trial day 41: the defense continues its case in chief #121

[BritsKate]

I have heard this opinion expressed again and again, not just here, and not just by you, Novice Seeker, that the credibility of "real" victims everywhere is at stake and is being damaged by this case. As if just one--one!--dubious and obviously ill defendant, and the people who are defending her, could somehow ruin it for other victims. I say this is nonsense!

If the credibility of victims is so fragile, so easily dismissed, can you place the blame for that squarely on Jodi's shoulders? I mean, let's just think about that. Does she really have that kind of power? Does Alyce? Or, is it that we have a society that is looking for anything, anything at all to discredit victims of DV or intimate partner violence, and, to that end, Jodi Arias is a dream come true?

When it comes to the credibility of victims, there's a much larger and deeply-seated problem here that has a long, long history going back to before Jodi was even BORN. Why superimpose her infamous face over this problem? That is so cowardly and dishonest!

I was disbelieved and well remember the frustration and sense of helplessness...but you're right, its not just this one case. I think it goes way beyond victim credibility as to why this defense is potentially damaging though.

This one case is highly sensational and publicized and it is this one case that propagates the myth men can't be victims of abuse. It is this defense that likely has engineered a defense strategy - with little evidence or even similarities to many other victims and survivors who have spoken out on this forum.

And it's this one case that's grabbing the headlines so if the news anchor is saying Jodi is what an abuse victim looks like and this is indeed an abusive relationship - when in reality that probably isn't the case - then you've got how many people with that mental image who go on in their daily lives perpetuating those myths, albeit unknowingly? Could it be the difference in whether a judge grants a restraining order? Might it mean the difference between an arrest and a warning? Who the custody evaluator gives more weight to? To me these are real life considerations that this defense, this one case, could have a knock on effect upon.

Every time someone makes a false claim of abuse I truly believe it makes that road more difficult for the next person to traverse - for vast and varied reasons apart from credibility alone. And I've seen it in action way too many times to discount it.

MOO

 

[Love Never Fails]

OMG Jodi just turned and stared right where the #5 juror is sitting!!! WOW! Those dagger eyes she has is intense. Oh yeah, she is soooooo abused to the point of murder. She looks as if no one could abuse her. One false word and Jodi would come flying at you with everything she has. She seems very confrontational.

Well, juror 5 just smiled and said hi to someone in the font. Was that Jodi?
Maybe KCL can tells.

 

[rose222]

I feel abused by the Defense team. Really. I might need help once this trial is over. How on earth can we fog ourselves up so we forget all this nonsense?

 

[Nancy_Drew]

Jodi keeps looking back in the gallery at Juror No. 5

...and she doesn't look happy! Lol!! I LOVE it!! I needed to see a little devine providence today! I was so sick of Jodi thinking she had everything and everyone under control!

 

[Liebchenmutti]

Yeah. Travis used the Book of Mormon to pick up chicks, Willmott. GMAFB

 

[TexMex]

Come on Willmott, ALL women are vulnerable to Alyce so quit asking

 

[HarvestMoon]

What is Jodi doing with her hands? Hand puppet?

Getting ready for a steal ?

 

[TXHoney]

What do any of these other women have to do with JA slaughtering TA?

 

[3trees]

According to ALV all women are brittle little birds in a world of evil men hawks.

 

[SCHMAE]

I think reading all of TA's words about JA actually hurts the defense. It shows that he's thinking before his death that she is exactly the kind of woman who ended up ENDING his l ife, right? This was a stupid move by the defense team, going over every word TA said about her thinking it would gain sympathy. I'd bet a least half the jurors see it that way , if not more.

 

[Nezumi]

I expect to get nice thank you notes and flowers from all of my bad, old, really mean boyfriends now that I have learned from Ms. LV that I would have been totally justified in doing them in.

 

[JusticeJunkie]

And did Shitawna KILL him?

 

[bonjoviblonde]

Ok I am completely serious....just now when Wilmott's voice got high, my dog ran into the room with her ears perked up. LOL!!:floorlaugh:

 

[nuttybar]

I think the main reason Jodi went ahead with a trial was so she could look at Travis's messages. Still stalking him to this day.

2¢

YES! exactly. Also the reason she wanted to "represent herself" i think. was to have ALL the messages and evidence at her fingertips.

 

[ksmith75]

That was where the judge's clerk put her.

Im sure already mentioned because you all are on the ball, but I hope juror 5's reason for being there are to see justice done, and NOT to somehow cause a mistrial. I can't imagine being on a jury for all this time and then getting kicked off because of DT, and showing up just to cause a mistrial when its the DT that kicked me off. (or does she KNOW who complained?) I'm a lil lost. TIA.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

OMG, Travis likes attention from a variety of women!!!

That surely must prove something, but I don't know what.

 

[josie1986]

oh come on,travis and suicide again?

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

SO WHAT??!?! Travis had sex..
How can this woman know what these other women have issue with? They are all vulnerable?? SO RIDICULOUS!!!

I may lose part of my mind here.

 

[TXProfessional]

Why ALV doesn't have the professional, clinical experience to know HOW to quickly identify someone with severe personality disorders is baffling to me!!

Someone called to testify in a death penalty case of this magnitude should be extremely qualified... And ALV falls very short!

This is very concerning! Especially since she deals with domestic violence and abusers on a daily basis... abusers have personality disorders...lol...

Either she is playing ignorant just for the paycheck, or she really has no clue and is NOT qualified for this job!!

Nancydrew, you couldn't be more correct about ALV--As a 20+ year Clinical MH professional with multiple licensures, I can tell you with absolute certainty that she has neither the credentials, licensure, nor clinical qualifications to testify to the psychological functioning of Ms. Arias--in fact, I am truly perplexed . What I have learned in my professional experiences is that those who solely focus on substance abuse and domestic violence see through a very narrow lens in which evidence-based theory is not used as a measure of validity. This becomes apparent as evidenced by her folksy, story telling narrative that is actually based on suppositions and opinions rather than scientifically tested data--not to mention there appears to be no testing that has been conducted (perhaps the MMPI) to determine deception in Jodi Arias. I have truly been beside myself over ALV's testimony because she presents herself as everything negative people see counselors as :twocents:

 

[SusieD]

Whoa.... I am just concerned that her presence might be seen as antagonistic to the defense and might cause a mistrial. She has every right to be addicted to the trial like we are...from her computer. I just don't want anything to interfere with justice in this case. We're on the same side here! Chill!

One of the cornerstones of our justice system is transparency. There would have to be a very compelling reaason to keep any citizen out of a courtroom. Talking about interfering with justice.....

You may not like it but she has every right to be there. We don't deny non-participants access to courtrooms.

Except for SCOTUS & Gitmo.

The fact the defense won't like it is hardly cause for a mistrial.