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Is Arias Manipulating The System?

Uggh - Jodi Arias has bought herself a knowledgeable expert witness in Alyce LaViolette. LaViolette has provided the jury and court room with an education about domestic violence and the various ways, shapes and forms it can take. Will she go out on a limb for Jodi Arias? Or has Arias, Willmott & Nurmi built their defense around this witness, manipulating the "battered wife syndrome" because she believes it's hard to prove she was not battered? Was she aware of the statistics around reporting or victims who don't report abuse, and this is what she built her defense around?

Alyce LaViolette is probably the best person the defense could have chosen/bought to speak on the subject of domestic violence. While her testimony about specifics on the actual case should be limited in nature, I mentioned yesterday that I felt that parts of LaViolette's discussion on domestic violence had a familiar feel - and it seemed clear that Arias was coached. On a previous post, I listed some of LaViolette's prior expert witness experience, and this jumps out at me.

2011 - 13 Expert Witness & Consultant, Death Penalty Murder Trial. Phoenix, Arizona

1998 Consulant, Murder Trial - Interviewed defendant, assisted in developing strategy for defense.

1984-85 Expert Witness, 1st degree murder case (battered woman who allegedly killer her husband) Consulted with defense attorney on jury selection and development of questions to develop battered women syndrome.

Do you think LaViolette helped Nurmi & Arias develop their questions and answers? Is that why we hear a theme in her descriptions of various types of abusive relationships that sound familiar? 

I always believe that liars throw in a little bit of truth in their stories. Perhaps Travis Alexander did get fed up with Arias following him on dates, reading his personal e-mails and breaking into his My Space and Facebook accounts - and maybe he yelled at her and said some things that were less than kind. That's about all I can imagine happened to this woman. Was that punishable by death, as she already carried out Travis Alexander's death sentence when she murdered him.

I think that Jodi Arias has manipulated people her entire life, beginning at a young age and continuing into adulthood. Alyce LaViolette seemed to be describing many of Jodi Arias's traits in her "Continuum" - many more than Travis Alexander's. She is using the system to try to mitigate her responsibility for cold blooded murder. I no longer feel impartial about this case or trial, and I don't know if there is anything the defense could say to make me believe what she did was justified.  They may have bought a good expert witness, but not even Alyce LaViolette can change the facts around what Arias did on June 4, 2008.

If Travis Alexander had wanted to physically harm Jodi Arias, I believe he could have. Those defensive wounds to his hands show that he was trying to protect himself, not attack. The cluster of stab wounds on his back prove that Arias attacked him at a time when he could not have been a threat to her. She went well above and beyond self defense by any stretch of the imagination. All of this domestic violence, PTSD and fog-talk is just white noise!

I believe that in order for Arias to have walked away without injury on June 4, 2008, she had to have completely disabled Travis and attacked him until he was no longer able to move. She didn't stop until she was certain he was dead. She did enough damage to kill him three times over - even if he did lunge at her and verbally threaten to kill her, she is not justified in what she did. Nobody knows how they would react if somebody suddenly attacked them without provocation, but it actually happened to me when I was in my mid 20's.

I was meeting some friends for drinks after work, and the parking at this particular place was set back in a poorly lit parking lot. I still had my work clothes on, and was wearing a skirt, jacket and had heels on. I parked my car and started walking towards the street to get to the front entrance, when I noticed a man approaching me. He was still a good distance away from me when he began to ask me for directions - I had a sense that something wasn't right and felt uneasy, so without being rude I told him I didn't live in the area and wasn't familiar with it. I kept walking towards the street, and just as he was getting ready to pass me in the other direction, he grabbed me and put his hand over my mouth and tried to drag me back into that dark parking lot.

I can honestly say that how I reacted surprised me. It happened very fast, but I remember thinking that if I let him drag me back into that dark parking lot, who knows what his intentions were. I couldn't let that happen, so I fought him as hard as I could, and I pulled my legs up in a way where he would have my full weight and drop me - which is exactly what happened. I was now laying on the asphalt and he was on top of me with both of my arms pinned down. I screamed as loud as I could and struggled with every ounce of energy I had and I guess he hasn't planned on having someone put up that much of a fight. He suddenly got up and grabbed my wallet out and started to run.

I found myself so infuriated at this man that I actually grabbed his leg while I was still on the ground and he was trying to run away. I grabbed his leg and he tripped, by that time I was on my feet and I just started kicking this guy, and screaming at him! I can't believe I reacted that way, and thinking back on it I probably should have just ran after he took my wallet and was running away. But my point is, it was my first reaction to fight and not let him get me back to a place where he could've really hurt me.  I ran into the bar and my friends were there - the bar staff called the police, and a few of the bartenders ran out to look for this guy. The police came and took a report but did little else. I had a friend drive me home shortly thereafter, since my clothes were torn and I was a nervous wreck. When I got home, the man I was living with at the time said when he got home that night, my wallet was by the front door, when we opened it the money was gone, as I'd expected. But what I didn't expect is to find a used condom in my wallet.  This man had come to my house and I felt that he left me a message in my wallet! I called the police to report what I had found, and they did nothing more than "add a note" to the police report I filed earlier. They didn't come to my house or collect that "evidence".  I moved shortly thereafter.

I ended up being just fine, but I just started to think about that and how I know I reacted when I realized this guy was going to attack me. Travis had to have been caught completely off guard, trapped in that shower stall unable to get away before being seriously injured. That's the only way Jodi Arias walks away with no injuries. To me, that's all that matters in this case.  There has been talk about this expert swaying the jury in Arias's favor, but I think this jury cares about what happened to Travis Alexander and I don't expect Arias to get a pass on this murder. What do you think?

29 comments:

  1. Alyce, probably thought that Jodi was really
    abused, she also told her many lies, Jodi has
    been lying all of her life. She probably could have
    been helped in her younger years when these
    disorders first came to the surface. Her family
    must have known that something was off with her.


    ReplyDelete
  2. Alyce wasn't born yesterday. I have to believe that she had access to the full record which included the discovery of the state. No one with her credentials would consider evaluating a case without full access to the entire record, IMO.

    This is a good article on the hearing today.
    http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/jodi-arias-trial-attorneys-dont-want-you-to-know-where-taxpayer-money-spent-on-defense-is-going#ixzz2O

    Alyce did interview JA according to Chris Stark who has been a very reliable source of info.
    http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rjenrn

    My Forte, wow! What a terrifying experience that could have ended in a much more tragic way! Unbelievable that he dropped your wallet off! Travis was certainly AMBUSHED as you have proposed. The initial stab wound to the heart that severed the superior vena cava, a huge vessel, and also nicked the lung nearly incapacitated him, and the defensive, deep hand wounds happened at this same interval when she was also able to stab him in the abdomen while he was attempting to get up and to the sink spitting up blood while she repeatedly stabbed him in the back and head. She is wicked evil--a true psychopath and I'm infuriated that LaViolette has taken up with her defense, period.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NancyB,
      I wonder if Alyce LaViolette had spoken to Travis Alexander's family and friends if there would have been a different decision made on whether she should testify. It saddens me that Travis is on trial, and so much attention is going towards Jodi Arias and if she was abused. This was cold blooded murder! That certainly was a harrowing experience I had many years ago. What I didn't put in that post is that when the man returned my wallet, it contained what appeared to be a used condom in it. That gave me an idea of what his intentions were. Scary. But it furthers my belief that IF Travis could have fought back, he would have. I can hardly wait until the rebuttal case, where the focus can be put back where it belongs. A promising young man was brutally and senselessly murdered by this woman. Did anyone believe the defense's case would go on for this long? It's disgusting and transparent. Travis didn't have the benefit of a trial, attorneys and expert witnesses. I'm also saddened that such a seemingly credible woman who is a pioneer in the area of domestic violence apparently also can be bought! Thanks so much for writing!

      Delete
    2. Oh geez, My Forte, that is just so awful. Truly the stuff of nightmares. I am so happy you got away from that bastard.

      Sue

      Delete
  3. My Forte, that was a terrifying story!

    NancyB, Jodi Arias’ attorneys do not want you know where the taxpayer money spent on her defense is going.
    Now I have steam coming out of my
    ears!

    Found out some information about Jury service for the State of Arizona:

    If selected to serve as a juror for a trial, you will receive $12 dollars for every day the trial lasts, plus mileage.
    (Not $250-$300 an hour)

    Arizona lengthy trial fund (See Also FAQ below) provides for jury service reimbursement of lost income, up to $300/day.

    http://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/JuryServices/GeneralInformation/faq.asp

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous (3/27/13 at 11:56AM),
      Wow that lengthy trial info is surprising! Where's Travis Alexander's $1,000,000 trial? This feels like extortion, since Arias reportedly wanted to plead guilty to 2nd degree murder and was turned down by the State. Thanks for the great info!

      Delete
  4. Jodi Arias trial: Attorneys don't want you to know where taxpayer money spent on defense is going

    Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/jodi-arias-trial-attorneys-dont-want-you-to-know-where-taxpayer-money-spent-on-defense-is-going

    Click on the links for the Motion filed by the Defense.

    This is just another last ditch effort for a Mistrial!

    The defense are really grasping at straws with this one.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My Forte, That sounds so terrifying. I know how you feel that happened to me back in the early
    80's when my son was just a tiny baby, I was getting out of my car at discount store, and he was in the back seat in his car seat, when all of
    a sudden this guy came out of nowhere, and
    demanded me to give him my purse, I went crazy
    on this guy.. he finally gave up and ran away.
    I went into the store and they called the police.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous (3/27/13 at 12:15PM),
      Thank you for sharing your story! The nerve of that guy robbing you in broad daylight, and you had a baby with you. Were you surprised at how you reacted?My reaction surprised me - I should have ran as soon as he got off of me, but my instinct was to kick him! BTW, when I opened my wallet that he left on my doorstep, it contained a used condom. That scared me! I still would like to take a basic self defense class. Women seem to be at risk! Thank you for writing and I'm glad you made it through your ordeal!

      Delete
  6. Good for you to be so brave!
    I love your insight and have a question for you. Do you think it was Jodi's initial plan to stab Travis in the back while she had him posing for pictures with his back to her, arms on the shower wall? It would seem he would have have been more vulnerable at that point. I think jodi is the kind of person that schemes and manipulates everything she does. Perhaps something failed - as in the knife was out of her reach more than she realized and he turned around before she could get it. Or do you think she always intended to have him seated so she could see his face while she stabbed him to death. I also think she really wanted him to know he was being killed, to put him in a place of holy terror and to die a very painful death. Otherwise, she could have suffocated him while he slept or put a pill in his drink, etc. just wanted to see what you thought about her not taking advantage of the "back photo" position. I fully believe that as Martinez stated, she was directing his positions and poses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Anon, Seeing the shots of Travis in the shower compared to the "Psycho" stills has definitely solidified it for me that she was directing him. It was all premeditated....it truly is awful. I agree, Jodi does manipulate everything. Travis's last texts to her show he was on to her. Between him telling it like it was (she is a liar, game player, etc.) and refusing to take her to Cancun I think she planned it all out. Sickening.

      Sue

      Delete
    2. Anonymous (3/27/13 at 5:12PM),
      Yes, I think she may have considered stabbing him while he had his back to her - that would have been an opportune time. She probably was working up her nerve to do it while posing him? Without knowing which injury came first it's hard to tell - but there's little doubt she meant to kill him in that shower. I always thought it made more sense that she shot him first, and was surprised when it didn't kill him but since I never believed her rope story, she had to have had the knife with her too. She didn't just shoot him while he slept in bed, this was up close and personal. This poor guy was cornered and trapped and it must have been terrifying! So glad the jury will hear the last word from Juan Martinez who will bring the focus back where it belongs. It sickens me that Arias is receiving so much attention. I think Sue is on to something with her Psycho theory too!

      Delete
  7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nYsTWBhW2ZE

    This is video from the hearing this morning but I can't tell if a decision was made. Can you all listen and post your thoughts, pls? Oh and one Anon asked me the other day if I live in Az - no CA.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey NancyB,
      I'm in Northern CA, but I lived in Phoenix from 1995 - 1997 and liked it there. Nice people in Arizona.

      Delete
  8. My Forte, Wow. I love the way you basically kicked that guy's butt. How scary that he stopped by your house.....yikes! You are right. We never know how we will respond in that kind of situation. I was mugged in NYC. Some guy stole my purse. He grabbed it from behind.....I had it over my shoulder, kind of sticking out in back. I was so pissed off I wouldn't let go of it....I was basically being swung off the ground by centrifugal force. A friend who was with me yelled at me to let go...so I did. I had about 6 cents in that purse.

    I completely agree with you. Travis had to be trapped and taken off guard. I am happy you brought up the white noise and the jury. Great points. Yeah, this jury is listening to Alyce. But when they go through all the facts it will be clear that Jodi premeditated murder. I have to believe that. The jury seems very sharp. Martinez's cross is probably going to be very good, too. I pasted the contents of that link on your previous blog page (I think). It says that Martinez and LaViolette have already argued at some point. At least that is what I understood it to say. So maybe she doesn't like him and she is somehow stubbornly stuck in believing Jodi. I don't know. I am pretty furious about it, like most of us up here, I think. The part of your article about her working with the defense to plan questions. Grrr. I think that is exactly what happened. The language is familiar. The "shame". Jodi was coached. She repeated I was scared I was ashamed. That was it....she hasn't actually said anything about what she was actually feeling. Like, I was angry and I was jealous? That I would believe.

    The first message by Anon got me thinking, too.
    I read this great book by Dr. Robert Hare called "Without Conscience". He created the psychopathy checklist. How to test if someone is a psychopath. He was actually tricked by one in a prison he worked in in Canada. So it is possible Jodi fooled Alyce. But you would think she would look at all the evidence and be able to make a correct, informed decision. Ugh is right!!

    Sue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue,
      Thanks for the great post! It's alarming how many women are assaulted. I can totally imagine your NYC scene by the way you described it, and good for you for giving him a run for his money! It was just instinctual for me too. When I went to kick the guy, my shoe went flying across the parking lot and over a fence. By the time I walked into that bar, my skirt was ripped up the back, my nylons were torn and I had one shoe on! Funny now, not so funny then! Interesting to know that a doctor was tricked by a psychopath. I think that's the nature of psychology, when you are basing your diagnosis largely on what somebody is telling you. Even if LaViolette isn't "pro-defense" and simply signed on to educate the jurors on domestic violence, it seems professionally irresponsible to me because Travis Alexander is not here to be interviewed or to give his side of the story. Makes me feel like everyone has a price, even Alyce LaViolette. She can't really believe Arias was abused to the point of fearing for her life? If that's the case, why go out of your way to stop in Mesa to begin with? The defense's whole case is a house of cards built on this shaky battered women's syndrome. Can't wait until it falls! Arias will say anything she has to in an attempt to avoid death row. Thanks for your comments!

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the great response! I can really imagine what you wrote, too. And losing your shoe! I am so happy to got away from that sick cuss. And relieved and happy he didn't find you again. He was probably afraid of you. He put your wallet back with his disgusting addition to try to be threatening, but he was really a coward.

      Sue

      Delete

  9. Look what I found on Wild About Trial messages:

    josemcyntire‏@josemcyntire
    #JodiArias JUAN M. HAS LAVOILETTE’S UNEDITED NOTES of JA INTERVIEW – JA afraid of self-incrimination during (cont) http://tl.gd/n_1rjf5h9

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NancyB, this is GOOD!!

      Delete
    2. NancyB,
      I am unable to get your link..are the unedited notes actually viewable somewhere? I'd love to see those!

      Delete
  10. Hi Unknown,
    I love the Hare Psychopathy checklist. You can be sure that she would score very high. I looked at the list last week and no doubt she scores way high.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree. From what we know, it looks like she has a lot of those characteristics!

      Sue

      Delete
  11. On After Dark tonight, smoking gun: movie
    Charlie's Angels starring Cameron Diaz, dancing
    in spidey underwear. Check it out.
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHwAU1EsDGK
    And also the fantasy about tying Jodi to a tree,
    from movie: Secretary starring Maggie Gyllenhaal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous (3/27/13 at 10:53PM),
      Wow, even Arias's lies are not original! She has to steal her stories on movies. I noticed that she made quite a few movie references during her testimony. I can picture her sitting in her cell for the last 4 years, thinking up this BS!

      Delete
  12. My Forte - Read them here

    http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1rjf5h9

    ReplyDelete
  13. Laviolette Alyce Dunn
    License Type: Marriage and Family Therapist
    (Not) a Psychologist

    ReplyDelete
  14. There are so many movie references! Anyone know if they are allowed to watch movies in that prison? Cameron Diaz in spidey underwear!! I shouldn't even be surprised. Yes, My Forte, totally agree. She has just been adding to the lies over the last 4 years. I'm sure she enjoys it. This movie would go great here and I'll say that there, etc.

    My Forte, I love your house of cards idea. I have been reading about psychopathic liars today and just started getting this image of the whole defense story being a manipulated tale. Twist the truth there and add in an "expert" here. Just like Jodi.....the whole team is seeming like an awful pack of snake oil salespeople. I can just imagine one of those twisted lies losing footing and ....s w o o s h . There goes the house of cards.

    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  15. My Forte, I agree with you wholeheartedly. I think JA controls everything she does down to every movement and including anything she would write in a journal. I think she has some kind of unidentified pathology. Also, I agree that TA was sitting in that last photo trapped in that shower when she started stabbing him and he had to fight his way out. I have a theory that the "linebacker" move was true and occurred in this attempt to get out. Additionally, I think those stabs to his back were while he had his head down during this attempt.

    I am glad you made it out okay. A really great book is "The Gift of Fear" and talks about violent people and our instincts. So many times victims knew something was wrong and ignored it not wanting to believe it or be rude. Read that book and you will see just how far perpetrators of violence will use that need of ours.

    Because of my prior domestic violence experience, I no longer hesitate if I feel threatened. Like when someone approached me at my car in a parking lot at night and I knew I would have to turn my back to get in the car and would never make it in time. He was very smiley and nice and when I turned and asked him if I knew him and he said no, I told him very directly that he needed to stop right there. He backed off immediately because perpetrators don't want a direct fight. Good for you that you listened to your instincts.

    ReplyDelete
  16. My Forte, one more thing... Do you think the Plea Bargain attempt for 2nd degree will be admitted during the penalty phase? What about that she admitted she was jealous to Det Flores? Both of these are prejudicial before the verdict but would they be able to admit these for penalty since they are deciding the severity of the punishment? I know the judge will usually take information into account that the jury doesn't know about when they issue the sentence.

    ReplyDelete

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