trial day 53: REBUTTAL; #161

[Dr. Nick]

I know it's distressing to hear juror questions that seem to explore alternative theories or accept Jodi's story, but I wouldn't take them at face value. In many instances where you find someone who seems unreasonably skeptical, they're simply confirming their belief by arguing for the other side and seeing if they get the answer they expect. It's surprisingly common in adult learning. Anyone who has ever facilitated a seminar or workshop knows the type. They sit in the back of the room with their arms folded across their chest and sharpshoot every imagined inconsistency and demand proof of every assumption. At the end though, if you've been responsive and provide them with patient explanations, they're not only convinced, they can become zealots.

I haven't seen formal research about this, but in my experience these people are frequently a group I call "cautious risk takers". That sounds like an oxymoron, but it makes sense when you understand how their decision making process works. A cautious risk taker will spend a lot of time assessing pros and cons, gathering information, and imagining outcomes. They're not impulsive at all. At the end of their fact finding phase, however, they're not only decisive but they also will accept extremely high levels of risk. They just hate surprises. Once they believe that they know what the dangers are, they aren't deterred by the prospect of failure.

I think there are one or two jurors who fit this profile and might make deliberations longer than necessary, but in the end they'll be more convinced than anyone that the 1st degree/premeditation verdict is correct.

 

[Davia18]

Chris Williams@chriswnews#JodiArias Juror 8 has been excused for remainder of case. No reason given

Chris Williams@chriswnews#JodiArias juror 8 sat front row, left side, one chair in. Man with a short beard. Took a lot of notes.

 

[Kittytective]

I'm not sure how to quote Tweets, but I believe it was Beth K that stated bomb dog.

I went back and read Beth's tweets and I am mistaken. But somebody tweeted that he was a bomb dog (even though that does not seem to make much sense). Apologies; I'm still a WS newbie and am a super newbie at Twitter goings-on!

 

[JayB12]

JW was laughing at something that Nurmi wrote but looking to the corner of the court. Shameful no matter what. I don't think she was laughing because of CEO but was no doubt happy about that too.

Epitome of professionalism.

Maybe Willmott can frame this shot and show it to her students as an example of how to behave in a court of law.

 

[SamuraiPie]

It is interesting how people cling to the idea that the gun shot was the first wound in spite of the medical evidence to the contrary. In the absence of any compelling evidence contradicting it, medical evidence will always trump anything else. If there were any real medical basis for Travis being able to sustain a gunshot wound to the head and then continue an attack on Jodi, the defense would have presented an MD to testify to that.

Agreed. I think too many people try to make sense out of the senseless. Sure, it would be more convenient if JA shot first, but 1) No one but JA really knows what happened in that bathroom, 2) Do we really expect a borderline personality to take sensible action while killing her ex-boyfriend in a rage? 3) Knives are more "personal" and are often the weapon of choice when it comes to revenge-style killings.

Why JA brought a gun to a knife fight I'll never know, but I would pose that it was a back-up. Turns out she didn't need the gun after all, so she shot him at the end to add insult to injury.

 

[Hopeful One]

Juror 5 has a gag order? I thought it was her choice not to talk until the trial is over.

You're right, they can talk if they choose to.

 

[Isabelle]

I hope all of this juror carp doesn't help with an appeal!

 

[Arishia]

WARNING: This is a brutal scenario I am about to describe ...

If a video was played for the jury of a pig being sacrificed* to demonstrate the brutality and overkill, and timed to see how long the poor animal would be in its death squeals and convulsions as the 29 stabbings, throat slice and gunshot are reproduced to mimic TA's slaughter, wouldn't that leave an indelible impression in the juror's minds, as they can witness the incredibly bloody mess and the sounds and see how long 62 seconds to die can actually seem?

Also, on Body Farms (where they document the decomposition process under various environmental conditions), they take time lapse photography of how the body changes over time. Such a video would also be informative.


*(with the meat donated to a shelter to feed the homeless, as all meat comes from a slaughtered animal)

It takes a certain kind of person to be able to study things like this scientifically. Many are so horrified they shut down, and can't even process it. That said, could we spare the pig, and demonstrate on the perp instead?

 

[aa9511]

From AZ Central :


Michael Kiefer ‏@michaelbkiefer 2m
The Arias trial is over for the day. Unless there are impromptu hearings between now and then, the next court date is Wednesday, May 1.


Michael Kiefer Michael Kiefer ‏@michaelbkiefer 4m
A deputy told me the bomb dog tour was just routine.


Michael Kiefer Michael Kiefer ‏@michaelbkiefer 6m
Juror number eight was just dismissed.


Michael Kiefer Michael Kiefer ‏@michaelbkiefer 6m
The jury returns.



Chris Williams ‏@chriswnews 5m
#JodiArias juror 8 was probably late 40's to mid 50'sChris Williams Chris Williams ‏@chriswnews 6m
#JodiArias juror 8 sat front row, left side, one chair in. Man with a short beard. Took a lot of notes.


Chris Williams Chris Williams ‏@chriswnews 7m
#JodiArias Juror 8 has been excused for remainder of case. No reason given

Took a lot of notes...this is bad. Juror 5 also took a lot of notes. KCL, forgive me if you've already noted this, but is this CEO? That would be bad, I've read in your notes that CEO seems like he's not buying any of defense's theory.??

 

[mimmy03]

Does anybody know who the the doc is that is expected to testify for the re-re-buttal? And do we know if this doctor has already evaluated JA at some point in the past, recently, or is just going to read the test results/reports from Dr. Samuels and Dr. Demarte and give an opinion from those?

 

[katiewonders]

jose miguel ‏@reporterjmiguel 1m

It's important to note juror #8 was NOT in court today, his seat has been EMPTY ALL

Then, why wouldn't the judge make that announcement right away as the other jurors didn't see him there?

 

[raisincharlie]

Juror 8 released, unhappy judge, security's dog went through court .... ?? drug-sniffer? WTH is going on?

Here's a question for you - when did the dog go through, before the ME started to testify or after if you know.

Strange, Juror #8 hears the ME testimony and then there is a break, the jurors go out, the jurors come back, Juror #8 excused . Whatever happened to #8 happened very fast. Gotta wonder about that canine.

 

[Truth Detector]

If there was any way possible for the gunshot wound to have come first, I have to believe that the DT would have found an expert of their own to offer that testimony. The fact that they did not speaks volumes to me.

Society at large, Travis, and his family need jurors like you.

 

[nosytrish]

maybe Juan asked for him to be removed before the DT could do it, why prolong the inevitable? The DT takes for.ev.er to do anything to drag things out.

 

[AnArmyWife_98]

I'm seeing many tweets on Twitter, from those in the court room this morning, that Juror # 8 was NOT in the court room at ALL today, his seat was empty. Doesn't sound like this was some "quick kick him off" move, as he wasn't present today. MOO.

 

[newsjunkie]

Just some more information... In those instances I can pretty much guarantee those objects were not being impaled into the brain at the velocity of a bullet. In many cases a small caliber bullet can bounce around inside the body and cause more damage than a higher caliber bullet.

Also, this is my first post and want to say HI!

Great first post!

:welcome6:

 

[katiedid2]

Respectfully,disagree. I trust a scientist and expert in the field...not a liar!

I totaly agree what the medical examiner said. He knows his job and this is not his first rodeo moo

 

[katiewonders]

Does someone have a list of the Jury nicknames they can post here?
It would be very much appreciated.

Chelly, I found one on the first page of the court room observer thread.

 

[my2sense]

Just because other people have survived gunshot wounds to the head or knives/spears, etc. doesn't mean that would have been the case here. It all depends which part of the brain was impacted. I would take the word of the ME. Please note that the defense did not put up their own expert to refute this testimony. There are many hired guns out there (Baden, Spitz, etc), but maybe even they couldn't be bought off.

Good thinking -- thanks

 

[Nezumi]

Well, aren't you just in the chirpiest little mood today Jenny?

[video=youtube;kBgRIFxWWpY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBgRIFxWWpY[/video]