The retrial of Jodi Arias is slated to begin in early September. In a case that has been notorious not only for the brutal nature of the crime and the courtroom dramatics that captured the attention of a television viewing audience - the delays that have marred the proceedings seem endless and have frustrated the masses! When you think about the fact that Travis Alexander was murdered on June 4, 2008 and it's now July 18, 2014 and we are still waiting for justice to be handed down it's mind boggling to me.
The public that watched the drama unfold during the 5 month long televised trial has been kept mostly in the dark since Judge Sherry Stephens declared a mistrial several months back. The wheels of justice seem to have slowed to a near crawl as we wait to learn how this story ends. Meanwhile, Arias spends another birthday at the Estrella jail in Phoenix, is this the 5th or 6th birthday she's spent in custody? At least Jodi Arias is still having birthdays, unlike Travis Alexander who has no more birthdays or holidays to celebrate. We may not be hearing as much on what's happening behind court room doors these days, as they are handling this case with an abundance of caution but Motions have been filed and Motions have been ruled on. The court minute entries are about as close as I have gotten to knowing what the heck's going on with this trial! The latest minute entry from late May is outlined below:
RULING
The Court has considered the Motion to Reconsider and Re-Urge Request for Evidentiary Hearing on Motion to Dismiss State’s Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty Due to State’s Preclusion of Mitigation Specialist filed March 31, 2014, the Objection to Motion to Reconsider and Re-Urge Request for Evidentiary Hearing on Motion to Dismiss State’s Notice of Intent to
Seek the Death Penalty Due to State’s Preclusion of Mitigation Specialist filed April 7, 2014, the Reply to State’s Objection to Motion to Reconsider and Re-Urge Request for Evidentiary Hearing on Motion to Dismiss State’s Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty Due to State’s Preclusion of Mitigation Specialist filed on April 10, 2014, the sealed Stipulation Between
Counsel for Jodi Ann Arias and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office dated March 19, 2014, and the oral argument and offer of proof by defense counsel provided on May 16, 2014.
Defendant seeks an order dismissing the State’s Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty because the mitigation specialist assigned to her case was banned from the Maricopa County Jail for a period of one week. Defendant claims this incident prejudiced her ability to prepare her mitigation, has affected the relationship between the defendant and her defense team
in that there is now a lack of trust, and has resulted in the mitigation specialist being treated differently by the Maricopa County Sheriff. Defendant seeks an ex parte sealed evidentiary hearing to establish these facts.
Nothing new here. I'm really really curious as to how the defense team will approach this new jury when the retrial finally does begin. Will they continue their all-out assault on Travis' character and try to paint Jodi as a victim of his emotional and verbal brutality? Will Jodi continue to claim she is a survivor of domestic abuse? Will she try to show remorse while presenting another Power Point presentation of all the good she can do while in prison in Goodyear? Your guess is as good as mine. The last I've heard is that the trial will be recorded but not broadcast live - I have no clue if they will wait until the trial has concluded to air the footage or how they plan to proceed with the media interest this trial continues to garner.
If you've heard anything new or relevant, please do leave a comment! I'm going to try to update this page on a more regular basis when there is something new to discuss! Hope everyone is well and I'm looking forward to seeing the conclusion of this trial - have a great weekend!
MY CRIMETIME BY MY FORTE. A DISCUSSION OF MURDERS IN THE NEWS.
Jodi Arias Claims She Got Hepatitis C At Jail
Jodi Arias is back in the news. While awaiting the start of her penalty phase retrial in Maricopa County, she has filed suit against the jail - alleging that she contracted hepatitis C through an infected needle that was used to give her a tuberculosis shot. Arias also claims that she was denied medical care at the jail when her left silicone breast implant leaked and caused a fungal growth. There is so much bizarre news related to Jodi Arias over the last few days that I don't know where to start. Arias also claim that Sheriff Joe put cameras in her cell and forces her to say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning or she doesn't get fed! Sheriff Joe is calling Arias' claims "outrageous" and says they are not true. He says the jail plays the national anthem "God Bless America" but doesn't force inmates to sing.
The same documents allege that Sheriff Joe intercepted "sexual letters" between Arias and Travis Alexander's cousin Christopher Alexander and sent them to Nancy Grace. Yes, that's right - I had to read it this several times, but apparently Travis has a cousin named Christopher Alexander who has been Arias' pen pal for the last 5 years. Arias wrote "Plaintiff moves to compel Nancy Grace from defaming Plaintiff's character, which will cause irreversible harm if Plaintiff's relationship is made public and cause Plaintiff Arias prejudice on her death penalty case". Ah Jodi, I think you just made this public. Arias is seeking a temporary restraining order against Sheriff Joe and Nancy Grace.
So who is Christopher Alexander? How close was he to Travis and how did these two come to know one another? Does anybody else find it beyond creepy that she has any type of relationship with anybody related to the man she murdered, even what may be a very distant cousin? This is a story that just gets stranger by the day. I have to wonder if Arias got the idea to file a lawsuit against the jail for lack of medical care from another convicted murderer at the Estrella jail, Marissa DeVault?
The same documents allege that Sheriff Joe intercepted "sexual letters" between Arias and Travis Alexander's cousin Christopher Alexander and sent them to Nancy Grace. Yes, that's right - I had to read it this several times, but apparently Travis has a cousin named Christopher Alexander who has been Arias' pen pal for the last 5 years. Arias wrote "Plaintiff moves to compel Nancy Grace from defaming Plaintiff's character, which will cause irreversible harm if Plaintiff's relationship is made public and cause Plaintiff Arias prejudice on her death penalty case". Ah Jodi, I think you just made this public. Arias is seeking a temporary restraining order against Sheriff Joe and Nancy Grace.
So who is Christopher Alexander? How close was he to Travis and how did these two come to know one another? Does anybody else find it beyond creepy that she has any type of relationship with anybody related to the man she murdered, even what may be a very distant cousin? This is a story that just gets stranger by the day. I have to wonder if Arias got the idea to file a lawsuit against the jail for lack of medical care from another convicted murderer at the Estrella jail, Marissa DeVault?
New Trial Date Set For Jodi Arias
It seems like a familiar headline when you see it, there's another new date set to begin jury selection for Jodi Arias' penalty phase retrial. This time, it's September 8th. Chances are, you've heard about this case and the trial-turned-soap opera and full on media frenzy last year in Phoenix, Arizona. The televised trial propelled HLN's ratings through the roof as they blanketed viewers with coverage of the ongoing saga. With Jane Valez Mitchell, Nancy Grace and Dr. Drew all covering the trial on their HLN time slots, HLN could not get enough of the Jodi Arias murder trial. And viewers could not get enough programming. HLN even tailored a show to create more on-air time to talk about the day's events in court - HLN's "After Dark" provided viewers with a daily trial theme, complete with a mock jury to hand down verdicts throughout the 5 month long trial. This time things will be slightly different.
Jodi Arias' penalty phase retrial will not be televised. But I don't expect that to slow down the networks who had such stellar ratings with trial #1. If anything, a non-televised trial gives the anchors that much more to talk about. It will be interesting to see how it goes down. Although last May's guilty verdict brought some relief to Travis Alexander's family and friends, the non-verdict at sentencing has left the final chapter of this tragic story untold. Since the mistrial was declared, we've seen a flurry of court dates that have come and gone, most of which have been kept closed to the public. We are well aware of the numerous Motions that have been filed by Arias' defense team, thanks in part to Maricopa County's public "minute entry" logs - we can view the court documents and rulings made to date. Arias' requests for a change of venue and a sequestered jury were both denied - although they did score a victory in keeping cameras out of the courtroom this time.
Meanwhile, Jodi Arias remains at the Estrella Jail complex in Arizona, waiting for her return to court where she will face a new jury, a jury that Arias will not enjoy the same face time she had with jury #1. These jurors have a singular purpose - deciding what punishment best fits Arias' crime. They will not decide guilt or innocence nor will they weigh her culpability. Their job will be to listen to and carefully weigh the aggravating factors against the mitigating factors and hand down a sentence they feel is most appropriate. Many people have expressed that Arias' best shot for the most favorable outcome for herself was with the original jury. While consciously or subconsciously, those jurors may have formed a bond with Jodi after seeing her day in and day out for 5 months straight, making it more difficult for them to hand down a death sentence. They may have even felt some sympathy for her and how she ended up where she is. I firmly believe that the outcome of the trial would have been decidedly different had it been a man on trial for committing a similar murder against a former girlfriend. Justice would have been swift and severe. The best thing Jodi has going for her going into this trial is the fact that she is a female. It's very difficult for juries to sentence a woman to death, and it's rare.
It will be interesting to see whether or not Jodi's family or friends will testify on her behalf this time around. One of the things I found so contradictory in her mitigation trial is how her defense team painted her as someone who lacked family support and love during her formidable early years, yet Arias displayed photo after photo of her family on the projector screen - at holidays, and other celebrations and several photos of family vacations. This was completely at odds with the picture painted by her attorneys of her mother beating her with a wooden spoon and a threatening father figure. Sure, photos can be deceiving, but her family was there at the trial day after day after day. It was clear they supported her, it was unclear why they did not come forward as mitigation witnesses. We all have our theories! I'd expect to see someone from the Arias family come forward this time. This is it for Jodi Arias, she will literally be fighting for the chance to live for the rest of her life in prison - or at best, spend a huge chunk of time in prison with the chance of release someday.
Murder has sadly become an every day part of life in cities all across America. There are still stories of murder that are headline news, but it seems we have become so used to hearing about shootings and crime that it takes a great deal to shock us these days. This is one of those murders that shocked people. Travis Alexander was a young man, only 30 years old when he was killed. He had from all accounts overcome tremendous obstacles in his own life and was seen as a leader to many in the Mormon community and in his business with Pre Paid Legal. His murder shocked us because he lived such a low risk lifestyle for this type of thing to happen to him. It shocked us because of the absolute violence and unthinkable brutality that happened in that bathroom and bedroom. And it shocked us when it was a petite, young and attractive woman responsible for such a savage attack. It shocked us that this young woman wanted to talk to reporters and tell "her story". It shocked us when she declared that no jury would convict her. Jodi Arias has stayed "radio silent" for the past few months but she shocked us for the last year with her tweets from jail, her numerous television interviews and her online presence during her own murder trial.
Jodi Arias won't have 18 days to talk to the new jury from the witness stand. She can no longer argue her innocence. Her arguments this time will be on why she should be allowed to live - why she deserves compassion after her own heinous acts towards another human being. The evidence suggests she ambushed Travis in that shower, stabbing him in the chest while he was cornered with no escape route. She followed him, while she continued to stab him again and again while he tried to crawl to safety. She slit his throat and watched him bleed. She dragged him back to the bathroom where she shot him in the face. She took numerous steps to try and conceal her crime. She got caught, and tried to lie her way out of it. That's a lot for any defense team to overcome. I'd expect to hear her attorneys trying to mitigate by means of Jodi's untreated mental illness. I'd expect the prosecution to drive home the fact that the murder was premeditated and took a lot of planning - not the acts of a mentally ill person. Juan Martinez needs to step it up a notch this time around and really drive home just how absolutely brutal this murder was. This is the State's last crack at Jodi Arias. More to follow!
Jodi Arias' penalty phase retrial will not be televised. But I don't expect that to slow down the networks who had such stellar ratings with trial #1. If anything, a non-televised trial gives the anchors that much more to talk about. It will be interesting to see how it goes down. Although last May's guilty verdict brought some relief to Travis Alexander's family and friends, the non-verdict at sentencing has left the final chapter of this tragic story untold. Since the mistrial was declared, we've seen a flurry of court dates that have come and gone, most of which have been kept closed to the public. We are well aware of the numerous Motions that have been filed by Arias' defense team, thanks in part to Maricopa County's public "minute entry" logs - we can view the court documents and rulings made to date. Arias' requests for a change of venue and a sequestered jury were both denied - although they did score a victory in keeping cameras out of the courtroom this time.
Meanwhile, Jodi Arias remains at the Estrella Jail complex in Arizona, waiting for her return to court where she will face a new jury, a jury that Arias will not enjoy the same face time she had with jury #1. These jurors have a singular purpose - deciding what punishment best fits Arias' crime. They will not decide guilt or innocence nor will they weigh her culpability. Their job will be to listen to and carefully weigh the aggravating factors against the mitigating factors and hand down a sentence they feel is most appropriate. Many people have expressed that Arias' best shot for the most favorable outcome for herself was with the original jury. While consciously or subconsciously, those jurors may have formed a bond with Jodi after seeing her day in and day out for 5 months straight, making it more difficult for them to hand down a death sentence. They may have even felt some sympathy for her and how she ended up where she is. I firmly believe that the outcome of the trial would have been decidedly different had it been a man on trial for committing a similar murder against a former girlfriend. Justice would have been swift and severe. The best thing Jodi has going for her going into this trial is the fact that she is a female. It's very difficult for juries to sentence a woman to death, and it's rare.
It will be interesting to see whether or not Jodi's family or friends will testify on her behalf this time around. One of the things I found so contradictory in her mitigation trial is how her defense team painted her as someone who lacked family support and love during her formidable early years, yet Arias displayed photo after photo of her family on the projector screen - at holidays, and other celebrations and several photos of family vacations. This was completely at odds with the picture painted by her attorneys of her mother beating her with a wooden spoon and a threatening father figure. Sure, photos can be deceiving, but her family was there at the trial day after day after day. It was clear they supported her, it was unclear why they did not come forward as mitigation witnesses. We all have our theories! I'd expect to see someone from the Arias family come forward this time. This is it for Jodi Arias, she will literally be fighting for the chance to live for the rest of her life in prison - or at best, spend a huge chunk of time in prison with the chance of release someday.
Murder has sadly become an every day part of life in cities all across America. There are still stories of murder that are headline news, but it seems we have become so used to hearing about shootings and crime that it takes a great deal to shock us these days. This is one of those murders that shocked people. Travis Alexander was a young man, only 30 years old when he was killed. He had from all accounts overcome tremendous obstacles in his own life and was seen as a leader to many in the Mormon community and in his business with Pre Paid Legal. His murder shocked us because he lived such a low risk lifestyle for this type of thing to happen to him. It shocked us because of the absolute violence and unthinkable brutality that happened in that bathroom and bedroom. And it shocked us when it was a petite, young and attractive woman responsible for such a savage attack. It shocked us that this young woman wanted to talk to reporters and tell "her story". It shocked us when she declared that no jury would convict her. Jodi Arias has stayed "radio silent" for the past few months but she shocked us for the last year with her tweets from jail, her numerous television interviews and her online presence during her own murder trial.
Jodi Arias won't have 18 days to talk to the new jury from the witness stand. She can no longer argue her innocence. Her arguments this time will be on why she should be allowed to live - why she deserves compassion after her own heinous acts towards another human being. The evidence suggests she ambushed Travis in that shower, stabbing him in the chest while he was cornered with no escape route. She followed him, while she continued to stab him again and again while he tried to crawl to safety. She slit his throat and watched him bleed. She dragged him back to the bathroom where she shot him in the face. She took numerous steps to try and conceal her crime. She got caught, and tried to lie her way out of it. That's a lot for any defense team to overcome. I'd expect to hear her attorneys trying to mitigate by means of Jodi's untreated mental illness. I'd expect the prosecution to drive home the fact that the murder was premeditated and took a lot of planning - not the acts of a mentally ill person. Juan Martinez needs to step it up a notch this time around and really drive home just how absolutely brutal this murder was. This is the State's last crack at Jodi Arias. More to follow!
Jodi Arias Sketch Causes Maria De La Rosa To Be Banned From Maricopa County Jail
It's been a while since we've heard anything about the woman who sat quietly behind the Jodi Arias defense table for more than 5 months, Mitigation Specialist Maria De La Rosa. It is now being reported that De La Rosa was "banned" from visits at the Maricopa County Jail after deputies there confiscated what has been described as a "pencil drawing" from Jodi Arias. Apparently Arias gave De La Rosa a sealed manila envelope addressed to Jennifer Willmott during jailhouse visit on February 26th, which was eventually intercepted by one of the guards who found that it contained a drawing and a note to Willmott that it could be used for mitigation.
The drawing was confiscated, as visitors are prohibited from removing such articles from jail visits - and as a result Maria De La Rosa was banned from visiting the Maricopa County jail facilities for a period of time that just ended a few days ago. This has given the Arias defense team another reason to cry "foul", citing this as another reason why Arias has been denied access to her counsel as she awaits the penalty phase retrial. On March 13, De La Rosa's neighbors reportedly observed detectives "snooping around" her house, peeking through garage windows and the windows of her car as it was parked in her driveway. The following day, the detectives knocked on her door and asked to speak to her about her work as Jodi Arias' mitigation specialist. De La Rosa told them she'd be more comfortable answering their questions with her attorney present, to which they said "this isn't a criminal matter".
Nonetheless, De La Rosa got attorney Dan Raynak on the phone, and he was on the line with her as the detectives read a letter aloud stating that she was no longer allowed to visit the jail, and her phone number was no longer considered a "legal number" - essentially cutting her off not only from Jodi Arias but all of her clients who are being held at the Maricopa County Jail! They told her that any attempts to visit would be considered trespassing. And the reason for the so-called ban? You guessed it, that non-legal document she received from Jodi Arias. This is all very bizarre to me, since Arias has been managing to get drawings out of the jail since she's been incarcerated there - in fact we have all been wondering why the Sheriff has been allowing this to continue for so long since it's no secret that Arias is selling them online! Didn't a Maricopa County Sheriff spokesman say something like "we can't stop her from giving the drawings to people during visits" recently?? I think cracking down on the activity is the right thing to do - Arias should not be selling her artwork from behind bars, but the action they took against Maria De La Rosa seems harsh. They are punishing ALL of her clients, not just Jodi Arias. Chances are that she didn't even know what was in the sealed envelope to begin with.
Maybe Sheriff Joe was feeling a bit humiliated himself by all of the postings from people like us who were wondering why his staff was allowing Arias so much freedom to run these money-making schemes while at "America's Toughest Jail"? The "ban" against Maria De La Rosa was recently lifted, so she's no longer prohibited from jail visits but this has given the Arias defense team a little something to run with. They are alleging that Maria De La Rosa was targeted for harrassment because of her infamous client. They are going to use this lack of access period against the State, citing that Arias was denied effective counsel because she couldn't see or talk to her mitigation specialist. I can see this coming a mile away....from the Maricopa County Superior Court website, under Jodi Arias' case history:
NOTE: MOTION TO DISMISS STATE'S NOTICE OF INTENT TO SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY DUE TO STATE'S PRECLUSION OF MITIGATION SPECIALIST
A few more interesting notations on her case page:
NOTE: MOTION TO CONTINUE DISCLOSURE DEADLINE; DEFENDANTS RESPONSE; OBJECTING TO CONDUCTING TRIAL (PENALTY PHASE) IN SECRET AND ALLOWING WITNESSES TO TESTIFY UNDER A PSEUDONYM; SENTENCING MEMORANDUM
NOTE: MOTION TO SEAL EXPERT WITNESS CHERYL KARPS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS MOTION TO PRECLUDE PENALTY PHASE REBUTTAL EVIDENCE; EXPERT WITNESS CHERYL KARPS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS MOTION TO PRECLUDE PENALTY PHASE REBUTTAL EVIDENCE
Hmmm. We are seeing Expert Witness Cheryl Karps' name appear again. Are they trying to sneak in some testimony that wasn't heard during their case in chief?
Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott reportedly also have taken issue with the latest delay that caused the March retrial date to be pushed back to September. Wait, aren't they the ones who asked for the re trial date to be pushed back last year to this March? Prosecutor Juan Martinez was ready to go in the weeks following the mistrial. The trial delays are mind boggling in this country. I've been silently wondering what would happen if even half of the cold murder cases in this country were solved how many new prisons we would need to build to hold all of these people? That statistic they cite at the beginning of Cold Justice stands out in my mind - over 200,000 unsolved homicides, that's just staggering. I'm not sure what period of time that covers, but you get the jest.
The Jodi Arias penalty phase retrial is now projected to begin with jury selection on September 8, 2014. Wow. Convicted on May 8, 2013 and still hasn't been sentenced. What will Juan Martinez do differently this time? He had to be absolutely crushed by the non-verdict, as many people were. Will he approach the jury differently this time around? This is his last shot at sending Jodi Arias to death row. With more than a year's time having passed and cameras banned from the courtroom, how will things change for this trial? How long will this "mini-trial" take and how what exactly will be presented to the jury? This will be very interesting to watch unfold, unfortunately for all of us who really want to watch it live, we will have to get our news the old fashioned way.
Until then, we watch and wait.
The drawing was confiscated, as visitors are prohibited from removing such articles from jail visits - and as a result Maria De La Rosa was banned from visiting the Maricopa County jail facilities for a period of time that just ended a few days ago. This has given the Arias defense team another reason to cry "foul", citing this as another reason why Arias has been denied access to her counsel as she awaits the penalty phase retrial. On March 13, De La Rosa's neighbors reportedly observed detectives "snooping around" her house, peeking through garage windows and the windows of her car as it was parked in her driveway. The following day, the detectives knocked on her door and asked to speak to her about her work as Jodi Arias' mitigation specialist. De La Rosa told them she'd be more comfortable answering their questions with her attorney present, to which they said "this isn't a criminal matter".
Nonetheless, De La Rosa got attorney Dan Raynak on the phone, and he was on the line with her as the detectives read a letter aloud stating that she was no longer allowed to visit the jail, and her phone number was no longer considered a "legal number" - essentially cutting her off not only from Jodi Arias but all of her clients who are being held at the Maricopa County Jail! They told her that any attempts to visit would be considered trespassing. And the reason for the so-called ban? You guessed it, that non-legal document she received from Jodi Arias. This is all very bizarre to me, since Arias has been managing to get drawings out of the jail since she's been incarcerated there - in fact we have all been wondering why the Sheriff has been allowing this to continue for so long since it's no secret that Arias is selling them online! Didn't a Maricopa County Sheriff spokesman say something like "we can't stop her from giving the drawings to people during visits" recently?? I think cracking down on the activity is the right thing to do - Arias should not be selling her artwork from behind bars, but the action they took against Maria De La Rosa seems harsh. They are punishing ALL of her clients, not just Jodi Arias. Chances are that she didn't even know what was in the sealed envelope to begin with.
Maybe Sheriff Joe was feeling a bit humiliated himself by all of the postings from people like us who were wondering why his staff was allowing Arias so much freedom to run these money-making schemes while at "America's Toughest Jail"? The "ban" against Maria De La Rosa was recently lifted, so she's no longer prohibited from jail visits but this has given the Arias defense team a little something to run with. They are alleging that Maria De La Rosa was targeted for harrassment because of her infamous client. They are going to use this lack of access period against the State, citing that Arias was denied effective counsel because she couldn't see or talk to her mitigation specialist. I can see this coming a mile away....from the Maricopa County Superior Court website, under Jodi Arias' case history:
NOTE: MOTION TO DISMISS STATE'S NOTICE OF INTENT TO SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY DUE TO STATE'S PRECLUSION OF MITIGATION SPECIALIST
A few more interesting notations on her case page:
NOTE: MOTION TO CONTINUE DISCLOSURE DEADLINE; DEFENDANTS RESPONSE; OBJECTING TO CONDUCTING TRIAL (PENALTY PHASE) IN SECRET AND ALLOWING WITNESSES TO TESTIFY UNDER A PSEUDONYM; SENTENCING MEMORANDUM
NOTE: MOTION TO SEAL EXPERT WITNESS CHERYL KARPS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS MOTION TO PRECLUDE PENALTY PHASE REBUTTAL EVIDENCE; EXPERT WITNESS CHERYL KARPS BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS MOTION TO PRECLUDE PENALTY PHASE REBUTTAL EVIDENCE
Hmmm. We are seeing Expert Witness Cheryl Karps' name appear again. Are they trying to sneak in some testimony that wasn't heard during their case in chief?
Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott reportedly also have taken issue with the latest delay that caused the March retrial date to be pushed back to September. Wait, aren't they the ones who asked for the re trial date to be pushed back last year to this March? Prosecutor Juan Martinez was ready to go in the weeks following the mistrial. The trial delays are mind boggling in this country. I've been silently wondering what would happen if even half of the cold murder cases in this country were solved how many new prisons we would need to build to hold all of these people? That statistic they cite at the beginning of Cold Justice stands out in my mind - over 200,000 unsolved homicides, that's just staggering. I'm not sure what period of time that covers, but you get the jest.
The Jodi Arias penalty phase retrial is now projected to begin with jury selection on September 8, 2014. Wow. Convicted on May 8, 2013 and still hasn't been sentenced. What will Juan Martinez do differently this time? He had to be absolutely crushed by the non-verdict, as many people were. Will he approach the jury differently this time around? This is his last shot at sending Jodi Arias to death row. With more than a year's time having passed and cameras banned from the courtroom, how will things change for this trial? How long will this "mini-trial" take and how what exactly will be presented to the jury? This will be very interesting to watch unfold, unfortunately for all of us who really want to watch it live, we will have to get our news the old fashioned way.
Until then, we watch and wait.
What Jodi Arias Doesn't Want The Jury To Know......
As her re-trial of the penalty phase approaches, Jodi Arias has filed a slew of Motions aimed at ensuring the new jury doesn't know what she's been up to during her incarceration. I'm sure there are MANY things she doesn't want the jury to know - and I suspect this is why Arias has proclaimed herself as going "radio-silent" in a recent tweet to supporters.
Two Motions filed recently asked Judge Sherry Stephens prevent her new jury from hearing about her many attempts to fire attorney Kirk Nurmi and she doesn't want them to hear about a statement from a former cellmate that she wanted to kill prosecutor Juan Martinez. One of the Motions states that one or both of her attorneys will need to withdraw from her case if the jury hears how she really feels about Kirk Nurmi's trial performance. If you recall, shortly after her guilty verdict Arias delivered a 15 page hand written letter to Judge Stephens requesting Nurmi be fired as her attorney, citing his "utter poverty of people skills" and because she didn't feel he liked her. The Motion claims this information would unfairly prejudice the jury against her.
In this Motion, "Ms. Arias draws the Court's attention to this rule because if she claims and/or assertions contained in Ms. Arias' Change of Counsel are somehow deemed relevant and in turn admissible, both of Ms. Arias' attorneys would then become witness as they would then have relevant perspective on the claims and/or assertions Ms. Arias' made in this Motion", the Motion states. "Thus, both of Ms. Arias' attorneys would be ethically bound to withdraw. This withdrawal would then interfere with rights due to Ms. Arias"....The Motion then points out that Judge Stephens previously agreed to suppress information back in 2011 when Arias asked the Court to RETAIN Kirk Nurmi, and references a letter sent to the Court from Sandy Arias which supported her daughter's contentions. Make up your mind would you? It seems to me that Arias has argued both sides of this coin, keep Kirk Nurmi on my case or you are violating my rights to a fair trial - then, remove Kirk Nurmi from my case or you are violating my rights to a fair trial. What's really going on here?
I personally feel that Nurmi, at some point became so disgusted with his client's outrageous diva-like behavior that he could barely contain himself. Couple that with losing at trial, at times battling Juan Martinez as if it were personal - add that with a client who refused to keep her trap shut and stay off the 6 o'clock news, and I'd say he probably has just had it with Arias. Does Nurmi really believe that Arias killed Travis Alexander in self defense? Does he really believe Travis did half of the things Jodi Arias said he did? I get the sense that he didn't, but he did what defense attorneys do. He tried to defend someone who really had no legitimate defense. Someone who lied, and lied and lied. Someone who gave interviews against her attorneys advice and was communicating with the potential jury pool and the world through her outrageous tweets from jail. Someone who didn't appear remorseful. How do defense attorneys deal with clients like Jodi Arias?
I can't say I liked Kirk Nurmi's trial strategy. How do you defend a woman who stabbed a man 30 times, slit his throat and shot him in the face? Self defense was really a stretch to begin with, and given the fact that Arias seemed to have staged a burglary to obtain the handgun police believe was used to shoot Travis, and given the fact that Jodi Arias just kept on driving to Utah after committing such a heinous act and had no real injuries to her person, people who are forced to kill in self defense just don't behave in the way she behaved. This would have been a near impossible case for anybody to defend, but the way they went after the victim was truly one of the most despicable defenses ever launched in a courtroom. Just disgusting, desperate and outright despicable.
How will Judge Stephens rule on these newest Motions? It will be interesting to see but I'd expect her to be ultra conservative at this point. The new jury will likely never get to hear about the behind bars antics of this convicted murderer. The things Arias wants them to hear, maybe. I'd expect Judge Stephens to disallow the statements from Arias' former cellmate from ever being heard by this jury. Maybe we'll be surprised and Arias' own tweets will be used against her. That would be poetic justice.
**Update**
I was just reading that the re-trial has been delayed again! Apparently there is a scheduling conflict involving prosecutor Juan Martinez that is more aged that Jodi Arias' retrial! The Arizona Republic reported that Martinez is scheduled to begin another potential death penalty trial on May 12, 2014 - and that case will go first. The trial is for a man charged with killing a police officer in 2007. This is starting to feel like the Twilight Zone. Will the Alexander family ever see Jodi Arias face justice for killing their brother? It's unbelievable how long it takes for a murder case to even GET to the trial stage, but in the case of Jodi Arias what really struck me is the delays AFTER the verdict. Seems to me that Judge Stephens originally set a date in July of 2013 to begin the penalty phase re-trial. Had they even come close to staying on schedule, she'd be tucked away in prison already.
Two Motions filed recently asked Judge Sherry Stephens prevent her new jury from hearing about her many attempts to fire attorney Kirk Nurmi and she doesn't want them to hear about a statement from a former cellmate that she wanted to kill prosecutor Juan Martinez. One of the Motions states that one or both of her attorneys will need to withdraw from her case if the jury hears how she really feels about Kirk Nurmi's trial performance. If you recall, shortly after her guilty verdict Arias delivered a 15 page hand written letter to Judge Stephens requesting Nurmi be fired as her attorney, citing his "utter poverty of people skills" and because she didn't feel he liked her. The Motion claims this information would unfairly prejudice the jury against her.
In this Motion, "Ms. Arias draws the Court's attention to this rule because if she claims and/or assertions contained in Ms. Arias' Change of Counsel are somehow deemed relevant and in turn admissible, both of Ms. Arias' attorneys would then become witness as they would then have relevant perspective on the claims and/or assertions Ms. Arias' made in this Motion", the Motion states. "Thus, both of Ms. Arias' attorneys would be ethically bound to withdraw. This withdrawal would then interfere with rights due to Ms. Arias"....The Motion then points out that Judge Stephens previously agreed to suppress information back in 2011 when Arias asked the Court to RETAIN Kirk Nurmi, and references a letter sent to the Court from Sandy Arias which supported her daughter's contentions. Make up your mind would you? It seems to me that Arias has argued both sides of this coin, keep Kirk Nurmi on my case or you are violating my rights to a fair trial - then, remove Kirk Nurmi from my case or you are violating my rights to a fair trial. What's really going on here?
I personally feel that Nurmi, at some point became so disgusted with his client's outrageous diva-like behavior that he could barely contain himself. Couple that with losing at trial, at times battling Juan Martinez as if it were personal - add that with a client who refused to keep her trap shut and stay off the 6 o'clock news, and I'd say he probably has just had it with Arias. Does Nurmi really believe that Arias killed Travis Alexander in self defense? Does he really believe Travis did half of the things Jodi Arias said he did? I get the sense that he didn't, but he did what defense attorneys do. He tried to defend someone who really had no legitimate defense. Someone who lied, and lied and lied. Someone who gave interviews against her attorneys advice and was communicating with the potential jury pool and the world through her outrageous tweets from jail. Someone who didn't appear remorseful. How do defense attorneys deal with clients like Jodi Arias?
I can't say I liked Kirk Nurmi's trial strategy. How do you defend a woman who stabbed a man 30 times, slit his throat and shot him in the face? Self defense was really a stretch to begin with, and given the fact that Arias seemed to have staged a burglary to obtain the handgun police believe was used to shoot Travis, and given the fact that Jodi Arias just kept on driving to Utah after committing such a heinous act and had no real injuries to her person, people who are forced to kill in self defense just don't behave in the way she behaved. This would have been a near impossible case for anybody to defend, but the way they went after the victim was truly one of the most despicable defenses ever launched in a courtroom. Just disgusting, desperate and outright despicable.
How will Judge Stephens rule on these newest Motions? It will be interesting to see but I'd expect her to be ultra conservative at this point. The new jury will likely never get to hear about the behind bars antics of this convicted murderer. The things Arias wants them to hear, maybe. I'd expect Judge Stephens to disallow the statements from Arias' former cellmate from ever being heard by this jury. Maybe we'll be surprised and Arias' own tweets will be used against her. That would be poetic justice.
**Update**
I was just reading that the re-trial has been delayed again! Apparently there is a scheduling conflict involving prosecutor Juan Martinez that is more aged that Jodi Arias' retrial! The Arizona Republic reported that Martinez is scheduled to begin another potential death penalty trial on May 12, 2014 - and that case will go first. The trial is for a man charged with killing a police officer in 2007. This is starting to feel like the Twilight Zone. Will the Alexander family ever see Jodi Arias face justice for killing their brother? It's unbelievable how long it takes for a murder case to even GET to the trial stage, but in the case of Jodi Arias what really struck me is the delays AFTER the verdict. Seems to me that Judge Stephens originally set a date in July of 2013 to begin the penalty phase re-trial. Had they even come close to staying on schedule, she'd be tucked away in prison already.
Tragedy In Napa - 3 Year Old Kayleigh Slusher Beaten To Death By Mother & Boyfriend
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| Kayleigh Slusher (Facebook) |
Both Krueger and Warner were charged with first degree murder and assault on a child resulting in death. According to published reports, Kayleigh's body was discovered on Saturday - she had been sexually abused and beaten to death. Neither Krueger or Warner has been charged with sexual abuse yet. Napa police were tipped off to the suspected abuse of Kayleigh by an anonymous caller who feared the little girl was being mistreated and not being fed. There was also a concern that drugs were being sold or consumed at the home and strangers were frequently seen staying at the second floor apartment.
Police had been there twice in the week before her body was found, and FOURTEEN times since 2012, according to KPIX-TV, yet Child Protective Services had never been called! Kayleigh's grandfather John Krueger has spoken out publicly about how his daughter Sara's life changed for the worse after Warner came into the picture. He told a local reporter that Sara loved Kayleigh more than anything in the world. Neighbors reported that things at the apartment changed immediately after Warner moved in. Ryan Warner's Facebook page reportedly listed his occupation as "Trappin", which apparently suggests he was dealing meth. Police and neighbors believe this would account for all of the foot traffic in and out of the apartment. Sara Krueger had received a letter from the apartment's management just weeks ago that warned she was in danger of losing her housing because of the frequent foot traffic.
Neighbors also reported that once Warner moved in with Krueger, they were rarely seen outside and little Kayleigh was seen less frequently outside. The drapes were always drawn, and neighbors became more and more concerned about the safety and well being of 3 year old Kayleigh. It appears their fears were well founded. They appeared to have done everything right - they contacted the police numerous times about the suspicious activity at the apartment. They got involved - so how did this happen? How can the police go to the same apartment 14 times in less than 2 years time and not contact Child Protective Services since a young child was living there? Even if the police didn't find drugs during their visit, they had reason to suspect illegal activity was occurring there. Wasn't that enough to open a case with CPS?
How did Sara Krueger get to a point where she becomes a co-defendant instead of a mother - facing charges of murdering her precious little girl? Did drugs take over, or did Warner? What happened to get to this point? There are so many unanswered questions, but it would seem a mother would protect her child and definitely would not go on the run with the man who beat her to death. Police believe Kayleigh was beaten to death on or around January 31, 2014. Her body was put into a suitcase and then a freezer for 2 days! Police were at the apartment on January 29, just two days before Kayleigh was believed to be killed. This story is unsettling. Sara's father says that she was a devoted and loving mother who loved her daughter with all of her heart. Could Ryan Warner really have had that much of an effect on her motherly instinct to protect her daughter? Or did Sara simply choose a life of drugs with Ryan over the life of a single mother with Kayleigh? I'll never understand the choices people make.
Sara Krueger and Ryan Warner went on the run - neighbors reported seeing them leaving their apartment carrying suitcases on Saturday. They were eventually spotted in a (BART) commuter train station in El Cerrito and detained by police. According to investigators, Sara Krueger and Scott Warner had been living together for around a year before the murder and they had been in trouble with the law before. Kayleigh's biological father is reportedly an inmate at San Quentin State Prison. Did this beautiful little girl stand a chance? The Napa community is outraged and deeply saddened by the fate of this little girl.
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| Sara Krueger & Scott Warner |
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| Kayleigh Slusher - Facebook |
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| Sara and Kayleigh |
Jodi Arias Still Facing Death Penalty - Judge Stephens Rules on Motion
Judge Sherry Stephens handed down a ruling on a motion filed by Jodi Arias attorneys Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott regarding her eligibility for the death penalty at her sentencing retrial. In a minute entry dated February 5, 2014, Judge Stephens ruling stated:
...the fact that the first jury was unable to unanimously agree on the sentence to be imposed is inapposite to the Eight Amendment's narrowing requirement. The class of first degree murderers eligible for the death penalty is not broadened by a jury's inability to determine the appropriate sentence at the penalty phase. Defendant has not been "acquitted" of the death sentence by the jury's failure to reach a verdict, and thus there is no constitutional bar to retrying the penalty phase. See Medina 232 Ariz at 17-28 (holding ARS 13-752K's) provision for retrial after a hung jury phase does not result in cruel or unusual punishment or violate the Double Jeopardy clause.
IT IS ORDERED denying the defendants Motion to Dismiss Death: Cruel and Unusual Punishment filed January 17, 2014.
In Arias' Motion, she had argued that it was unconstitutional to allow a second jury to sentence her to death - citing it was cruel and unusual punishment and amounted to double jeopardy. Want to know what we think was cruel and unusual punishment? Stabbing your ex boyfriend in excess of 25 times before slitting his throat and shooting him in the face. THAT was cruel and unusual punishment. Judge Stephens also wrote in her ruling "Defendant misconstrues the Eight Amendment's narrowing requirement....the Eight Amendment requires that aggravating factors in capital cases must "genuinely narrow the classes of persons eligible for the death penalty and must reasonable justify the imposition of a more severe sentence on the defendant compared to others found guilty of murder".
There was also another minute entry dated February 4, 2014 that refers to an exhibit. The entry says "Court has been advised by the Exhibits Department that exhibit #243 which is in a sealed plastic bag containing a handbag was not inventoried of the items contained inside". The ruling was to unseal and inventory the contents of exhibit #243 and update the exhibit worksheet. Wonder what's in the handbag? Wouldn't it be something if there was a handgun in there? It appears by the Superior Court minute entries that arguments have been ongoing, motions have been ruled on and this re trial has been chugging along - albeit out of the eye of the media and the public. As for the Estrella Jail's most infamous inmate, has she really gone "radio-silent" as promised in a recent tweet? So far she's kept to her word, we'll see how long she can remain silent!
...the fact that the first jury was unable to unanimously agree on the sentence to be imposed is inapposite to the Eight Amendment's narrowing requirement. The class of first degree murderers eligible for the death penalty is not broadened by a jury's inability to determine the appropriate sentence at the penalty phase. Defendant has not been "acquitted" of the death sentence by the jury's failure to reach a verdict, and thus there is no constitutional bar to retrying the penalty phase. See Medina 232 Ariz at 17-28 (holding ARS 13-752K's) provision for retrial after a hung jury phase does not result in cruel or unusual punishment or violate the Double Jeopardy clause.
IT IS ORDERED denying the defendants Motion to Dismiss Death: Cruel and Unusual Punishment filed January 17, 2014.
In Arias' Motion, she had argued that it was unconstitutional to allow a second jury to sentence her to death - citing it was cruel and unusual punishment and amounted to double jeopardy. Want to know what we think was cruel and unusual punishment? Stabbing your ex boyfriend in excess of 25 times before slitting his throat and shooting him in the face. THAT was cruel and unusual punishment. Judge Stephens also wrote in her ruling "Defendant misconstrues the Eight Amendment's narrowing requirement....the Eight Amendment requires that aggravating factors in capital cases must "genuinely narrow the classes of persons eligible for the death penalty and must reasonable justify the imposition of a more severe sentence on the defendant compared to others found guilty of murder".
There was also another minute entry dated February 4, 2014 that refers to an exhibit. The entry says "Court has been advised by the Exhibits Department that exhibit #243 which is in a sealed plastic bag containing a handbag was not inventoried of the items contained inside". The ruling was to unseal and inventory the contents of exhibit #243 and update the exhibit worksheet. Wonder what's in the handbag? Wouldn't it be something if there was a handgun in there? It appears by the Superior Court minute entries that arguments have been ongoing, motions have been ruled on and this re trial has been chugging along - albeit out of the eye of the media and the public. As for the Estrella Jail's most infamous inmate, has she really gone "radio-silent" as promised in a recent tweet? So far she's kept to her word, we'll see how long she can remain silent!
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