While the guilt phase has concluded in the Jodi Arias murder trial, decisions over her fate are still pending as the aggravation phase is expected to begin on Wednesday, May 15 2013. The jury that delivered a guilty verdict on first degree murder will hear arguments from prosecutor Juan Martinez on the pain and suffering Travis Alexander likely endured while being repeatedly stabbed, slashed and shot by Jodi Arias on June 4, 2008.
Medical examiner Kevin Horn is expected to return to the stand to describe the nature of the wounds Alexander suffered from and their likely effect on him prior to his death. The defense has argued that Arias shot Travis Alexander prior to the stabbing and slashing of his throat. I don't see how they can effectively argue his death was not cruel, heinous and depraved. Having built their defense around the notion of self-defense, they furiously argued at trial that Jodi Arias shot Travis Alexander first and the gunshot did not incapacitate him, rather he continued to verbally and physically threaten Arias.
Having made that argument, how can argue now that he did not feel the effects of being stabbed repeatedly in the chest, torso and back before having his throat cut? It seems their all-or-nothing trial strategy has painted them into a corner. I think if Jodi Arias had been more honest about everything, she would have stood a better chance of arguing that she snapped and killed him in the heat of the moment.
Within minutes of the guilty verdict, Arias sat down with reporter Troy Hayden from Fox affiliate KSAZ and gave another television interview. Arias left Hayden the following message via voice mail on Sunday prior to the verdict:
"Hi Troy. Jodi Arias. Umm, it's Sunday. I just wanted to let you know...umm, a deal is a deal kind of thing, but I regret saying that. But I'm a person of my word, so I'll keep our deal. Umm, but I also wanted to let you know, if for some reason the jury comes back with first degree just come down to the jail.
Because I'm not sure how things are going to go...well, I have an idea but I don't want to wait. So, umm, we tend to get back from court around 6:00-6:30 so if the jail....your going to be down that way, and that's cool, we can go forward. Umm, if it's second degree or less, I will wait 'til after sentencing. But if it's first degree, for some reason, it'll come right away, but like I said if it's second degree or less, we'll wait 'til after. So, that's that....take care, bye.
The fact that Arias would only grant the interview if she was found guilty of first degree murder seems to point toward another attempt to manipulate the public. Earlier this year, Arias' friends (Donovan Bering and Ann Campbell) told reporters that while Arias understood the need to be punished for her actions, she did not feel she deserved the death penalty. In addition to those statements, Arias' attorneys went all the way to the Arizona Supreme Court in an attempt to have the death penalty option set aside. I suppose these things if taken at face value don't necessarily prove that Arias actually would prefer life in prison to the death penalty. The best possible sentence she can hope for is to receive life with the possibility for parole after serving 25 years. That would have Arias out in time to get her AARP card - much too generous of a sentence for this crime!
It's hard to tell what's going on in Jodi Arias' mind. That's the problem when a person tells so many lies. I personally question that she would prefer to get the death penalty to (natural) life. As we have learned throughout this trial, Jodi Arias has talked about killing herself more times than I can count. She's had the time and opportunity to commit suicide, prior to being arrested she even purchased her very own gun. Is this just another attempt to manipulate the public or to garner sympathy in light of a verdict she wasn't expecting?
While Arias remains on suicide watch in the psych ward, she may have managed to delay her trial but justice will not be denied. As Arias has time to grasp her new reality, will she ultimately plead for her life? Or will she be defiant to the end and continue to take no responsibility? Arias continues to give the state more ammunition to use against her, through her poor decisions to contact the media, Twitter activity and her moneymaking schemes from behind bars. I almost feel bad for her attorneys, but that feeling doesn't last for very long when I remember the allegations and arguments they made at trial. The defense continues to operate in poor taste in their latest bid to have the victim impact statements delivered via videotape! Are you kidding me?
What will happen on Wednesday during the aggravation phase? What can Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott possibly say about the manner of death that would sway this jury away from the death penalty? How much sympathy will the jury have for Arias after they hear what she's been up to during her own trial? This will be a very interesting week. Enjoy your weekend and Happy Mother's Day!
**UPDATE**
NancyB posted a link to the latest portion of Arias' interview w/Troy Hayden - Arias seems just fine, composed - but the broken-finger-pointing has begun!
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/22222919/2013/05/11/arias-told-fox-10-she-has-no-mitigating-factors
The Fox affiliate is releasing this interview in portions, unfortunately. It would be nice to hear the entire 45 minutes in an uninterrupted manner! Yeah, the media is having a field day with Arias' antics. Thanks for posting the link NancyB!
If anybody is interested in the numerous petitions related to Travis Alexander and this case, Change.org still needs your signatures. There are literally pages of petitions started by the public in an effort to shut down some of the offensive websites out there and more importantly there is a petition for "Travis Alexander's Law" - which would prevent the prejudicial and malicious testimony against a murder victim when no evidence is offered and when not directly relating to a defense. We can collectively be a part of positive change!
MY CRIMETIME BY MY FORTE. A DISCUSSION OF MURDERS IN THE NEWS.
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Hi my forte, I've been reading your blog for a few weeks now, and want to thank you for such a well written analysis of this trial - your blog is the first place I come to for the latest news because I find your thoughts on it interesting and intelligent - and I always agree with them!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to ask a question about this interview Jodi Arias gave. How was she allowed to do this interview? Surely permission has to be given by someone in a position of authority? I cannot believe that a convicted murderer can arrange an interview with a tv show without any problems! I'm from the UK, and I know for this sure this would NEVER be allowed to happen. I find it unbelievable, and disgusting, quite frankly, that she was able to do it. Didn't her defence team try and talk her out of it? It was a terrible decision on her part, but nothing really surprises me about her any more. I'd be interested to know if anyone has any insight into how this was allowed?
Anon, I think even we American's are puzzling over how/why she was able to do this. I've never heard of such a thing before and, the even stranger part is, who would be in the state of mind to want to give an interview after finding out they're to spend the rest of their life behind bars? I would have expected that, once the Murder One guilty verdict was handed down, she'd have been cuffed and lead to her cell like any other prisoner.
DeleteThe Arizona sheriff was interviewed and asked how and why her interviewed was allowed. He said he has a policy that allow inmates to talk to the media as much as they want to if the media wants to talk to them. He said all they have to do is fill out some form for approval and they will be granted. That is why she was able to talk after the verdict.
DeleteAnonymous (5/13 @ 8:17AM),
DeleteThanks so much for posting the AZ Sheriff Dept policy on inmates access to the media. Interesting how easy it appears to be.
I find it shocking as well that the jailers allowed Jodi to do the interview! What the heck?
ReplyDeleteEspecially as she is know officially a convicted murdered! Why does no one have control over her?
My Forte, you mentioned that the jury will now be able to find out about how Jodi has been acting during the trial, such as her tweeting?
Does that mean that during the aggravation phase evidence can be let in even if it is "predjudical"?
I was hoping that was going to be the case.
Do you think the jury will hear about the truth regarding the Sky Hughes email?
By the way, love the background artwork of your website! I like the tone it sets.
What are we going to discuss now that the Jodi trial is winding down?
Anon (5/12 @ 2:08PM),
DeleteI may be mistaken, but I believe some of Arias' antics could be used during the sentencing phase of the trial. I don't have a legal background, so I may be off base! What does an attorney do when they can't control a client like Arias? I really hope they do get a glimpse into Arias' activities during this trial. The art sales, the tweeting, the interview etc. It all goes to show that she has little, if any respect for the judicial process and her 2 million dollar trial! Regarding the background artwork, I can't take credit for that! It's a Google/Blogger template that I chose! Thank you for the feedback on it though. I thought it gave off a old-style mystery look.
If JA has money and has the best defense money can buy just like some rich and famous people with money do, would she got away or got a lesser verdict for the crime she commited? I think her defense is very weak and totally boring.
ReplyDeleteI think she will change her mind about the DP and say she 'has been told'it would be selfish to die and she has so much too offer the other "indigent" inmates that she would be a godsend to the prison system, what with photography classes like DDD( Digital Deletion for Dummies) and spiritual tutoring ,how could she possibly think of offing herself with so many depending on her!
ReplyDeleteAfter the verdict, she had already planned the interview with Troy, she had words with her DT about the doing it, they were against it. She is still trashing Travis & his family.
ReplyDeleteCalling him a hypocrite, she is
just as much a hypocrite herself.
She wants to control the court as much as possible. She really thought her lies were so believable that she was shocked at the guilty verdict. She really wants to live, so she can continue to manipulate the inmates, like she has been doing
for almost 5 yrs.
I don't believe she wants the DP. I think she's trying to scramble out of the inevitable. God only knows what she's been planning for Wed. while she's been in the psych ward. I imagine she'll speak and go on for hours and, like someone else mentioned, she'll say that as much as she would choose the DP, her family has begged her not to.
ReplyDeleteIf her mom gets up there she'll probably speak about the amazing things Jodi can do from prison but I doubt that. I think Jodi will get up to all sorts of hijinx if she gets LWOP. We've already seen the type she endears herself to, aka Donovan Bering. I wouldn't put it past her to attempt to put a hit out from prison or an escape attempt. She has learned Spanish from behind bars and AZ isn't too far from Mexico.
It's funny because when she thought it was going to work for her, she was all over playing the part of the poor abused child, beaten by her parents. Then once ALV came onto the stand and talked about how abused children can go on to being abusers as adults, she wanted to change her tune.
I don't think the "Snapped" crime of passion angle would ever have worked for her. Even if her lawyers had gone with that angle, Juan Martinez came up with so much proof that pointed toward premeditation, I don't think there was much they could have done to refute that. The gun missing from her grandparents house is huge. That's a very rare gun to own and especially so for a man. If anyone on the jury had even an inkling of gun knowledge, they would know it's not a gun a man would typically buy. Jodi's father inherited all the guns he had, they were quite old. If it had been Travis' gun (although you have to pretty empty headed to believe that) it would have been in her interest to leave the gun there, it was evidence that would have bolstered her claim. Along with the rope.
I think Jodi also proved that she is not smart. As much as her defense team tried to prove otherwise, tried to convince us she is highly intelligent, she's not. She's as dumb as a box of rocks. She throws a few big words around and that's the extent of her intelligence. She didn't even have a high school diploma prior to her incarceration. I laughed out loud when Nurmi asked why someone so intelligent would plan such a poorly thought out scheme...because she's DUMB! She accomplished next to nothing during her adulthood, what she did attain she got through spreading her legs for men who lacked confidence.
Okay, my rant's over! I am not envious of the decision the jury has to make. I won't even speak as to what I'd like to see her have because it's in their hands. I believe whatever punishment they choose, we have to respect. They've been in this for 4 months now and I trust they'll do the right thing. But like I said, it's not a decision I envy them having to make!
Thanks for the great post My Forte!