Retrial for Sentencing of Jodi Arias #3

[Deleted member 122533]

He may do so.

Zervakos walked away believing TA had abused her...and he claims he is not stupid. So...it will be interesting to see if anyone on the jury caves like WZ did.

Zervakos made my blood boil. Some of his observations seemed peculiarly biased towards Arias, even though he found her guilty. The Defense will be paying close attention to his main point on abuse. I doubt Zervakos believed Arias was physically abused but felt emotional abuse was enough to excuse a death sentence.

I have asked myself if he was right on that point. Did Travis' angry (untypical) outbursts push her over the edge? He knew Arias was obsessed with him, in love with him. Was his failure to deal with this better a contributory mitigating factor? Or did he do his utmost to manage a master manipulator and liar? He was in over his head. No one could deal with Arias' level of obsession, calm it, soothe it. The interviews Arias gave after the murder point to how sinister and delusional she is. She was glowing with happiness as she described Travis. Same on that police mug shot. Finally, she has the creepiest validation of her connection to him. She got to discuss their 'relationship' - spin it, gloss it - like they were almost married and she was his widow. She scares me.

 

[Love Never Fails]

I have been reading all the posts this week, while taking care of some health issues in my family. I was wondering if any of you feel as I do that the tweets coming from media and others aren't going to give us the full picture of the courtroom drama? Michael Keifer, for instance. I pass over anything he says because I think he is on teamJodi and it makes me sick. JSS still allowing for a lot of sidebars and will likely have closed hearings in chambers again. It feels like we will feed off one another's comments. I am disappointed this trial cannot be viewed live and still don't understand JSS reasonings. After being able to follow the first trial in it's entirety, to close us off for the penalty phase is most cruel of her. Jodi's rights should not trump our right to view the trial as she is already convicted of murder one.

 

[Love Never Fails]

Zervakos made my blood boil. Some of his observations seemed peculiarly biased towards Arias, even though he found her guilty. The Defense will be paying close attention to his main point on abuse. I doubt Zervakos believed Arias was physically abused but felt emotional abuse was enough to excuse a death sentence.

I have asked myself if he was right on that point. Did Travis' angry (untypical) outbursts push her over the edge? He knew Arias was obsessed with him, in love with him. Was his failure to deal with this better a contributory mitigating factor? Or did he do his utmost to manage a master manipulator and liar? He was in over his head. No one could deal with Arias' level of obsession, calm it, soothe it. The interviews Arias gave after the murder point to how sinister and delusional she is. She was glowing with happiness as she described Travis. Same on that police mug shot. Finally, she has the creepiest validation of her connection to him. She got to discuss their 'relationship' - spin it, gloss it - like they were almost married and she was his widow. She scares me.

Great post.

 

[T-4-2]

snip:

The interviews Arias gave after the murder point to how sinister and delusional she is. She was glowing with happiness as she described Travis. Same on that police mug shot. Finally, she has the creepiest validation of her connection to him. She got to discuss their 'relationship' - spin it, gloss it - like they were almost married and she was his widow. She scares me.

Sorry, no citation (friends' interview on HLN perhaps), but I've heard one or more of Travis' friends say that she'd play hostess when she was at Travis' house and anybody else stopped in -- offering food, drinks, etc. The friends said this made everyone uncomfortable, because that wasn't Jodi's "place" any more than it was theirs. As Juan Martinez says, "Who does that?"

 

[katydid23]

I actually kind of enjoy Jodi's bursts of bratty backtalk. Martinez isn't trying to make her lose her cool -- I believe he is setting her up to show the jury, simply by her behavior on the stand, how infuriating she can be, how manipulative she can be, how petty she can be, how cruel she can be, how smug and self-satisfied she can be when she thinks she's scored a point (and that's precisely what she's trying to do), and of course that she's a liar who cannot and should not be trusted.

Just a small dose of Jodi makes it abundantly clear why Travis sent angry texts! Even if we don't necessarily know the specific things/events he refers to, we can understand why he...

Sigh. I was just about to type "was sick to death of her." He didn't realize that being sick of Jodi could be fatal.


Maybe after the trial, we should all pitch in to buy him some nice hand soap. Or some of those wash-and-scrub packets surgeons use to wash and scrub the bejesus out of their hands.

I agree. I think Juan was masterful in the way he handled her. He followed her right down those rabbit holes, shining a light on her sociopathy. I had a step-monster that was a narcissistic sociopath. My father never stood up to her or followed her when she tried to escape down the rabbit hole. He would just look away and pretend it wasn't happening. He'd read the newspaper and pretend she was a normal, compassionate person that was just a tad grumpy. LOL

 

[RickshawFan]

On the JM topic.....I wonder what skills he honed or acquired in the months between JA's last trial and this one. He's prosecuted some significant case(s) since then, so I'm assuming there was professional growth even though he's been doing this a long time. The DT might like a "new and improved" version even less than they did the first time around! It's going to be interesting to see how he gets at JA and her DT in Act 505 (or whatever act we're in that reflects all her shenanigans) : wheeeeeee!

 

[blefuscu]

I'm Borderline Personality Disorder. I've never killed anyone (yet) and I don't even have a temper so to speak. Most people say I'm one of the most chilled people they know, although I do have other co-existing mental health issues too. I know emotionally I'm immature, I don't like making decisions and don't have lot of people in my social circle (as I'm scared of rejection) but I've never flipped and hurt anyone (or even wanted to hurt anyone).

 

[krkrjx]

The mental illness defense: Yes, I have thought about this since it was brought up in the defense's closing at the first trial. They mentioned the BPD then, which was surprising since it was a state witness who provided the diagnosis. I suspect, as you do, that the rift between JA and Nurmi has to do with her not wanting any kind of mental illness defense. What I can't figure out is if Nurmi actually thought the "battered woman syndrome" or "abuse" defense was a good idea in the first place.

My bet is Nurmi did believe the battered woman syndrome defense was a good idea. With domestic abuse being as prevalent in society as it is, it is easy for women to claim this. But reality is, there are people who do lie about this, mostly because as far as false claims go this is one of the easier ones to convince people of.

And...many people will just assume that when a woman attacks a man he must have done something to provoke it, and that opens the opportunity for the claim that he abused her in some way.

I think Nurmi thought it would fly because when one person is dead only one side of the story can be told. Add to that the fact that our courts do not require the defense to prove anything. I think he will still try to claim abuse wherever possible--maybe saying that her mental illness made it impossible for her to deal with TA's abuse toward her the day of "the incident" in a normal way. He will simply omit the part about them living in different states with a thousand miles between them.

 

[krkrjx]

I'm Borderline Personality Disorder. I've never killed anyone (yet) and I don't even have a temper so to speak. Most people say I'm one of the most chilled people they know, although I do have other co-existing mental health issues too. I know emotionally I'm immature, I don't like making decisions and don't have lot of people in my social circle (as I'm scared of rejection) but I've never flipped and hurt anyone (or even wanted to hurt anyone).

No doubt! Same holds for people who are bipolar--their dx does NOT cause them to kill or maim or harm others.

You would have to have an accompanying psychopathy to think it was OK to go around stabbing people.

 

[cubbeegirl]

I have been reading all the posts this week, while taking care of some health issues in my family. I was wondering if any of you feel as I do that the tweets coming from media and others aren't going to give us the full picture of the courtroom drama? Michael Keifer, for instance. I pass over anything he says because I think he is on teamJodi and it makes me sick. JSS still allowing for a lot of sidebars and will likely have closed hearings in chambers again. It feels like we will feed off one another's comments. I am disappointed this trial cannot be viewed live and still don't understand JSS reasonings. After being able to follow the first trial in it's entirety, to close us off for the penalty phase is most cruel of her. Jodi's rights should not trump our right to view the trial as she is already convicted of murder one.

Yep... It's cruel and unusual punishment......:tantrum:

 

[TartLemon]

After sitting in jail for 1.5 years with none of the perks/attention she had prior to conviction, I think Jodi is finally 'getting' it that that she is not in control anymore. She pretends to believe she is, but really knows she isn't. IMO, the DP is too easy for Jodi. I want her to live a very long life in that cage, never allowed to forget what she's done.

Travis' Family will never have closure. They'll just have to muddle a path forward. They can do it. They MUST.

 

[JGrizzle]

From my understanding, Travis' roommates were not home the entire week. They only got home the morning of the day Travis' friends came to check on him. Regardless of smells, 1) its not normal to go into your roommates bedroom without asking. 2) There was a complete understanding that Travis was already in Cancun, and 3) They also claimed Jodi turned down the AC to preserve the Travis' body to hide the stench.
You never come home expecting your roommate to be slaughtered in his/her bedroom. Its just so sad.

I've never smelled decomp, but evidently it's both horrible and distinctive. If I shared a house with someone and I noticed an increasingly awful smell coming from behind their locked door and permeating the entire house, I seriously doubt I'd think dead body right off the bat, if at all. I read somewhere (who knows if it's true) that the space cadet housemates thought Napoleon must have pooped in Travis' bedroom and that Travis left for Cancun without cleaning it up. Right. That sounds likely. No one would leave a pile of poop on their bedroom floor and just take off. Especially not a neatnik like Travis. And dog poop would smell less over time, not more. They have my sympathy, but they should have realized that something was way wrong in that room and gotten that door open way sooner. Maybe the toilet was backing up in some spectacular way -- that's not something you'd let continue! Maybe they did start thinking that something had died in there. Maybe a raccoon or a rat fell through a ceiling tile. But you don't just leave it there to ripen! I bet Jodi was counting on the housemates' "hear nothing, see nothing, speak nothing, and SMELL nothing" attitude -- this would buy her more time.

But that brings up another mystery: why the heck didn't she just skedaddle out of Dodge ASAP? Doesn't the Murder For Dummies book have a chapter about the importance of not hanging out at your grandparents' house for a couple of weeks post-murder? Maybe she was trying not to attract attention -- for only the second time in her life. If that were the case, she should maybe have skipped the memorial service and she should have skipped calling Det. Flores. Just not her style I guess.

 

[rose222]

I have been reading all the posts this week, while taking care of some health issues in my family. I was wondering if any of you feel as I do that the tweets coming from media and others aren't going to give us the full picture of the courtroom drama? Michael Keifer, for instance. I pass over anything he says because I think he is on teamJodi and it makes me sick. JSS still allowing for a lot of sidebars and will likely have closed hearings in chambers again. It feels like we will feed off one another's comments. I am disappointed this trial cannot be viewed live and still don't understand JSS reasonings. After being able to follow the first trial in it's entirety, to close us off for the penalty phase is most cruel of her. Jodi's rights should not trump our right to view the trial as she is already convicted of murder one.

I appreciate the tweets but I wish we'd have more information about what the Judge/jurors/attorneys are saying. Tweets about hairstyles and clothes are okay but we're all here for a very serious matter so first things first. Like, for example, there was some tweet last week about a juror saying that it goes against her morals. No one elaborated on what that meant...did the potential juror not believe in the death penalty or did she believe so strongly that Arias should be sent to the death row that she couldn't even consider any other option? Things like that.

Oh, it's going to take me a long time to get over the fact that not only can we not watch this trial live but that there will only be one camera in the back during trial. Are we being 'banned' from seeing their faces? :thinking:

 

[rose222]

I found this on the facebook site. Very interesting comparison between death row and life without parole.

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/rpt/2011-R-0178.htm

 

[MeeBee]

After sitting in jail for 1.5 years with none of the perks/attention she had prior to conviction, I think Jodi is finally 'getting' it that that she is not in control anymore. She pretends to believe she is, but really knows she isn't. IMO, the DP is too easy for Jodi. I want her to live a very long life in that cage, never allowed to forget what she's done.

Travis' Family will never have closure. They'll just have to muddle a path forward. They can do it. They MUST.

I think she is seeing it. I think she had it in her head that, barring a few haters, who are just jealous of her, she had a lot more support than she did. I think she thought all those people wanted to interview her after the verdict was because they believed her and wanted her to get to tell her side, save for the stealth reporter from abc, lol. She never got that it was because they wanted yet another opportunity to show what a cold, narcissistic woman she was (I think people had Troy Hayden pegged all wrong) and how remarkable it was that she STILL wanted the spotlight and was STILL giving out many, many interviews, which didn't seem to work out too well for her the first time around. She never learns.

Sitting there listening to all those jurors, mostly women but some men, (what? MEN even?) saying that they thought she deserved to die must have been a real blow to her ego. It was a wake up call, though she still managed to spin it as her being the victim. That's why she didn't want to go back to the hearing the next day, until she realized no jury selection was going on. She just didn't want to hear it. It was too much reality for her. She chooses to believe that there is overwhelming public support for her and she will get out one day.

 

[geevee]

From my understanding, Travis' roommates were not home the entire week. They only got home the morning of the day Travis' friends came to check on him. Regardless of smells, 1) its not normal to go into your roommates bedroom without asking. 2) There was a complete understanding that Travis was already in Cancun, and 3) They also claimed Jodi turned down the AC to preserve the Travis' body to hide the stench.
You never come home expecting your roommate to be slaughtered in his/her bedroom. Its just so sad.

:welcome: JGrizzle!!

 

[Tuba]

Re: July 16, 2008 interview in custody. Det. Flores questioning Arias. She had been protesting repeatedly, "There's no reason!" Flores makes clear he wants to understand her motive, because there are so many to choose from. He knows she did this and wants now to know why. She asks what her motive is, correctly equating reason for the murder with motive. When she remarks, "But that's not the reason", i.e., the little bit of envy over a trip to Cancun, she is rejecting that as the​ motive. For me, her reference is to why she did this and does rise to the level of an admission that she did the act. I also think the statement registered with Flores and he trusts it is recorded. He moves on because he truly does want to know, in the affirmative, what her motive was. Not what it wasn't. He is aware she trapped herself.

 

[krkrjx]

Detectives during interrogation are often aware when the suspect slips up and some are calm and collected enough to glide right over it not exposing their hand.

Flores was not born yesterday; he is seasoned LE and I love his interrogation style. Clearly he made the killer feel at ease enough to open up. She said a lot in those interviews and I have no doubt she blames him for that. She feels that Flores tricked her somehow; she feels betrayed by him.

 

[AZlawyer]

To this day that ruling shocks me.

JS should have never allowed that in. Not one piece of evidence supported her allegations. NONE.

Thank goodness the jury didn't fall for those filthy lies.

Her false allegations against Travis made me have even more disdain for this vile and wicked creature.

The thing is, JSS is not free to reject evidence just because there is not any other evidence to support it. The "evidence" for the pedophilia nonsense was Jodi's testimony. That's it. But the testimony of a witness is evidence--it doesn't have to be corroborated by anything else.

Detectives during interrogation are often aware when the suspect slips up and some are calm and collected enough to glide right over it not exposing their hand.

Flores was not born yesterday; he is seasoned LE and I love his interrogation style. Clearly he made the killer feel at ease enough to open up. She said a lot in those interviews and I have no doubt she blames him for that. She feels that Flores tricked her somehow; she feels betrayed by him.

I agree--I think he didn't want to give her an opening to correct herself or explain away her comment.

Often, if I get a witness to make a big mistake in cross-examination, I will act like I didn't notice anything and switch to another subject. Then in closing I can show the transcript to the jury and say, "Wow. Did you notice that?"

 

[Tuba]

Lots of Sleuths are concerned that Arias would kill again, if at large, because her rage is ignited by so many triggers. She then takes it out on the offenders violently. To add to the risk & the likelihood she would act out, there are the settings for drama which she arranges through her snoop & stalk. She has the propensity to invade others' space & to violate their boundaries. This was never limited to her behavior with Travis. Recall her long distance drive to Crater Lake, Oregon to confront a total stranger, Bianca in her home. She was compelled to know if this woman and Matt McM. were an item (even though her own relationship with him had come undone). Then there was the eavesdropping outside closed doors in the Hughes house. In Mesa, she walked into numerous homes uninvited & unannounced. She trapped Clancy Talbot in a public restroom to warn her off Travis, who was her property. We could contrast that with the prohibition she enforced upon her parents visiting her own home in Palm Desert; she feared they would "snoop". Maybe she was growing weed on the roof again, but that was a liberty she took at their house. The door only swings one way, with Arias.

She is busy asserting rights she does not have, even in court and at the jail. Show me the grant, Arias. Websleuths worry with reason. Now she is claiming the prosecution and police are withholding & suppressing evidence. She wants it, by Gor'. She may be stuck on the phony letters from Travis of June, 2010. It seems nothing is too outlandish to brazenly demand as her prerogative. Would she exert her will if she were free? How about if she were "abused or attacked"? I don't know, is there salt in the ocean?