hilldeccaside
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Moving from last thread because I got shut out!
I am on the fence too. I think it's a good sign there were not a lot of questions but a several were on experience and that is not so good.
The"bear, tiger" question is confusing. I felt like it implies there is a juror who is buying Samuels' claim that even though JA wrote the trauma was a "bear" when it was a "tiger", she answered all subsequent questions with respect to it being a "tiger". That is concerning if someone believes that, but I can kind of see why they might. However, these psych tests are very specific, and a properly trained psychologist would NEVER consider the test valid if that initial untruth was discovered because if the person will lie on that part, what is to say they will not lie on any of the subsequent questions? There is just no way to tell if she was continuing to lie or not, so it becomes an invalid test that cannot be considered. Hopefully there are jurors who can help others understand this.
In contrast, I thought Dr. DeMarte's answer to the question re: stabbing and killing Travis being a traumatic event was fantastic. She clearly explained that of course it could be, but in this case even if it was, it did not lead to PTSD as evidenced by JA's behaviors of seeking out triggers (memorial, journaling re:Travis, irises etc.). I do believe the juror was asking in a snarky kind of way because Dr. DeMarte had testified on cross that that event was not traumatic in her view (in the sense of creating PTSD in JA), and it is hard for any of us to imagine that event not being traumatic given the crime scene photos. But IMO, Dr. DeMarte clarified her position on it very well.
Overall, the questions made me a bit nervous. I sense the jury wishes she had more experience but liked her and the way she presented her findings. IMO JM called this witness to refute Samuels and LaV - their opinions and their lack of professionalism - and to provide a psych diagnosis that makes more sense with the evidence than DV and/or PTSD and removes excuses for JA's killing of Travis. I think now he wants to get into the meat of the premeditation and horror of the crime.
Trying to stay positive!
I really did not see the questions as pro Jodi at all. It is funny how we all hear things differently.
As for the Bear/Tiger question, didn't Dr. Samuels spend significant time telling the jurors there was no need to retake the test because trauma is trauma? I saw that question as a reassurance that that Dr. S is biased.
As for wishing she had more experience, I did not get that either. She was able to explain herself better in a few days than ALV or Dr. S did in the weeks they were on the stand, and they have had more years "experience" than Dr. Demartee has had years alive.
I think a lot of us have become cynical about jurors after the Anthony trial. But IMO a sequestered jury on a high profile case is going to have some not so bright people on it. It would be almost impossible for most average people to give up months and months of their lives to live in a hotel with strangers. I think you are left with the bottom of the jury pool when you have to sequester for so long. OJ Simpson jurors are another example of this to me.