I feel like this sounds a bit crazy, but I know that the best place to go with this is to my WS family.
I would have never predicted me crying like I am tonight for the Alexander family. Don't get me wrong, I've had so much sympathy and compassion for them from the start. It's not just a tear or two, I can't stop the waterworks from coming on everytime I think of the way things have been left hanging for the family. Then hearing Mike Galanos on HLN After Dark say one of the female jurors looked at the family and mouthed "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry", well that just did me in again and I'm sobbing. Seriously, I feel a bit crazy for the crying and am hoping my WS family help me plug the leak.
I can offer this thought to help. CMJA is in a worse position now than before this verdict. She could have been given Life, leaving it for the judge to decide if that means natural life, or life with parole, a huge uncertainty. As it is, we still have the possibility of Death on the table.
It is not bloodthirsty to want death, it is simply following the law without allowing your own prejudices to interfere. That's what these jurors promised to do and since they are not privy to any information that *I* and *you* don't have, we know there was NOT sufficient mitigation to overcome the premediated murder of an innocent person with extreme cruelty. There, I've said it--that's how I see it. I don't see a juror being free to bring their whole baggage along and throw it in the mix.
Those who stood firm for Death have pointed this trial in the right direction. Take heart, honey, three out of the last four second juries which were called for the penalty phase only chose death. These new jurors won't have 18 days of Jodi Arias prattling on and you know there aren't going to be any expert witnesses coming up with witless explanations which torch their careers.
Yes, we would have liked our justice now --especially to spare the pain for the Alexander family and the interruption for their lives. But it's going to be much shorter now and there won't be the choreographed interruptions that JA instigated with her migraines --this will go much faster.
It may even be surgical. This is proved. That is proved. All you have to look at, ladies and gentlemen, is this question, does the X compensate for the Y? Yes or No.
Oh, and by the way, the public needs to be protected, doncha know? Do we think Arias would offend again? Her lack of criminal record has been offered, so we offer this as evidence against that optimistic outlook: and they play the post verdict interviews where she doesn't say sorry, she says what she would do differently is drive to the Mesa Police Department, and he says she isn't dangerous ...if a person doesn't abuse her (or tell on her) or maybe call her names like that pedophile Travis did.
And then they show the actual gun and knives found hidden in her car as she was trying to leave town before getting arrested.
Don't cry--things will be all right.