Verdict is in! GUILTY of MURDER ONE - Hung Jury On Penalty Phase

[TartLemon]

Good Morning.

I also do not know what to say. When it came down to brass tacks someone on the jury was obviously not DP certified. It was said on TV last night (which) I shut off as I could not take anymore) that people lie all the time.
Some juror said oh yeah I would have no problem but when it came down to it they did.
Jodi must be doing back flips and head stands because like she said "No jury will ever convict me".:stormingmad:

A juror being DP certified does not mean they will automatically vote for DP. The jurors critically weighed the case before them. Some did not deem it a DP case.

 

[strawberry]

I wish GMA had asked the foreman which specific mitigating factor the 4 cited as their reason for sparing her life. I'm just curious..was it the ingenious, original recycling idea, or her getting a haircut, or what?

 

[Hopeful One]

Gumorning, frenns! Earlier than normal for this HO. I decided to take the day off of work. Looooooooser!

Still sad about yesterday but all we can do is move forward.

 

[hindsight2020]

There is no guarantee that JA will get the DP or LWOP in a retrial, as there is always a chance of another hung jury and a possibility that a judge can sentence her to LWP, hence, at this time I would prefer they offer her a LWOP plea deal in lieu of another penalty phase trial. (Although, I think she will take her chances with another jury and reject a LWOP deal.)

Much as I prefer a DP verdict and relish in the thought of her being locked up 23 hours a day, I don't want to see/hear of this woman again. A retrial would be another showboat for JA, where she is the star and in control. I don’t want any more Jodi, lies, smug face, tricks, and who knows what else she will conjecture. It will not be what the Alexander family and friends may want in the end but it can possibly spare them further grief, because the uncertainty of another outcome and to be let down, would be far more difficult for them to move on.

This trial should have never exceeded two months, and here we are 4 months later thinking about yet another trial that could possibly last for many more months with no guarantees of a death sentence. Juan did a great job and maybe it’s time to let this one go, for the greater good. JMHO.

 

[SCHMAE]

If I was a juror, I would not reflect on another case from a different time and place. It does not apply.

I'm not suggesting that. I'm just pointing out that no matter how much us some of us may FEEL JA needs the DP, there are certainly others who deserve it more. Jurors may have a mindset of ' I will deliver the dp only in the very worst case I can think of JA does not fit that bill' . Just speculating. Four is 1/3 of the jury didn't see fit to give the DP even though they say they are able to give it, so I'm wondering why not to her.

 

[sacrablue]

I was looking at the gang getting on the bus. I was very suprised what I saw compared to the court opinions from HLN folks. This looked like the retirement club picnic. I guess there would be a large population of retired people in that area.

 

[strawberry]

Perhaps what the speaking juror means about TA being abusive is that TA was stringing JA along. He was seeing other women. He was still talking with JA, still having sex with JA. Once he saw she was not quite right, he should have ended any and all contact. He should have called LE every time he found her stalking or stealing.

However, that doesn't mean he deserved to die, much less in that horrible manner. It just means that juror has either had a psycho GF or he was once in that position himself and understood it as being pushed over the edge.

Again, I'd like to see a more in depth interview with the foreman...what exactly did he see as abusive? Was it the email where TA was FED UP and told her to go pound sand? Was it the Hughes email? Did he believe the Spiderman underwear story?

 

[BD1]

Respectfully snipped.

I think there's something really odd about that, and more to the story we're not hearing. Jodi's mother seemed genuinely concerned about her in those interviews, and was in court every day.

:notgood:

IMO, that is exactly the kind of parenting that helps create BPD. Inconsistent, disturbed attachement- there for the child 2 times out of 5. So, there for Jodi and concerned for weeks and months of trial, somehow not there the day of her judgement. Messed up.

 

[MeeBee]

Jodi also said they used each other. She used him too and fully admitted it before she changed to her sob story of him abusing her. He used her, in a way, for the sex that she kept throwing at him. She used him to get what she wanted from him. So different. I truly hope he comes to realize that.

 

[strawberry]

In the new minitrial will they be able to talk about JA's allegations of abuse?

 

[oaktree]

I saw the foreman this morning on GMA and was stunned to hear he thinks she was abused. THERE was NOOOOOO evidence of that.

None.

Emphasis mine.

I agree. I think he was one of the holdouts. I bet many other jurors are not happy that he said that.

 

[angela]

I do think that, even here on this forum, we all agreed that TA wasn't always a nice guy and yeah, there were things that could have been done differently by both parties in the relationship.

But even JA in one of her interview rounds said she believed in mercy, yet she gave none. I don't think TA deserved to die, she killed him. Horribly killed him. And lied...over and over and over again.

I think you could be right, some personal experience by some juror has come into play that caused the standoff.

K

There were some things that could be seen as verbal abuse but they are forgetting he was dealing with a psychopath and was continually provoked.

 

[Martha Morris]

At some point yesterday after the verdict I had to get off the forum. I understand the disappointment, anger and especially sorrow for the Alexanders. But there were a number of posts that were more than that, attacks/namecalling/hate on the jurors. I'm disappointed in that, because I thought this forum was better than that. There are some that are truly treating this like she was aquitted and I'm sorry but I don't understand that frame of mind. The woman was convicted of murder one. The cruelty aspect of it pretty much insures (IMO) that she wouldn't get parole. But reading on here yesterday, I saw comparisons to Casey Anthony. Let me say, Anthony is sipping lattes' right now in the comfort of whatever home she's in. Tell me how that compares to Arias, who at bare minimum will be stuck staring at bars for very likely the rest of her natural life?

I also keep seeing people say 'well they agreed to cruelty, why not dp' and 'they agreed to dp on the juror form'. One has nothing to do with the other IMO. When a juror says they are open to the DP, that means they are open to consider the DP. When the jurors agreed to cruelty, that meant that the crime warrented consideration of the DP, not automatically she deserved the DP.

It very easy and convienent to throw stones and hurl insults at the jurors from the luxury of sitting behind a computer monitor or mobile device when you weren't in that room. Those 4 people believed, in their opinion, that there was mitigating factors and because their opinion doesn't jive with the majority, they all of a sudden are subjected to all sorts of nasty comments. One of these days every one of us will have a strong opinion or conviction that doesn't not agree with the majority, whether that be among a group of friends or a jury deliberation room. I challenge anyone to stand by their convictions, even if others are screaming their head off at them, because it's what they believe. That takes a lot of courage and I applaud all the jurors for taking to time to discuss it and take their time until it was obvious there was no movement.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is something fundamentally wrong with the way this country decides how to determine the DP. Perhaps more scutiny should be directed at that instead of the people who are subjected to the process. It's very easy to say 'why didn't they just cave in and agree' but doing that on a murder conviction versus doing that on a life/death situation is apples and oranges. We are brought up in a society where life is taught to be precious to get some guy/gal off the street and give them the ultimate decision on condemning a person, so matter who it is, is not an easy thing, nor is it an easy decision. Hopefully many people, especially those who want to cast stones, never have to go through that.

Superb post. I agree with everything you've written.

 

[The Farm]

Well I have the day off and I am going to try and get some errands done. The list is a mile long. I will be back later, not in a good mood.
Because I feel that Jodi feels that she won. Even though she is in prison for life in her twisted mind I can bet that is what she is thinking.

 

[cricket49]

Not sure they have to offer her a plea. All they have to do is take the DP off the table and then JSS would sentence her to life with or without parole. No plea deal needed. She would only agree to life with parole after 25 years anyway.

BBM and snipped by me.

I felt really bad yesterday afternoon when the verdict or non-verdict was read. Your post made me change my mind to accept the DP of LWOP. Before that I only wanted the DP for the killer.

After reading the article of the woman just released from Perryville after 49 years, Betty Smithey, she said the worse thing about Perryville was being isolated and lonely. You are not in inmate population like the other women. If Jodi gets LWOP for the first 5 years she will be in her cell 23 hours a day. She will have to earn the privilege to have the 23 hours reduced. She will go crazy during that time. ullhair:

I am convinced if they take the DP off the table that JSS WILL sentence Jodi to LWOP! Remember, she watched Jodi's real personality come out every time the jury was not around. Judge Belvin Perry said in a recent interview that he knew Casey Anthony was guilty because she only played a role for the jury. Jodi did the same thing.

:stormingmad::stormingmad:

I am at peace now.....LWOP or DP.


:yesss:

 

[Gin]

Emphasis mine.

I agree. I think he was one of the holdouts. I bet many other jurors are not happy that he said that.

I hope the jurors keep talking. It will help the prosecution see what points they need to emphasize in the upcoming trial.
Combine that with ckja's interview bonanza, lets say it can only help.

 

[momof7]

There were some things that could be seen as verbal abuse but they are forgetting he was dealing with a psychopath and was continually provoked.

I don't disagree. I think that on face value, most don't deal with these kinds of issues or this kind of BD that is JA. Unless you have dealt with someone who is a constant source of problem and countless other things TA dealt with, you really don't know where you will go. He 'said' some not so nice things to her, but we don't know what provoked them. I am assuming the jury did not either and took the 'words' at face value. Which is not what I was hoping they would do.

K

 

[oaktree]

I wish GMA had asked the foreman which specific mitigating factor the 4 cited as their reason for sparing her life. I'm just curious..was it the ingenious, original recycling idea, or her getting a haircut, or what?

Well, based on the fact that he thinks TA abused JA, it was probably the survivor t-shirt.

So many THs said that the fact she showed the t-shirt sealed the deal for her, and I agreed. But now we learn that the jury foreman bought into her claim that she was abused.

 

[strawberry]

There were some things that could be seen as verbal abuse but they are forgetting he was dealing with a psychopath and was continually provoked.

That's just it..he was provoked. It's not abuse if that is the situation. My ex was very verbally and emotionally abusive. He would call me names, put me down, ignore me, twist my words, tell me I was a rotten mother, and if I finally called him an *******, he cried abuse. And he would tell his family only the last part of the story...she calls me an *******. That's what abusers do. There has to be a pattern, an intent, and a power differential for it to be abuse. JA had the power. She had his secrets, she threatened suicide. It is not abusive to get mad at someone who is messing with your very life.

 

[Hopeful One]

I just read (missed the interview) that he felt TA was mentally abusive to JA.

K

Seriously? They've been talking and I missed it?? Are there videos?

Although, this one above, I don't think I can stand to watch...