Retrial for Sentencing of Jodi Arias - Day 12

[Madeleine74]

Oh gross. No doubt there exists a playbook for coaching the most deplorable and obviously guilty defendants. Their lawyers learn from other cases what works and what doesn't work.

(I'm bolding the whole thing because the thought is so offensive.)

I doubt she was following the Pistorius trial. She doesn't have access to a computer directly, the TV broadcast in the jail is a few jail-approved channels, and the Pistorius case was litigated after her guilty conviction, so nothing there was going to help her.

Yes, lawyers learn from each other and defense attorneys often go to classes and seminars to learn techniques. I remember one of the (sleazy) attorneys in a local case in my area proudly blogged that he'd been to seminars by famed defense attorney Jerry Spence. Big market for continuing education, as there are in every profession. Court is really like a big chess game and I think both sides would agree with that in general.

 

[Madeleine74]

I think it helps to remember that aggressive and sleazy tactics used in trials has occurred for decades and was not invented in this case and may not even be the worst of the worst in this case. What impacts the perceptions is how emotional and angry the followers are, and they are laser-focused on this particular trial.

The OJ murder trial of 1995 was just as sleazy. Nicole was made out to be a drug taking, drug selling with ties to Columbian Drug Lords (all ridiculously untrue) and that's why she was murdered. The defense "dream" team tried to make the jury hate her. Ron Goldman, who by everyone's account was in the wrong place at the wrong time, was made out to be some kind of barfly gigolo who was trying to get it on with the hot divorce' (Nicole). Also untrue. For 9 months of trial the lies dragged on and on and on. Everyone was thrown under the bus, not just the 2 victims.

Anyone who's followed murder trials for longer than a decade has seen this kind of defense tactic. In fact, the OJ case was the blueprint for many many defense attorneys, who saw first-hand how to deflect and blame others.

In the Arias case nothing is really being invented here. It's just the standard "trash the victim with anything to make them unlikeable so they can be blamed for their own death." I just roll my eyes when I see it. Obvious smoke screen.

Disgusting? Yes. Illegal? Apparently not since it's been going on for decades.

 

[LambChop]

This thread is closing: Please move over to today's court thread.

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?263241-Retrial-for-Sentencing-of-Jodi-Arias-Day-13