I do agree with this and at times I have been among her worst critics. I feel she will give her LWOP but of course that is not a certainty at this point because we just don't know.
She isn't blameless completely though. She tried a case within a case. The trial, both the guilt phase, and the penalty phase ,but she also allowed the defense team to put in many issues that should have been held for the appellate court.
I have seen many death penalty Judges admonish DTs very quickly when they stray into the appellate issues rather than remaining focused on the case at hand. I have heard them sternly say to the defense when they try the shenanigans this DT has done 'that is for another day and another court, move along' and it was respected by the DT and the subjects dropped. And the prosecutorial misconduct claim shouldn't have ever entered in front of this jurors but should have been one of the appellate issues used after the verdict.
Here because she seems overly paranoid about appeal issues she has allowed way too much in that really had no reason to be included. All Judges are fully aware all DP cases are going to be automatically appealed therefore the other Judges leave out all those issues knowing that will be looked at by an entirely different court. They forge ahead always mindful of the court and jurors' time and don't timidly do as JSS has done in this case. She was able to be manipulated by the defendant herself. I don't know one Judge other than JSS who would have really allowed a defendant to testify in total privacy in front of the jury only.... yet this is the decision she made. She was rebuked for it and now that is on record.
So while I don't think she is on JAs side or anyone sides ....she has made this trial slow down to a crawl and has made some very odd rulings along the way. I don't think the Az reporters are picking on JSS when they say she has tried this case in secret. I think it is true, and the media has never had to deal with someone like JSS, and her rulings to keep so much of this case hidden from view with ad nauseam closed sidebars, and in chamber meetings.
Most Judges I have seen on DP cases rule with an iron fist and move the trial along and refuse to let the lawyers get bogged down in irrelevant issues. They are confident and believe in their rulings.... which comes much faster than in this one... is sound and valid when they are made.