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Jury Questions Alyce LaViolette - They Seem Skeptical

Alyce LaViolette is facing some tough jury questions this afternoon. So far, the tone seems a bit skeptical, yet LaViolette continues to speak poorly about Travis Alexander and glowingly about Arias. The jury tone seems to be similar to what we have discussed in this forum. They want to know if LaViolette reviewed any of Arias's journals from earlier in her life. She disclosed that she only reviewed from 2006-2008 in making her assessment. The jury asked if LaViolette would have been able to get a better overall feel for who Jodi Arias is if she had gone farther back in her life.

The jury asked if she had spoken to any of Travis's family or friends or reviewed any materials to or from them. LaViolette read ONE email either to or from one of his sisters! That's it? The jury asked what she was able to learn about Travis Alexander during her review of the case. LaViolette managed to say some nice things about him at first, saying that he was known to be a very good motivational speaker, he knew his scriptures, he came from an abusive background and childhood. She said she believed women found Travis attractive, but she didn't know much about his friendships other than with Chris and Skye Hughes. 

LaViolette testified that she didn't feel it was unusual that Jodi Arias lied to her parents and about the crime, stating "people lie when they are afraid of the repercussions of things they've done, if anything Jodi downplayed things". The jury asked if it was possible that Jodi's family and friends embellished things they said in order to help her case. LaViolette didn't believe they did. She then continued to trash Travis Alexander, saying he was disrespectful to Jodi Arias and other women.

The jury then asked if Jodi kicking, slapping and treating her mother poorly would make her an abuser, they also asked about Arias calling her sister Angela "stupid". LaViolette discounted both events, because Jodi was a teenager at the time. Couldn't a violent teenager grow up to be a violent adult? Alyce, you are incorrect. She called her sister stupid during her relationship with Travis. Get your facts right if you are going to testify as an expert. The jury wanted to know if a person could be abusive in one relationship but not another? They also asked if she has ever been involved in a case where somebody killed a partner because "there was no way out"? LaViolette said it was "rare" for a person to kill a partner to get away from abuse.

She insists that nothing she saw or read showed Jodi escalating in anger, rather she was trying to calm situations while Travis got very angry and again - she used the word "tirade" to describe Travis's text or e-mail to Jodi.  The jury asked if Jodi could be exaggerating these abusive events in light of the possible consequences of her crime. LaViolette said "anything is possible", but she added that she finds it difficult to believe in light of what she heard from the Hughes description on how he treated women. Boy, LaViolette seems to be giving that e-mail from the Hughes a whole lot of weight. That seems to be the only "friend" communication she considered in making her assessment of Travis.

Very telling that the jury asked "how does not having both sides of the story effect your assessment in this case?" LaViolette said that she would have liked to have been able to talk to Travis, but since she couldn't she said she did her best with the information she had. OK, who did she talk to? Really? The jury said in light of all the lies Jodi Arias has told, how were you able to know everything she is saying is truthful? She said there was no way she could know that everything was truthful, but again - she restated that she believes her.

The jury asked if she saw any PROOF that Arias was physically abused. LaViolette cited Jodi's broken finger as the only thing she saw. Given that most people believe Arias injured that finger during her assault on Travis, that's a non-issue isn't it? She has given too many different stories about what happened to that hand/finger. The jury asked if the reason Jodi never wrote about abuse in the journals could be because the events never happened. They asked if it was possible Jodi abused Travis, LaViolette stated she saw no evidence that she did, and given her information about Arias's other relationships with men as evidence she has no history of abuse.

The jury said that Jodi's response to her perceived danger on 6/4/08 went way beyond "neutralizing" the threat to her. They wanted to know if it was a common reaction. LaViolette said that abused women often times don't know when to stop. The jury asked about the Spiderman underwear and tshirt, there seems to be some doubt that Travis in fact gave those items to her. LaViolette said she read a IM discussion between the two, and the was her corroboration. The jury asked "just because somebody appears to be controlling, does that automatically mean they are abusive"? They asked if any of Travis's ex-girlfriends described him as abusive, she said she wasn't aware of any previous abuse.

The jury asked if Alyce interviewed anybody other than Jodi Arias face to face. Alyce said she did not. They asked again if any of Travis's previous girlfriends found him verbally abusive. LaViolette quoted some things that Lisa Andrews said about Travis. They asked if anybody she talked to suspected abuse for either Jodi or Travis? She said that Matt McCartney suspected abuse and Arias reportedly told him of either emotional or physical abuse. Isn't Matt McCartney the one Arias says "would never betray me"? Isn't McCartney the one Arias attempted to get him to change his testimony to match her own via the secretly coded magazines? How is this not manipulative, how is this honest? How could LaViolette call Arias truthful, given everything we know - forget about what we all suspect, these things are ON THE RECORD. Yet Alyce LaViolette discounts it all?

The jury asked about Jodi not seeking medical treatment for her finger, asking "what would stop her from seeking medical treatment and lying about the cause of the injury"? GREAT QUESTION JURORS! Such a simple question, but it's such a good one. Remember, this wasn't a black eye or a broken nose. It was a finger - I doubt this would raise suspicions of domestic abuse from any ER doctor in this country. The jurors also wanted to know WHY LaViolette concurred many things actually happened, such as with 1/21/08 alleged incident of Travis caught with a photo of a young boy. They wanted to know why she believed that, when it was only Jodi Arias's words.  

They asked why LaViolette didn't look further into Travis Alexander's text message about being fearful of Arias's stalking behavior, since she was hired to look into potential domestic abuse. She didn't have a great answer, she simply does not believe Arias was a stalker or that Travis was in fear. I'm sooo happy the jury is asking some of these questions, they seem to be highly skeptical of the lack of work on Alyce's part to try to get to know who Travis Alexander was before making the assumptions she has made, assuming the worst about him and portraying him in such a negative manner. The overall theme seems to be that the jury doesn't believe she made enough of an effort in getting information from people other than Jodi Arias. They know she has lied, and I suspect that they are skeptical that LaViolette is taking everything Arias has said as the gospel.

They are taking a 10 minute break now. I have to admit to feeling a great deal of relief when I heard some of these jury questions. Is it possible Willmott & Co. have crossed the line with their absolute trashing of a man who was savagely and brutally killed? Was it necessary to drag him through the mud in this manner while trying to make Arias look like a helpless victim? There's a lot the jury doesn't know, but thankfully there is a lot they DO know. They've seen Arias's dirty text messages to Travis, where she compliments his anatomy, and makes highly suggestive and outright nasty comments to him. These messages were not ordered by Travis Alexander. Arias seemed to enjoy it as much as he did, so the defense is not doing Arias any favors by trying to paint this woman as some coy and shy woman who was pressured into deviant sexual acts that she never would have participated in if not for Travis Alexander.

Jodi Arias was the forbidden fruit for Travis Alexander. The defense is making Travis sound like a fraud, just because he didn't tell members of his Mormon community that he was no longer a virgin. I don't believe that is all that uncommon, to lie about one's virginity. That certainly doesn't make him a bad guy, nor does it constitute a pattern of lying. This was something he apparently struggled with and wasn't proud of. It seems to me that after he met Jodi Arias, she may have actually been the one with the power, the forbidden fruit that Travis wanted, but knew he shouldn't have. She had the sexual power, and that can be much more powerful than any other type of power in a highly charged relationship such as theirs. What do you think?

I don't know how many more jury questions there are, or how much longer we will have to listen to LaViolette say the same things over and over. Please, get this woman on the next plane back to Long Beach!






25 comments:

  1. We don't want her.
    Sue from long beach

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue,
      Since you are in Long Beach, I'd be interested in knowing what the local reactions have been to ALV's involvement in this trial. Could you keep us all posted? Thanks Sue!!

      Delete
    2. Angry,angry and angry. I am worried about her safery. Her offices have been threatened with all kinds crazy stuff. I don't think her client list is going to be the same. End Abuse in Long Beach has over 7000signatures on the petition to ban her from public speaking from all over the Nation.
      Thanks for your reply. I like your point of view.
      Sue from Long Beach

      Delete
  2. I agree that the jury is showing their skepticism and asking pertinent questions. I didn't catch all the questions. Did anyone ask how/why LaViolette can characterize Jodi as "fearful" when Jodi initiated most--if not all--of the contact with Travis towards the end, including the final trip to Mesa when she murdered him. Even her journal entries don't seem particularly "fearful."
    I did hear her response to a question about Jodi's being a good liar. She said, "If she was such a good liar, she would have come up with a really good lie to get out of this. (my words, not an exact quote). Duh, that's exactly what she did, Alyce: come up with a real good lie and you're part and parcel of it.
    Again, I just can't wait to see who Juan Martinez puts on the stand and what they have to say. My guess is he would use former girlfriends of Travis to rebut this "abusive" picture the Defense has painted; I hope he also has an ex-boyfriend or two of Jodi's who can attest to her (sexual) aggression, jealousy, lying, etc. Bring on the rebuttal!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jbielack,
      I though Alyce's response about Jodi's lie was just yet another display of her bias in this case. Just because Arias didn't come up with foolproof lies, that doesn't mean she is telling the truth. During her interrogations, you could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she tried to discover what evidence they had that implicated her. She had to work the stories around what evidence they had. That's why she came up with the ridiculous camera dropping story. She blew the transmission out of Travis's BMW, and that didn't send him into a rage - does she really think these jurors will make the same leaps that her "experts" have? I think they have all underestimated these jurors common sense. Thanks for posting!

      Delete
  3. Look forward each day to your beautifully written comments. Thank you so much for the time and effort you are putting in to provide such important information and insight. Watching the deplorable tactics of the defense team, including Arias and the psych witnesses, has been infuriating and heartbreaking.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I second your comments! My Forte, your blog has been a wonderful find for me and I also Thank you so much for your time and attention to this trial.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous (4/11/13 at 5:35PM & 6:10PM), Thank YOU for reading the blog and sharing your thoughts and comments on this trial! It's a great way for us all to vent our common frustrations on how this man has been murdered twice. So unfair to his family and friends, and everyone who knew and loved him. Thanks for your comments!

      Delete
  5. Jodi Arias' Jailhouse Tweets Reportedly Stir Controversy:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/11/jodi-arias-twitter_n_3061649.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular,social-media
    (Article, Video, Comments)

    Jodi Arias Twitter Page:
    https://twitter.com/jodiannarias

    Arias has been Tweeting since Febuary via DONOVAN BERING!!!!
    Bering was the former Cellmate and Arsonist!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous (4/11/13 at 6:11PM),
      I think it's outrageous that this is happening, in addition to the online art auctions. Donovan Bering appeared on Nancy Grace's show last night and Jean Casarez was filling in for NG and asked her about the tweets. Bering insisted that the "Little Man Syndrome" comments were not directed at Juan Martinez and she wrote what she did about her "finger" being for Nancy Grace because NG made such a big deal out of her middle finger being raised during court. I tried to call in to the show, because Jean Casarez never asked her about Jodi's acronym for HLN, calling it the "Haters Love Negativity" network, and I wanted Jean to ask her about it. I couldn't get through, unfortunately!

      Delete
  6. J.H.C.!!!!!
    How is Arias Allowed to This?

    Jodi Arias Art Auction

    http://www.jodiarias.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ?? Really. Why is the defendant given so much freedom?

      I guess Donovan is out of jail?

      Sue

      Delete
    2. Sue,
      Yes, I believe that Donovan Bering has been out of jail for some time now. She and another "friend" named Ann Campbell are reportedly regular visitors and Campbell I believe is the woman Arias tried to get the secretly coded magazines to! She is a friend of Bering. Go figure. Wonder if they will ever find out who broke in to the States expert witnesses home in Phoenix and took her computer? HMMM. An Arias supporter perhaps?

      Delete
  7. Jodi Arias witness LaViolette feels social media glare
    Online attacks on defense expert decried as digital 'lynch mob'

    Watch the Video....
    Photo of LaViolette having dinner with the Defense team....
    Witness Tampering?

    http://www.mydesert.com/article/20130411/NEWS0802/304110009/Jodi-Arias-witness-LaViolette-feels-social-media-glare

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous (4/11/13 at 6:48PM),
      I saw that photo of ALV, Willmott and the mitigation specialist sharing a meal! I also heard that Alyce is now feeling the heat and backlash. And most of the backlash is coming from the very demographic she has devoted much of her life to: battered women. They have been speaking out in numbers. What does that say about her testimony? Thanks for your comments!

      Delete
  8. My Forte, you are a great writer. Get a book out ASAP! I will buy it. Thank you for all your info. I watched today and think Miss LaViolette should hear about Jodi abusing a dog. Right there should have told the parents JA was sick. Animal cruelty I'd a good sign of an abuser and potential killer.
    Regarding the words Miss LaViolette. Said about JA would have lied better if she was plannIng to lie. Give Me A Break! That tells me Miss LaViolette knows what a hood liar JA is and we all know there are many murderers who got caught lying .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, My Forte, a book?

      Sue

      Delete
    2. Boomerbaby & Sue,
      Wow, that's quite a compliment and I wanted to thank you both for your kind words. When I started this blog, I had no idea if anyone would even read it, and the most pleasant surprise has been all of the insightful comments from other people who are watching this trial. I'm not a writer, I'm a first-time blogger. I've been in the financial services (brokerage) industry for more than 20 years but was laid off last year and started this blog as a way to just keep myself going while continuing my job search. It's been fun and has helped me keep myself elevated. This is the first time in my life I've been out of work and this really helps. Thanks again for the compliment!

      Delete
  9. The defense team is scared jury not buying BS.
    Alyce can't change her notes now, Jodi said she shot Travis in closet, big lie. The bottom line is she planned the trip to Mesa to kill Travis. I can't
    believe self-defense crap, time is running out for
    Arais & she knows it. They will throw in polygraph
    test at sentencing phase, she passed, sociopath/
    psychopaths can pass easy, no conscience,
    no remorse.




    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous (4/12/13 at 3:27AM),
      You are up & online early! I am also a morning person. I agree with your comments about the defense team. Jennifer Willmott appeared to be very concerned with some of those jury questions! They seemed to be very suspicious that ALV didn't do more research on Travis's character. What would the harm have been in seeking out his sisters, brothers and friends? Instead, she chose the Hughe's e-mail to Travis about his treatment of Jodi and I think she read an e-mail to or from one of Travis's sisters. She did little more than that, yet made huge leaps about the type of person he was. It was insulting, and I think the jury picked up on her bias and incomplete research methods! Thank God this jury seems to be getting it right. Thanks for posting!

      Delete
  10. The understatement of the century: Jodi downplayed things.

    That is almost funny
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sue,
      OMG I nearly fell out of my chair when I heard that. I thought "did she really just say that?" How she could take such huge leaps in giving any type of opinion about who Travis Alexander was without talking to those who knew him best is the most glaring sign of her bias towards Arias. Instead, she chose to focus on the Chris/Sky Hughes e-mail to Travis about his mistreatment of Jodi. I believe she read ONE e-mail to or from one of Travis's sisters, but she did nothing in the form of face to face interviews with those who knew him best. I simply don't believe it's possible to form an accurate opinion when you don't talk to the people who knew Travis Alexander. I wonder if ALV truly believes Jodi Arias, or is she starting to have doubts after hearing some of the things she learned in court about the lies? Even when faced with the lies, she tells the jury that doesn't make her a liar? That doesn't even make sense!

      Delete
    2. Piece of work, right?!? Is she going off the deep end or just scrambling to cover her a$$? It truly looks like she walked into this job with no intention of even looking at the other side. What other explanation is there? I can not figure this woman out. It is so completely unprofessional it borders on stupid.... or greedy.

      Thanks for your fantastic blog! This is a great place.

      Sue

      Delete
  11. My Forte, I think a career change to writing IS your FORTE for sure. Wonderful Blog. Wonderfully written.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for sharing, I will bookmark and be back again




    Personal Injury

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