychological state that when she committed the crime she disassociated and got so emotional due to the so-called "abuse" from Travis. If anyone was abused, IMO, it was her stalking and emotionally torturing Travis for months. She knew about the guy's background and she probably knew it was a casual relationship and his religious beliefs, but she kept going. It all reminds me a bit of the documentary I watched called Tabloid, but luckily, that guy got out alive. Hopefully, the jury sees beyond her pretty face and sees how she brutally murdered a young man in his prime. Because if she did this before over a relationship, without help, she will most likely do it again.

What's weird is that if this were a man that did this to a woman, there would be no question of what do you believe. Straight up. We would be calling the male murderer a sicko and the poor female victim an innocent. Why is it any different since Travis Alexander was a young man and Jodi Arias is a young woman? It's not. She still committed a heinous act and took pictures of it. She lied about it multiple times. She made a shrine to him on her myspace. She stalked him while he was alive. She was a predator and he was her prey. She deserves to be locked up where she cannot hurt anyone else. Travis deserves justice.

I haven't seen anyone writing that Jodi is anything but a depraved, but sane killer.

(P.S. I think that picture of Travis wounded on the floor was probably taken when the camera itself was on the floor and clicked accidentally. The previous photos recovered were pictures of the nude pictures taken by each other.)

 

[Tiger09]

I think she's a straight up sociopath. Some of her quotes are so depraved, I'm surprised they aren't internet memes. They're that strange. I'm watching JVM on demand right now and her explanation for her infamous smiley happy mug shot was something like she knew it would be on the internet and she actually thought about what Travis would think about it, so "why not?" It's literally like "yolo." I don't think I've ever actively waited for a trial like this in forever. It's really crazy that her defense team is claiming self-defense. I just want to be all like the Miz from WWE and go "Really...Really? Really?" I actually hope that this girl takes the stand. Please, Arias defense team. Let her take the stand.

 

[Chanler]

I think she's a straight up sociopath. Some of her quotes are so depraved, I'm surprised they aren't internet memes. They're that strange. I'm watching JVM on demand right now and her explanation for her infamous smiley happy mug shot was something like she knew it would be on the internet and she actually thought about what Travis would think about it, so "why not?" It's literally like "yolo." I don't think I've ever actively waited for a trial like this in forever. It's really crazy that her defense team is claiming self-defense. I just want to be all like the Miz from WWE and go "Really...Really? Really?" I actually hope that this girl takes the stand. Please, Arias defense team. Let her take the stand.

Hi, Tiger09; not that your well-turned argument needs bolstering, but I can't resist adding this jarring link;

http://insession.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/28/victims-sister-jodi-arias-smiles-at-me-in-court/

Apparently in the courtroom, Jodi smiles at the sister of the man who even she admits that she killed.

 

[Tiger09]

I saw that on JVM. My blood ran cold, and I literally had to check what I was watching on demand. I thought I was watching some movie or something. Stuff like that does not happen in real life. People aren't that stupid. But, I guess it's a tad cunning in a sociopathic, soapish kind of way. I mean, it guarantees that she will get media attention, the jury pool is definitely tainted, and she will be infamous. However, I can't see how this girl- and I mean girl because this is not adultlike behavior- can get off. I mean, some texts about how she's pretty and hot? Oh no! I guess I've been abused by so many men out there, and I've been abusing some of my friends to raise their self esteem and some of my friends have abused me.....I think we're all just a bunch of abusers. They better have more legit evidence to prove serious abuse from Travis Alexander because if not then she is so guilty. But I have to admit I look forward to the trial. I hope that Travis's sister gets to see a guilty verdict.

 

[Chanler]

I saw that on JVM. My blood ran cold, and I literally had to check what I was watching on demand. I thought I was watching some movie or something. Stuff like that does not happen in real life. People aren't that stupid. But, I guess it's a tad cunning in a sociopathic, soapish kind of way. I mean, it guarantees that she will get media attention, the jury pool is definitely tainted, and she will be infamous. However, I can't see how this girl- and I mean girl because this is not adultlike behavior- can get off. I mean, some texts about how she's pretty and hot? Oh no! I guess I've been abused by so many men out there, and I've been abusing some of my friends to raise their self esteem and some of my friends have abused me.....I think we're all just a bunch of abusers. They better have more legit evidence to prove serious abuse from Travis Alexander because if not then she is so guilty. But I have to admit I look forward to the trial. I hope that Travis's sister gets to see a guilty verdict.

Hi, Tiger09l; the self-defense plea is extremely weak: Travis seems to have been naked and unarmed, probably in or emerging from the shower; Jodi had a gun and stabbed him repeatedly while he was lying on the floor. She drove voluntarily to his house; she posed naked on his bed and took a least one similar picture of him as well.

The case will be a major media case for several reasons: 1. Shooter and victim are young, attractive, and sex is involved. 2. Despite overwhelming evidence, Jodi is not copping a plea. 3. Thanks to Jodi's penchant for self-presentation, those videos of her changing accounts are available. 4. Jodi is unpredictable: She might insist on testifying or controlling her defense.

 

[TotallyObsessed]

Hi all. Can't wait for this trial to begin. Is there a sole forum thread on this case?

Thanks