I've only watched two televised trials in my life-- Casey Anthony's and this one. Since I never want to be blindsided again by a jury's verdict, I've done my best to experience this trial largely from a juror's point of view.
If I were a juror, what I'd be wondering right now is why on earth I am being subjected to so much talk of raunchy sex, and plainly speaking, to so many irrelevant and piddly tales of adolescent realtionships.
If I'm a woman, does the defense really want me to free Jodi because the victim cheated on her, didn't throw her naked body out of his bed when she crept there without being invited? Because he
whoa, getting serious now
called her names? Am I supposed to rally to her side out of righteous indignation, based on my gender, because the slaughtered very young male in this case seems to have occasionally acted--worst possible scenario-- like a cad?
And if I am a man? Wow. I'm feeling like I'm on trial here too. Seemingly it will be my fault if a woman I sleep with decides to kill me because I like sex more than I like her. I'm thinking about emails or phone calls I've received calling me a jerk because I didnt listen well enough or respect her feelings enough. I see my wife my girlfriend standing in front of me accusing me of the same offenses. I'm positive I don' think I deserve death for these sins- every last male I've ever spoken to has heard the same list of complaints, repeatedly.
I'm waiting to be told how it is that Jodi is a victim, and why it is that her alleged
victimization should matter more than what she irrefutably did do to Travis. I'm from conservative Arizona, and I believe in personal responsibility. Far as I can see, Jodi at the very least was a willing sexual partner. I'm wondering at times if she wasn't in fact the sexual aggressor. Travis was clearly looking for a virgin to be committed to, and he obviously didn't like himself for having sex with Jodi.
She joined a church knowing that premarital sex was off limits, and yet was engaging in it the whole while and she knew how central the church was to Travis. Seems to me that if she had any consideration much less love for Travis, she would never have agreed to have sex, much less to have initiated it. If she had any self-respect or true newly found religious conviction she would have refused sex as well.
I'm getting more P'O'd by the day that these are the things the defense is asking me to analyze, while the facts of the Travis' death go unaddressed.
I'm not sure if Jodi stole the gun from her grandparents. The prosecutor did not prove that to me beyond a reasonable doubt. I'm also not sure that the gas cans Jodi picked up from her ex-boyfriend were meant to hide her time spent in AZ. I think that is likely, but I'm not going to convict her of 1st degree murder based on that.
I've resolved that for myself there is one and only question that the defense had better answer for me if they don't want me to convict their client, and that is this:
You say that Jodi killed Travis in self-defense, AFTER he attacked her in the shower- verbally, since there wasn't a single mark on her afterwards, other than perhaps on a few fingers (and even THAT I dont know, since Burns never actually saw any wounds).
If it was self-defense, how did Jodi have the time to go run and get both a gun and a knife-whomever they belonged to? Why did she get both? Am I to believe that Travis kept a gun and a knife in his bathroom? How is that Jodi managed to fend off Travis to reach a knife and gun-even, completedly implausibly those laying about near the bathroom sink, when Travis- was so much taller and stronger than Jodi, and in your version, mad enough with rage enough to want to kill her? And yet he leaves no mark on her while his own hands are sliced to the bone?
Really?
I think the defense better pray that we the jury dont find her guilty of first degree murder. If we do, I am going to punish her as well for putting Travis's loved ones through the hell of having his name smeared nationally, and for playing the victim again while doing her utmost to hurt Travis one last time.
Just my opinion.
