SIDEBAR #27- Arias/Alexander forum

[Truth Detector]

She is grasping at straws. I saw there have been 16 days alotted for this trial phase. Hope JSS doesn't turn it into 60.

It is certain to be more than 60.

Make book on it.

 

[MeeBee]

I want to just say some things about my personal opinions about Michael Kiefer's trial coverage. Please take it with a grain of salt as it's just my opinion based on years knowing him and my personal observations. And I"m not going to share all I know or opine on but just be aware of some really sketchy things about him covering this trial.

1. He's vehemently opposed to the death penalty. His admitted "best friend" was one of the attorneys representing my sister's killer in a 7 year long mental retardation argument to get him off death row (which worked for one, not the other).

2. He reported things as fact in the Arias trial, that ended up being reprinted in USA Today that were complete fabrications. For example, when that "photo gate" issue happened with a picture of Katie Wick with Juan Martinez surfaced in court, being used as argument that Martinez was influencing jurors in the vicinity by "grandstanding" outside the courthouse, Kiefer "reported" that Martinez was regularly seen outside the courthouse mugging for cameras, schmoozing with the public. He used that photo as his backup for this entirely false claim. It was REPRINTED in USA Today as fact.

In reality, that happened exactly ONE time during the trial. And the circumstances were this: a local TV reporter who he (Martinez) knows was doing a piece on his newfound popularity and the volumes of calls and mail coming in for him from around the world. She knew he wouldn't be interviewed for this piece but asked him a favor: to walk with him in front of the courthouse after hours so silent footage could be taken of them together to be used. He complied with this AFTER court was long over and of course there were people still milling around who saw him outside on this ONE AND ONLY OCCASION and asked him for photo ops. The entire incident lasted about 10 minutes start to finish. I know this because I spoke with not only people who posed for those photos but the reporter who did the piece on him. I got this entire story directly from her. To me. In person.
In that same story, (that sadly ended up wasting precious court time because of whatever Kiefer cooked up with the defense to try and argue for Jodi--yes I do believe that was going on throughout the entire trial and it's entirely my opinion based on many many things I personally observed), Kiefer "reported" that while Martinez was out mugging for the cameras, the defense was having to walk out a side door of the courthouse with security.

That was an entirely FALSE statement. Or, at best, completely exaggerated. Now, perhaps, maybe during the LaViolette debacle, they requested security for all of them one time or one day. But, I will tell you based on my entire first hand experience, that that defense team walked out the very same door I did nearly every single day I attended the trial and saw them afterward. Kirk Nurmi once held the door open for me. In fact, I took a photo of them walking straight past the media trucks, on the same street, unattended and smiling for onlookers who were taking their photos. This was their path to the parking lot where they parked, right near the media trucks, nearly every day. How do I know this? I parked in that same lot many many days and saw Nurmi, de la Rosa, get in their cars right beside me. They had to walk past the media trucks to get there. Hardly people in fear. Oh and I never once saw them escorted by anyone, other than each other.

3. Kiefer reported Alyce La Violette being "stalked" to a restaurant and harassed. In FACT, the defense team took her for dinner in a very busy Asian restaurant called PeiWei and a diner near them saw them and HEARD them out loud discussing trial strategy and was shocked to see/hear that, so snapped a photo and tweeted it. Kiefer reported that as her being stalked and harassed. The tweeter cleared that all up but he never redacted his comments and continued to report about her being "stalked" based on that one tweet/photo.
Days later, she was spotted, with the defense team walking past ALL the media (who were there) in the Palomar hotel right near the courthouse for dinner. And dined there. The very hotel the media were staying in and all milling around. There are numerous options to go for dinner in downtown Phoenix and poor ALV, having just been "stalked and harassed" decides to walk right in to the Lion's den for a leisurely dinner. Wonder if that was before or after her "stress ER visit". All blamed on Martinez and the prosecution, by Kiefer.

4. The day it was decided that Daryl Brewer would not testify for Jodi in the sentencing phase, miraculously there was an immediate TV interview set up in an undisclosed impromptu studio with lighting, cameras and a local tv personality interviewing him with Kiefer's voice in the background asking the questions. Now this happened RIGHT after he left the courthouse , either that...or before court even began that day when he indicated he would not be testifying. But he gave his glowing remarks about Jodi to "the media" encouraged by Kiefer without cross examination, which aired early that afternoon-basically testifying for Jodi aided by the media. The timing, to me, was suspicious. Not to mention Kiefer who was ALWAYS in court on time, arrived an hour late that day with a cat who swallowed the canary grin on his face. I did the math in my head but encourage you to do the same.

5. And finally, the day before the hung jury in the penalty phase came in, I was there in the hall all day with other supporters waiting for the verdict. Media all around us. An online article via AZcentral, Kiefer's employer, was published as we sat there waiting, which indicated the jury HAD hung and interpreted a question they asked as they were final and he reported who the foreperson was. I started asking around--Beth Karas, Jeffrey Gold, the media person for the court--just how did he know who the foreperson was at that stage as it had not been announced. And why was he reporting a hung jury when it had not come in yet? As the hour wore on that article was redacted and redacted and those "facts" were removed (easy to do with an online article right?). Why? And how did he know that , at that stage, they had in fact hung (they did by then but it wasn't announced until the NEXT day) and who the foreperson was (a man who had a career in media--radio). Sure made me wonder.

So....since you will be relying on accurate trial reporting from inside the courthouse I encourage you to take anything Kiefer reports with these facts in mind. I have so much more, including personal correspondence from him (he was my friend for a long long time before this trial) that I won't publicly post but it was enough to a. sever ties with him and b. never trust his reporting on anything death penalty related...or Juan Martinez related for that matter.

That's it!

I know this is an older post but did you see Juan's motion a few months back that all but called out the defense and their favorite media shill? It was printed by Trial Divas in its entirety and it was awesome. Called them out for leaking information and documents to him. I don't know if you saw that or not but it was quite interesting.

 

[Miss Judy]

I just wanted to say that all of these informative posts today about JSS are certainly making me think twice about how I feel about her handling of this case. I really wanted her to avoid appeal issues, but I see some things now that make me feel like she could have been more assertive (to put it mildly) while still curtailing Arias' stall tactics. I have no real knowledge of the law and actual appeal-able issues, so I really appreciate the information from those who do (and who choose to share it with us).

I get so frustrated by this whole thing. I would love to see Arias behind bars permanently and the Alexanders at peace before I get any more gray hairs or grandkids. Going to go feed the bluebirds now and effectively dump my yucky thoughts.

 

[dog.gone.cute]

:seeya: Happy Friday !!!


Any update on cameras in the courtroom ? Has JA filed a motion with the court for live coverage of the penalty phase ?

Now JMO, but I have no doubt that JSS will grant LIVE cameras in the courtroom for JA -- IF and when JA files her motion !

:moo:

 

[Renee110]

It does seem as if JSS is on the murderer's side. Lets see if we can come up with rulings on the prosecutor's side. I'll start with she did deny Nurmi's motion for a mistrial. I'm thinking, I'm thinking… trying to come up with another one.

 

[Renee110]

Ok and now something I DON'T like about Judge Stephens…. I found this article online about one of her cases. A Mesa man ran over and killed a neurosurgeon and then drove off and left his body. His sentence? 90 days in jail and five years probation. Dang if someone were caught with a bag of weed they would get more time. Article can be read here: http://www.kpho.com/story/19966024/mesa-man-sentenced-for-running-down-neurosurgeon

 

[Love Never Fails]

:seeya: Happy Friday !!!


Any update on cameras in the courtroom ? Has JA filed a motion with the court for live coverage of the penalty phase ?

Now JMO, but I have no doubt that JSS will grant LIVE cameras in the courtroom for JA -- IF and when JA files her motion !

:moo:

Motion was filed yesterday, the 21st.

 

[katiecoolady]

I know this is an older post but did you see Juan's motion a few months back that all but called out the defense and their favorite media shill? It was printed by Trial Divas in its entirety and it was awesome. Called them out for leaking information and documents to him. I don't know if you saw that or not but it was quite interesting.

GOOD. No but I would love to! It was so obvious. I will say and I don't mind saying as I've said it directly to Juan Martinez himself and I'm quoting something directly said to me (not hearsay lol). While I was still talking to Michael Kiefer, before he jumped the shark, and he was spewing venom to me about Juan, the Alexanders etc, he said and I quote "When that second degree murder conviction comes in I'm walking right up to Martinez and telling him to shove it up his A$$". Direct quote. I laughed it off at the time but after months of that kind of vicious venom being spewed I couldn't take it anymore. And I did tell Juan that exact quote directly to his face in court after the FIRST DEGREE conviction came in. It was during a break and he came and sat next to me in the row I was seated that day so I went for it. I guess I really wanted him to know to avoid Kiefer at all costs in terms of interviews (not that he didn't already know that himself).

Know what his response was? With a twinkle in his eye he said "I'm still waiting".

In my personal biased opinion only I would say Michael Kiefer was operating as much a PR person or investigator for the defense as he was a journalist in that courtroom. He was clearly in cahoots with them, receiving leaked info, biased in their direction and on and on. I'd really love to see that as Juan was right on the money calling that out and I say "about freaking time".

 

[katiecoolady]

Oh my goodness. I remember that too and how horrified I was that ALV did that. The Alexanders are very nice people and would never do anything wrong in the courtroom but I wish she would have slapped ALV silly right there. It was totally uncalled for and it seems it should have been illegal as well for a continuing witness to speak directly with the family of the victim in the courtroom.

At a minimum, the judge should have threatened her with contempt or something.

It's against the Victim's Bill of Rights for anyone operating on behalf of the perpetrator to contact them directly without an intermediary but I do remember speaking about the particulars of this with AZLawyer (I think?) and ALV was protected by some kind of loophole legally in this outrageous act (done right in front of my face) but still...how about ETHICALLY? And how about her 5 min early potty emergency allowing her that little "rest stop"? grrrr I can't stand that woman.

 

[grammieto5]

GOOD. No but I would love to! It was so obvious. I will say and I don't mind saying as I've said it directly to Juan Martinez himself and I'm quoting something directly said to me (not hearsay lol). While I was still talking to Michael Kiefer, before he jumped the shark, and he was spewing venom to me about Juan, the Alexanders etc, he said and I quote "When that second degree murder conviction comes in I'm walking right up to Martinez and telling him to shove it up his A$$". Direct quote. I laughed it off at the time but after months of that kind of vicious venom being spewed I couldn't take it anymore. And I did tell Juan that exact quote directly to his face in court after the FIRST DEGREE conviction came in. It was during a break and he came and sat next to me in the row I was seated that day so I went for it. I guess I really wanted him to know to avoid Kiefer at all costs in terms of interviews (not that he didn't already know that himself).

Know what his response was? With a twinkle in his eye he said "I'm still waiting".
In my personal biased opinion only I would say Michael Kiefer was operating as much a PR person or investigator for the defense as he was a journalist in that courtroom. He was clearly in cahoots with them, receiving leaked info, biased in their direction and on and on. I'd really love to see that as Juan was right on the money calling that out and I say "about freaking time".

There's a fine line between arrogance and confidence. I love guy with confidence, Juan Martinez wears it well!

I wonder if Michael Kiefer is CMJA's PI???

 

[Tuba]

Yes or No, thank you SO much for posting Michael Volkov's analyses of this case and its trial. His insights and criticisms act to relieve the discomfort we all feel with the way matters are moving and the allowances handed to the murderer.

 

[katiecoolady]

PS I sound really cranky in my posts but I'm not. fyi! lol :happydance: Some of these players just got under my skin so when I revisit it I have my own flashbacks that I wish were more like blackouts. :gaah:

 

[katiecoolady]

Yes or No, thank you SO much for posting Michael Volkov's analyses of this case and its trial. His insights and criticisms act to relieve the discomfort we all feel with the way matters are moving and the allowances handed to the murderer.

I'm in love with your verbiage, which now that I randomly google is NOT the correct use that of that word! Sorry!

I meant I'm in love with your eloquence.

 

[katiecoolady]

There's a fine line between arrogance and confidence. I love guy with confidence, Juan Martinez wears it well!

I wonder if Michael Kiefer is CMJA's PI???

I doubt he'd be that dumb but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't have some connection to it, somehow.

 

[ILikeToBendPages]

"...IT IS ORDERED vacating the September 8 re-trial of the Penalty Phase of this Capital
Case and resetting same for SEPTEMBER 29, 2014 at 8:30 a.m., 16 days allotted. Jury selection
will consist of three panels of 100 jurors, appearing at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on
September 29. Those available/not excused will complete the Questionnaire; the Questionnaires
will be copied and provided to counsel/Defendant.."

http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/docs/Criminal/082014/m6448306.pdf

Would you want to sit on a jury ,knowing Jodi had your personal life in her hands. and that she won't have any problem in it using it against you in front of the whole world.

Do you remember last year (so far away) when she wanted the twitter, facebook, etc accounts of the jury?

 

[AZlawyer]

Hatfield,
i think AZlawyer has to defend JSS. They both serve in AZ. That said, my opinion of JSS isn't personal. It is professional. She has run a shoddy courtroom, IMO, and soft pedals with JA....a convicted murderer.

No ma'am. I had plenty of criticisms during the trial, e.g., the insane number of sidebars permitted, not helping to control witnesses, and especially allowing the attorneys to argue a point of law to the jury during the "fixing" of the jury instructions instead of making her own ruling on the law and telling the jury what it was.

What I have defended her on is many of her rulings, not on her courtroom management style in this case.

AZ courts are off on Friday and it seems as if they make up their own "AZ hours", too. Seems they live in a different world and everything takes longer in their court.

The MCSC is not closed on Fridays. But many of the judges schedule other hearings on Fridays, and schedule hearings for the case that's on trial (issues that don't involve the jury) first thing in the morning and first thing after lunch.

Yorn, Nore mentioned a letter JA recently wrote asking for cameras be allowed back in the courtroom, or that is the way I understood her. Because I thik that court filing yesterday for cameras was by the defendant. She is party 001.

The clerks seem pretty lax about the docket details in this case. Practically everything is listed as "Party 001" next to the title, and almost nothing has an entry in the actual column for which party filed something. I wouldn't conclude anything from the "Party 001" designation.
----------------------------

I did read those articles by the federal prosecutor. My thoughts:

1. A gag order would not have been a bad idea as the jury was not sequestered.

2. Forgetting to read a jury instruction is indeed unusual and not good.

3. The sidebars were out of control.

4. There truly was no way that JA needed 18 days to testify.

ETA: YesOrNo, for some reason I am not allowed to "thank" your posts anymore. But thanks for posting so many useful things!

 

[Niner]

Someone asked about where I found the giraffe smiley:

http://emoticoner.com/emoticons/smileys?amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;fb_locale=da_DK

There are pages of smileys to pick from (scroll to bottom of page for pages).

-Just right click on the smiley you want , copy and paste in little picture frame thingy on top of "reply to thread" when you post.


:seeya:

That would be ME, YESorNO - Thanks a bunch!!

http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/smileys/bubble-smiley.gif?1292867562

Here's a good for Missy... http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/smileys/cell-smiley.gif?1292867566

edited - oh shoot - they didn't come out as 'pictures' - HELP!!!!

 

[YESorNO]

Yes or No, thank you SO much for posting Michael Volkov's analyses of this case and its trial. His insights and criticisms act to relieve the discomfort we all feel with the way matters are moving and the allowances handed to the murderer.

Those little gems (of articles) have opened my eyes to what really happened in court last year and I have learned from Mr. Volkov. Now I see thru the eyes of someone who knows more than me (or as my research methods professor always says, "learn by standing on the shoulders of giants" (he was talking about all the researchers that published their findings. Their research papers are peer reviewed- so valid at the scientific level).

I always try to give the benefit of doubt to things (and JSS), but what do I really know about court procedures.

I really feel differently about JSS and how she handles her court.

I don't know how "valid" his findings are (no peer review) and I don't know all the rules of courtroom "etiquette", but AZLawyer seems to think some of his points are valid (that's one peer review right there!).

 

[YESorNO]

That would be ME, YESorNO - Thanks a bunch!!

http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/smileys/bubble-smiley.gif?1292867562

Here's a good for Missy... http://emoticoner.com/files/emoticons/smileys/cell-smiley.gif?1292867566

edited - oh shoot - they didn't come out as 'pictures' - HELP!!!!

Did you open that little "picture frame" thingy in the second row of the options to post? (same line where the B is when you want to Bold something)
Click on that (left click).

You have to "paste" the smiley in that thing that pops up (but be careful that you uncheck that "retrieve remote file" and use the URL option- sometimes you have to hit that URL

thingy a couple of times before you paste the smiley because it seems to always want to go back to "from computer".

So, right click the address smiley in that sliver of space allotted and press OK.

 

[geevee]

The giraffe cam is back up, currently showing Walter, there are pics from yesterday and today, some showing Autumn and Kiko (just below the cam).