Arizona we have a problem
Earth to Martinez
Fate has ordained that the prosecutor who looked at the stars and dreamed of becoming a hero by going to the moon and back to give the death penalty to Candy Crush will stay forever on the moon.
Nixon’s speech writer, William Safire, was asked to write an address for the launch of Apollo II, because they were worried about the astronauts not being able to make it off the moon and back to earth; the speech was written to honor their sacrifice which was to give mankind hope.
Juan Martinez, Maricopa prosecutor extraordinaire and the ring leader of the biggest legal Circus in the history of buffoonery, opened in closing argument on February 25th, 2015 by saying:
“In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.”
He then shockingly went on to say “That is so compelling isn’t it? Heart wrenching! And so…not true. Just like the story the defendant told you about Travis Alexander on his knees masturbating to a photo of a little boy is not true.”
It is beyond comprehension that he would want to implant this image of Alexander on his knees in the mind of the listeners.
He actually provided a sexual image and tied it to a speech about an event that could have happened or not. Exactly like the testimony of Jodi Arias – It could have happened or not, we will never know.
What we damn well know is that the astronauts came back. What a strange concept. Legal pundits worth their salt are still mystified by that attempt at a dramatic delivery.
To compare an international lunar event to an over hyped and overblown legal case shows to what extent he wanted the attention on himself, instead of focusing on the truth.
And how self-inflated his ego had become.
He tried to tie the case to an historical event to make history as the prosecutor who sent a young vulnerable woman to her death, even if she had no priors. The word lunatic is the only link I could find to the event he so misguidedly referred to.
During the 1st trial of Jodi Arias, our favorite Candy Crush defendant, Martinez obsessed over the seven dwarfs as he was interrogating Alyce Laviolette, an expert on domestic violence.
Who could forget his tragicomic cross examination?
He had legal analysts in stitches and the legal folks at HLN pretty worried it would sink the case. What was he doing they asked?
Attorney Mark Geragos went as far as calling him a buffoon.
Well, it turns out that his closing argument was ‘just in case’ he got the death penalty, but ‘the prosecutor’ as he likes to call himself, did not get what he wanted and Jodi Arias is not going to remain in the constellations.
Even attorney Jeff Gold who calls himself a legal analyst and has participated greatly to this Circus atmosphere, was shocked by this speech. He could not understand the value of such an opening to try to close the deal.
Not that Martinez really had to win this jury over. They probably could have put a blown up doll instead, and they would have obtained the same results. Arias was already tried, convicted and put to death by the media and the relentless lynch mob.
In this video of Juan Martinez rambling about Snow White, you can see consternation and shock in Laviolette’s face, but some of his minions describe his logical fallacies as brilliant. A great example of the Emperor’s New Clothes syndrome.
I still strongly believe that Maricopa County should have accepted Arias’ plea agreement and moved on to other matters. There is no logical reason to try a defendant when she pleads guilty and is willing to go to prison for a long time.
Some say that Arias turned down a deal offered by the state, but by definition, in criminal procedure, a plea deal is a negotiation between the defendant and his attorney on one side and the prosecutor on the other, in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to some crimes, in return for reduction of the severity of the charges, dismissal of some of the charges, the prosecutor’s willingness to recommend a particular sentence, or some other benefit to the defendant.
If Arias was offered LWOP with no right to appeal, it was not a reduction of the severity of the charges and did not benefit her in any shape or form.
In fact, it would have been like asking her to jump off the highest cliff instead of jumping from an airplane with a parachute. It is the kind of ‘deal’ they would give to a serial killer, a repeat offender or a terrorist whose appeal would automatically be denied.
In Arizona, her chances of reversing the death penalty would have been very high because her case never qualified to begin with.
Why on earth would she have agreed to this farce? The Alexanders were on social media giving the thumb down to any legit deal, and they made it abundantly clear that they wanted the sentencing retrial to get the death penalty.
Pretty disingenuous of them to now claim she was not cooperating.
It is her constitutional right to appeal and this case needs an appellate review of all the mistakes made by the state, the ineffective assistance she received and the misconduct of the prosecutor.
The defense ended up costing $3 million and the rest of the costs are estimated at several millions, including the prosecution, the investigation and all the expenses related to the case.
How do you like them poisoned apples?
By the way, the costs for the defense were related to me directly from the twitter feed of Montgomery’s office, and the rest was an estimation published by an Arizona newspaper. So don’t shoot the messenger.
As if the first trial was not bad enough, they disrespected the process and gave it another good old college try to get what they really wanted; the death penalty.
But something was eating Gilbert Grape from day one. Martinez was off his game and all over the place.
Not that it bothered the 11 jurors who came up with the death penalty decision and tried to throw the resisting 12th juror under the bus and off the panel so they could present a united front for the media and the wailing family.
Click here to read the document and see how scrutinized she was. It is totally acceptable to check her out, but were the other jurors the object of this kind of scrutiny because they had made up their mind at the first vote and never wavered from their initial assessment?
Four jurors had dug their heels at the 1st trial, and this time around, with more mitigation factors, proof of computer tampering, that a state expert had lied about the presence of porn and viruses on Travis’ computer and a witness confirming the victim’s sexual tendencies, it swayed only one person.
It still is a huge loss for Maricopa and Martinez’ ego. Their little speech about moving on is covering deep seething anger, especially when we know that Martinez filed a secret motion to try to have Juror 17 dismissed.
Were the jurors really paying attention? One of them said they didn’t discuss the computer aspect. Another went as far as labeling Jodi a sociopath. When was this mentioned at trial? Never.
If Janeen DeMarte could have diagnosed Arias as a sociopath, she would have gladly done it like she did for Marissa Devault, but she could not. The jurors even discussed the possibility of the defendant walking if she did not get the death penalty.
They asked Juror 17 what she would do if the victim had been her son in order to pull at her heart strings. They put the gruesome pictures of the deceased victim all over the table for shock purposes.
The foreman provided his own speculations on the sex tape and premeditation, which had nothing to do with this retrial about sentencing and mitigation.
It was so misguided and off the grid that it made you wonder if they understood the instructions at all.
Instead of accepting the decision of the lone holdout, they proceeded to accuse her of being biased so they could bully their way to a unanimous verdict. Her husband said she felt assaulted during deliberations.
Bless her soul for standing firm for her beliefs knowing full well she would not walk out to a parade like the others, but to a lynch mob who already started to post her personal information on social media.
Mind you, some Arias supporters posted the names of the 11 other death happy jurors and I totally disagree with their actions.
This state of affairs is not entirely surprising considering that this was a trial by media conducted by a rabid prosecutor who, at times, reminded me of a pygmy carrying a decapitated head.
His use of one of Travis’ autopsy photo was disturbing. He carried it around and slammed it everywhere he could. He superimposed it on a photo of Jodi Arias as a child to inflame jurors.
The photo was a gross exaggeration of the original injury because the neck had been widely stretched during the autopsy. As usual, it did not bother him whatsoever to show disrespect for Travis and his family.
Would they mind? I am still pondering the question.
My own family lost someone precious as the result of a violent crime. We walked away from the media when they became crass and all the money donated went to a specific charity.
When the media did not get what they wanted, they moved on to perfect strangers willing to give them revenge and sensational comments.
After a while, the knee jerk reaction towards the perpetrator faded away and forgiveness came. This is what I wish on any victim’s family. Not holding on to revenge and refusing to see the perpetrator as a human being.
If a defendant pleads guilty and is willing to show remorse and do time, let it be.
I shake my head when I hear so many Travis supporters say that the poor family had to go through this. They demanded it and wanted the second trial.
So if their brother’ s good name was dragged through the mud, it is because of their choice, and of the self-defense scenario first chair, Kirk Nurmi, decided to basically shove down the throat of his client and his team.
No way would we have let our brother’s naked photos and sex tapes be played for public consumption and his rants and emotional abuse become known.
We would have walked away trying to keep his reputation intact.
Even if I know their pain is very real and they never acquired any conflict resolution skills because of their upbringing, they are not absolved from their actions.
When tragedy strikes, it is how you react that defines you.
They are not getting an unconditional moral and ethical pass because they lost a family member. Bad things happen to good, average and bad people all the time.
The Alexanders have had more support than most families. They have received money, attention, help and love.
So it is no wonder some of us are not ready to Canonise them.
Let me simply say they are not role models and any notion of restorative justice has escaped them even with their religious affiliations.
They wanted the death penalty even if it meant staying attached to Arias, the media and the court because they knew the death row conditions were inhuman at Perryville where she would end up if the verdict swung their way.
They do not want an eye for an eye because it would mean a sharp death happening in the span of two minutes. They want a long life of suffering for Arias with torture attached to it.
The family members of the victims in the Charleston senseless shooting found it in their heart to forgive the young man who murdered their loved ones. I am in awe of them. They are love personified and taught us all a great lesson.
The 1st trial foreman said the Alexanders had received justice. They should have been pleased with the results.
The death penalty meant her case would have certainly been overturned, so the payout for them had to be that she would have been kept in solitary confinement.
They had 6 years to reflect on this tragedy. I hope they find peace and decide to let go.
Suing an indigent woman might not be the way to detach from the situation, but I can only imagine that once again, it will bring them a lot of sympathy and attention.
Jodi Arias was never a candidate for the death penalty, but when Maricopa County top dogs realized the magnet that our Candy Crush was for the media and the public, they decided to configure the crime to suit their needs like they did for Debbie Milke and so many other defendants.
If the punishment does not fit the crime, they will adjust the circumstances so you can wear their label of choice with great shame.
Milke ended up on death row because of a false confession unsigned and unrecorded. The two brain damaged men who committed the crime never testified against her. But she spent over 20 years in solitary confinement before the appellate court could reverse the decision and denounce the misconduct.
Bill Montgomery is still trying to fight the decision and beat around the criminal bush with empty words and revenge filled intentions. How could they let go of Debbie Milke? She was their star inmate, their big catch and election bait. If they’re soft on crime, who will vote for them?
Who can forget the case of Matt Bandy, the Arizona teenager who faced 90 years in prison for having nine images of child porn downloaded into his computer?
It reminds the ones interested in due process why it is so important to be vigilant. Due process is a shield against abusive prosecution by the State whose power can become corrupt at times. Imprisoning a human being is bound by principles based on common sense and decency.
Matt suffered through legal prosecution during two years and it cost his family over $250,000 until they went broke. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office eventually offered the boy a plea bargain. The charges were dropped from nine felony counts that carried a life sentence down to three “class 6 undesignated felonies” with no jail time. Class 6 felonies are “non-dangerous, non-repetitive offenses under the criminal code.”
He had to plead guilty to showing a Playboy magazine to some 16-year-old classmates. As silly as it sounds, this plea bargain allowed County Attorney Andrew Thomas to declare that “this defendant did plead guilty in a court of law.”
The reduction in charges were introduced when a forensic analysis of his computer revealed the images were downloaded into his hard drive by a virus. During that time, the Mocbot worm had infected an estimated 265,000 computers.
Even if Matt’s attorney sought to have a forensic analysis performed on the computer, by then in the possession of the police, the DA’s office had blocked his access from the beginning even if the defense has a legal right to examine all evidence. They had to obtain a court ruling to finally have access to it, but not before the County Attorney’s office appealed the lower ruling to the Supreme Court, which refused to hear the case.
You can click here to read his story.
This overzealous prosecution is only the tip of the iceberg in Arizona.
But the prosecutors in Arizona are not so overzealous with computer porn when it comes to cases they want to win.
Porngate
The powers that be should have quit while they were ahead with a solid conviction.
Their decision to spend the county’s funds to finally nail Candy Crush to their death row wall did not pay up in the grand scheme of things.
It opened a humongous can of worms that will be crawling all the way to the corridor of justice and the appellate court.
During a retrial based on mitigation factors, we learned that even if a state expert swore under oath there was no porn or viruses on Travis’ computer, it was a lie.
A so called ‘secret’ witness testified to having caught the victim watching juvenile porn and that he admitted being abused as a boy. As to be expected, this same witness was attacked and his secret identity revealed online and 3 times in court by the prosecutor.
His own mother even signed an affidavit to support part of his testimony.
It took a lot of guts to come forward knowing what it would cost him. What would he have had to gain except grief and harassment?
And they wonder why nobody wanted to testify on behalf of Arias during this phase.
Laviolette and all other experts and friends who showed up the first time around were lynched.
It does not matter at all if Travis was watching porn or how many times, except for juvenile porn of course.
What matters is that the state lied to make Arias look guilty and sound like a compulsive liar. Martinez said during his first closing argument that she lied about this.
He accused her of lying about Travis’s attraction to young boys and girls, but surprise, the witness confirmed it. And it was spelled out in the sex tape for everyone to hear.
It does not make him a monster. It makes him damaged and probably the result of his extremely traumatic childhood.
And what to say about the chain of evidence being tampered with? Martinez tried to blame the experts and pretty well everyone else until he conceded that there was a little porn and something went array along the way, but who cares?
Not what they were saying to Matt Bandy.
And we had the testimony of a Mormon bishop who came with his own Mormon lawyer. He ended up trying to embellish facts. When it is Arias, it is a lie, but for the bishop, they call it confusion and let’s move on.
Poor Deanna Reed gave a very Clintonesque version of the truth. ‘I did not know they were talking about me when they asked if Travis had sex with anyone else than Jodi.’
The poor girl was ‘embarrassed’ to admit she had sex. Imagine how embarrassed Jodi Arias must have been to admit Travis was dead.
I find the fact that Deanna underplayed the truth during her first trial’s testimony very interesting also.
She said, ‘No, Travis’ parents were not very abusive.’ We only have to read his own writings to know how bad it was. So one of them was lying.
But according to Maricopa County, only Jodi Arias lies. No one else.
Fifty shades of grey
In Arizona, they will sometimes give you the death penalty if you committed first-degree murder, including pre-meditated murder and felony murder, accompanied by at least 1 of 14 aggravating factors.
Some gang member who planned the execution of a rival and cut his head off did not get the death penalty, but who is counting? It was not in the media so why would they bother with the huge costs of trial and the death penalty?
You can find so many similar stories in Arizona, but only if you are looking and most people don’t bother with facts. They revel in the high profile case du jour and buy hook, line and sinker what the media and the state are serving them.
The death of Travis Alexander is an undeniable tragedy, but this man was involved in a toxic relationship with Jodi Arias.
He was not a stranger or a member of a rival gang, but knee deep in a relationship where he was pulling the strings since two years.
It did fit the category of domestic violence dispute and crime of passion. Not the work of a stranger lurking in the bushes for a victim.
The prosecution soon decided that they had to adjust the tragedy to the definition necessary to invoke the death penalty and the criteria necessary for 1st degree murder, peppered with aggravating factors.
At the risk of sounding repetitive, the premeditation was sketchy at best.
When people call on reasonable inference to deduct that gas cans, hair color, an uncharged phone, a license plate upside down, a non-red car and the theft of a grandfather’s gun with the wrong type of bullets are indications of premeditation, I say let us review the legal definition of reasonable inference: A process of reasoning by which a fact or proposition sought to be established is deduced as a logical consequence from other facts, or a state of facts, already proved or admitted. A logical and reasonable conclusion of a fact not presented by direct evidence but which, by process of logic and reason, a trier of fact may conclude exists from the established facts. Inferences are deductions or conclusions that with reason and common sense lead the jury to draw from facts which have been established by the evidence in the case.
In this case, none of these premeditation factors were proved or admitted. So it leaves a conclusion reached from established facts, but they do not match so we are left with speculation.
All the pre-requisites were added by the prosecution to fit the mold: the gun shot was last, oops there was a typo in the autopsy report and the dura mater was not intact, she was not invited by Travis the moment she attacked him, but what happened if he attacked her? I must have missed the witness to this crime? Who was it already? Oh, that’s true, there was none.
And even if the bullets were different than the ones for grand pop’s gun, let’s go with the fact that Arias stole it and brought it to Arizona.
There was a shoe print on the smashed door at the Arizona’s residence after the burglary. Did they measure it or photograph it? No. Was there proof? No. Ok, so we are left again with speculations.
Now if Arias used a gun that was on the shelf and belonged to Travis, she stole it. If he attacked her, would it be self-defense to use it? I forget, there was no witness so we will never know what really happened. Now it is starting to sound like the Nixon speech.
Anyone who can count up to ten knows that the shot was first and even pro prosecution Beth Karas had to concede the obvious.
So isn’t it a problem for them that Juan Carlos de la Martinez lied about the shot being last to suit his gruesome scenario? It does not seem to bother anyone on the side of the prosecution, but it sure bothers people concerned with due process.
Travis’ friends, and they are so many to carry the title of best bud nowadays, swear he never owned a small caliber gun.
They also thought he was a virgin and a very decent guy.
In Arizona, you used to be able to buy a gun at any flea market without ID.
He was depressed at the end and even mentioned getting a gun. Maybe for show, but he did say that. Reasonable inference or speculation? It cuts both ways.
The Maricopa District Attorney’s office went commando on this case. It was full of grey areas and they Photoshopped it to black and white.
Love hurts, literally
Helen E. Fisher, PhD biological anthropologist, is a Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Rutgers University in New Jersey. She has written five books on the evolution and future of human sexuality, monogamy, adultery and divorce, gender differences in the brain, the chemistry of romantic love, and human personality types and why we fall in love with one person rather than another.
She has been studying the subject of love for 32 years.
She and her team gave MRI scans to 17 people who were happy in love and 15 who had been rejected in love. The latter had been brokenhearted for an average of 63 days. In this group, they found activity in a region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, which has a high number of dopamine receptors. “It suggests that when you have been dumped you love that person more,” says Dr Fisher.
Activity was also found in parts of the brain associated with risk-taking, physical pain, obsessive-compulsive behavior, controlling anger and theory of mind – imagining what the other person is thinking.
“It made me understand a little bit more about why people become so depressed,” says Dr Fisher. “You’re intensely in love, you have just been rejected, but you are still in love, if not even more so, and you are willing to take enormous risks. You are in physical as well as psychological pain, you are obsessing about this person, you are trying to control your anger and you’re trying to evaluate what to do next. You are in a very uncomfortable state. No wonder so many crimes of passion take place.”
I often hear that if a man had committed this type of crime, they would have thrown the book at him. Could they have thrown a bigger book at Arias than they already have? Could they have come up with other charges than the death penalty? Is there some other form of punishment in Arizona I have never heard about?
She was shamed publicly, tarred and feathered by Martinez, the media and trolls all over the planet. What else would they have done to a man?
One of the jurors told Nancy Grace that he was sad Arias did not get the death penalty because she was getting away with it.
He then tried to backpedal and fix this slip of the tongue.
Getting away with what? Being in jail for life without parole, because we all know Judge Stephens will never give her life with parole, is simply getting away from solitary confinement for life. That is what he meant. They wanted torture for Arias. The cat came out of the bag.
Juror 17 saved her from this barbaric practice and this is why they are furious at her.
Strangely, she is the only one who noticed how depressed Arias was in her journals. She had to be provided security by authorities because of threats to her life.
They demonstrated their allegiance to revenge and not justice. It reminds me of the expression ‘If two wrong don’t make a right, how many does it take?’
By the way, the state has the right to take your freedom, but it is not allowed to torture and taunt you.
In fact, many inmates would prefer the death penalty to solitary confinement if it did not take up to 20 years or more to finally execute them.
In Montreal, a Cuban man stabbed his girlfriend to death more times than Arias did and received 12 years. It was a crime of passion. The same thing happened recently between two men, and it was premeditated. The attacker will be eligible for parole in 17 years.
Dr. Martin MacNeill (now deceased) was supposed to be eligible for parole in 17 years. According to the prosecution, he premeditated the murder of his wife and killed her in the bathtub after administering some meds.
Dr. Conrad Murray killed Michael Jackson for money and knew coming in he was risking Michael’s life every time he administered Propofol. He is not on death row.
By the way, the prosecutors in the MacNeill and Murray’s case were impeccable and so were the judges. You did not see any grandstanding, cruelty or abuse coming from any of them.
I recommend watching prosecutor David Walgren cross examine a witness.
It is justice in motion. He does not yell or trip the witnesses. He is very respectful of the process and does not do the happy dance when a verdict is read.
He does not sign autographs or show some glee at making people feel uncomfortable.
He wants the truth to prevail and he is prepared. He is much scarier than Martinez who wants to win and shows signs of cruelty and deceit himself. It is never a good idea to sound and act more criminal than your own witness.
The judges were also to be applauded and respected for keeping the proceedings at the highest ethical level. When Dr. MacNeill’s mistress, Gypsy, was asked about photos of her derrière she had sent to her lover, they were not shown to anyone else than the jury and the witness.
It turns out that the phone sex tape recorded by Arias was played in open court for all to hear, because Nurmi had decided, in spite of his client’s tears and pleading and his co-chair’s strong opposition, to use it several times to boost his self-defense scenario and humiliate his client. Judge Sherry had offered to play it exclusively for the jury in closed session, but he had declined.
Judge Sherry Stephens improved greatly the second time around, but the constant sidebars and lack of decisiveness showed how over her head she was all along. I suspect she was picked the first time around because she was so easily manipulated, but she tried to appear impartial at retrial when she realized her partnership with the prosecution could cost her dearly.
She should have never allowed the photos of naked Jodi and Travis to become public. It would have been easy to show them only to the jury and the witnesses.
Mind you, it might have been at the insistence of Nurmi who was working against his own client and with hindsight, appeared to be a sexual deviant.
Total humiliation and public shaming for Arias. As if she was named by Arizona and the media as the Slayer of all that is good and wholesome in the world.
The fact that they made her wear a stun belt in court and when she testified, illustrates the spirit of exaggeration that prevailed during her trial. They treated a docile woman as a security threat.
Jodi Arias was deeply in love with Travis Alexander. It is all over her journals and she admitted to it. She was a monogamous woman, contrary to the whore propaganda going around and promoted by Travis himself. She had no power in the relationship because she loved him and he did not reciprocate.
In fact, he displayed attachment issues. He seduced girls and could not commit. He enjoyed multiple partners and could easily have sex without emotions. Arias was the opposite so she was bound to be the one to suffer.
The constant games he played with her were undignified and unworthy of a man occupying a high status in the Church. The whole Cinderella story Arias had encountered by being invited to the ball and given a beautiful dress turned into a nightmare full of sex, videotapes, Mormons and lies.
She converted because of him and also because she was searching for spirituality and guidance in her life.
She was known to study different religions and spiritual movements. She thought she had found a solid religious man to start a family with. She took his words seriously, but soon realized he was saying the same thing to all the girls.
We all know she should have moved on, but it did not happen even if she returned to Yreka.
Deanna did not move on either even if he took her virginity, which is the kiss of death for a Mormon woman. She stuck by him because he was a charismatic and likable man.
So why was Arias any different? She could not let go because he kept using his charm to have sex with her on a regular basis.
She said it herself, she had become his whipping girl and they were both addicted to it. Gus Searcy testified to the pull Travis had on this girl. She was getting away and he would call her and she would be shaking uncontrollably.
The problem is that Jodi Arias took the relationship very seriously and built dreams around it when it meant nothing to him.
The last chapter of this Shakespearean tragedy ends with both lovers losing their precious lives. Even if Arias did not go with a bang, she is going down a more tortuous road than he ever did. According to his own beliefs and words, Travis is in a better place now. If he is half the man his friends said he was, he would not want this horrible fate for the woman he once cared about.
Next time you think Jodi is a monster and she deserves to be tortured and die, go online and check prison videos and cases of dangerous murderers.
She does not fit any category. She is not a dangerous offender and was never a problem in prison either.
I believe and take part in restorative justice programs and Arias is a prime candidate for it because she admitted to have participated in the tragedy and expressed remorse.
She asked for forgiveness and did not try to clam up and say she was not involved. It would have been very easy to stick to the intruders’ story and not testify at trial.
In fact, she never tried to overexaggerate the facts when she testified. She could have said that he was forcing her to do awful things and that he was very violent. Instead, she said she enjoyed his company and their sex games and he was a great guy, but with an abusive side. Instead of protecting herself, she was also preoccupied with preserving his memory.
The online messages proved her point. It was reasonable inference to think that he went from mental and verbal abuse to pushing her around. But after what I have read on social media during this case, I am not surprised that so many people did not consider it abuse.
They are equally abusive themselves, proud of it and addicted to playing Candy Crush.
There is huge Marquis de Sade chapter out there.
In fact, a Travis ‘supporter’ said that if Arias was to receive the death penalty, her husband would get some that night. They are actually aroused by cruelty and death.
So many are using offensive, abusive language and threats that they probably agree with Travis mistreating a woman.
She asked for it they said. She pushed his buttons. She deserved it. She just had to walk away.
They missed all the points Laviolette and Geffner tried to explain and that DeMarte could not comprehend because she is not a domestic violence expert.
Arias led a very peaceful life before this nightmare and would no doubt go down the same road if given another chance.
All the boogeyman stories are inventions of the media, the Mormon lynch mob and Janeen DeMarte. The best she could come up with on the stand was high school mean girl insults: She was a bitch at family reunions, she talked to boys more, corrected their grammar. She kicked a dog once and had a moment when she punched an inanimate object. If that is the best they could dig up, it proves Laviolette and Geffner’s point.
The people who knew her best at the time, only had good things to say about her. She was a messed up girl in a messed up world and it became the perfect storm when Travis encountered financial and emotional woes.
They should have both looked for education to improve their respective lives instead of turning to the impossible restrictions of Mormonism and illusions of grandeur offered by Legal Shield.
As Martinez said in his closing, ‘In modern times, we look for constellations, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.’
Our heroes should be people who want peace, love, understanding and restorative justice. People who do not throw young women to the wolves for making huge mistakes, especially if they suffer from a mental disorder at the time. People who can forgive.
Note: Kudos to Kirk Nurmi for stepping up to the plate at retrial. He lost weight, grew hair and some legal balls and took on the prosecutor with gusto.
His efforts were not in vain because he filed all the right motions and prepared the grounds for appeal very meticulously and professionally.
It was a pleasure to see Martinez being put in his place by Nurmi and the great experts he brought on board. They fought a good fight.
Too bad he screwed up part I that was the most important inning of the game. I also took exception to his big Porn Perry Mason moment that fizzled out. What was that?
Doing time at Perryville will be very challenging to say the least. The ray of sunshine is that she will be out of the clutches of the county jail and will be fed 3 meals a day during the week and allowed some letters instead of postcards.
Even if she was given a lunch bag at trial, Sheriff Joe Arpaio likes to use food as punishment and only serves 2 vegetarian meals a day unless the inmates work on a chain gang or appear in court. His recent wave of generosity with video phone calls was not for the inmates, but to reach the quota necessary to start making profits.
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Note to all Christians: The highest priest of Christians, Pope Francis, is against the death penalty and calls life without parole a hidden death penalty.
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This is a restorative justice site and I will not post or answer any hateful comments. This is my personal take on the trials and I respect different views, but will not entertain them in this section. This is not a forum to debate Jodi Arias’s guilt or innocence.
Thank you for reading!
Excellent,Lise.
“Who`s zooming who?” Pure perfection.
The wanna be murderers are ugly inside and out and more dangerous than Arias will ever be again.
Well done.
xoxo
I could not agree with you more Beth. Thank you!
Lisa thank you very much for this fair minded summary of the Jodi Aria trials. I became interested in this case after watching quite by accident the trial on HLN. I sat there in jaw dropping amazement at the anti-rhythmic antics of Juan Martinez. I hoped it was a lesson in “how not to be a persecutor.” I was wrong but hoped the American public would see through his theatrics. Again I was wrong. Thanks for restoring my faith in the intelligence of some viewers.
Thank you. Juan Martinez as you rightly said, is a persecutor and I am as shocked as you are that his antics are applauded by many people looking for an outlet to vent their own anger. I am hoping the silent majority agrees with you.
Thank you for putting my thoughts into words. You have done an excellent job. Most people don’t know that Jodi never wanted to go to trial. She tried very hard to save the image that Travis had portrayed to his family and friends. I sat in court the day that the judge brought Martinez and his boss in to make sure that they new what they were trying to do. They both said they wanted nothing but the death penalty. Martinez wanted another woman on death row. A notch in his belt so to speak. The Alexanders choose this also. The had to give their permission to be shown on TV. The Arias family had no choice as Arizona is a victims state. I have to admitt – boy did they put on a show! We were scolded by the judge if we showed any emotions. there’s no way says that I condone what happened. Just the opposite. I pray that this never happens to anyone else
Thank you. Jodi did everything in her power to protect his reputation and was willing to pay the piper. You are right, Martinez and the big boss realized how juicy this opportunity would be for the county. Another villainess to capture and imprison to keep the media and public satisfied. Another notch on their belt.
This is tragic and so unfair.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Lise. thank you for this masterpiece! You are a brilliant writer. xoxoxo
How very kind of you Pandora. This story is far from over.
A very well written and deeply thought out article. I enjoyed reading your work, again, and as usual. Thank you for summarizing and doing so in a way that says what needs to be said.
Thank you Bill. I am still shocked at how Maricopa handled this case and the two trials. I hope the old guard moves on and that the many scandals pop the lid off this polluted county.
Well done…..Bravo!!!!
Thank your for your insightful views and truths about the Jodi Arias trial. How unfortunate that the State of Arizona is only interested in unnecessarily wasting money on a trial that should never have taken place. Your honesty is golden and I hope Jodi gets the chance to show the world her genuine, caring self. She was used & abused by Travis Alexander in more ways than was ever brought out in trial.
Yes, Lise, you’ve done it again. Wrapped up another great article. I hear they are looking to replace Jon Stewart? For God’s sake woman, put your hand up! You’re the perfect package!
An amazing piece of work! Bravo!
Thank You so very much. Amazing words and info all should read. I stand by JODI as I would any who need Justice and fairness. Itried to test all that SHE said on the stand and seems to Me SHE spoke the truth and w/o hate or vile but is,nt just who SHE is , a good person that only saw his good andtried tohelp a man SHE….LOVED. How very sad is that. I pray and work for HER freedom to return home one day safe and sound.
Brava signora, molto informativo
Thank you for writing this piece. When someone can express so very, very well my own thoughts, it is validating. I wish everyone interested in this case would read your intelligent and insightful words.
I have been following this case since I came upon it on HLN while channel surfing one day during the trial. I was drawn in like so many by the sensationalism, and by the drama. The story of Travis and Jodi is so deeply tragic that it captured my imagination. I listened to Jodi testify and she sounded so truthful to me that I wondered what was wrong with me that I couldn’t see her the way she was portrayed by the media. I was appalled by Martinez and absolutely amazed that he was being heralded as a wonderful prosecutor. Not only was he abusive but he appeared to be somewhat mentally limited as well. And all his arguments of premeditation seemed so weak that I often couldn’t even understand what he was trying to imply-I was like okay…yeah… and so your point is? I was actually shocked when she was convicted.
Then the retrial- I followed it as well- well, as much as one can relying on tweets. And the madness continued, every day more bizarre than the next with so many lies by the prosecution unveiled that my head was spinning.
Well, Jodi is spared a life in solitary thanks to one brave juror, and I hope some day will receive a measure of justice through the appellate process.
It still astonishes me to hear people sing the praise of Martinez. He uses the same tactics over and over again and he does appear to have serious mental limitations. He turned the courtroom into a bloody sport, but I am glad that he lost the advantage during the 2nd trial, in spite of the verdict. I could never see Jodi Arias the way she was portrayed by the media and the court because this is not who she is.
It is a very tragic situation and I hope this relentless lynching ceases with time and that she wins an appeal down the road.
The power of one saved her from long years in solitary confinement. There is enough misconduct for her to win an appeal and have at least, her sentence reduced. The media coverage alone should have been sufficient ground to throw this case out.
Thank you.
Very well written!!! There were times during this trial, I felt like I had something wrong with me for believing what I did. I’m glad to see others were like minded. Lise, and everyone else, you must read Shaun Attwood’s book Hard Time. You can download it for free, just google his name. It is about his crimes and time in Maricopa County jails. Unfortunately, Jodi is not an isolated case in that court system. After reading that, all I could say was OMG!!!
TY. She is not an isolated case at all. Thank you for the suggestion, I will check out Hard Time. A federal judge ruled that conditions in Maricopa County jails violate the constitutional rights of inmates and nothing seems to change. Perryville is a state prison, but it is not much better. Hard to believe that some people are willing to go along with this and wish for any human being to live under these conditions.
This piece looks so good, Lise, that I’m going to have to come back later to read more at my leisure, instead of skimming quickly. But, for now, I just wanted to comment on this:
“It was reasonable inference to think that he went from mental and verbal abuse to pushing her around. But after what I have read on social media during this case, I am not surprised that so many people did not consider it abuse. They are equally abusive themselves and proud of it.”
Bingo! Exactly. I’d go as far as to say that this was the reason WHY this trial became so popular, sensational, prurient. So many of the men and women who identify very closely with Travis are abusers themselves. They are emotionally, sexually and — look at how they want her tortured and killed — physically abusive people.
In Jodi Arias, they found the perfect, defenceless, beautiful victim for their sadistic fantasies: a man-killer, literally, which gave them carte-blanche, public permission to pillory and pornify every aspect of her body, her life, her humanity. They spoke like rapists, and explicitly wished raped on her. They got to work right away in dehumanizing her, and they are still at work.
But, now that she’s going out of the spotlight, behind locked doors where they can’t study every muscle twitch in her face, the withdrawal pangs are starting up for the abusers, ghouls, misogynists and death-lovers. Like Travis was, they are addicted to her as a nice, soft punching bag — chained up as she is a convict — and as a source of thrills. On Twitter, you can actually hear how unsettled they are, how they shuffle about, empty, lost and raging, trying to capture the original arousal-high of repeatedly assaulting her with the worst words they can come up with. (Lucky for them, there are two more Latinas — Jodi substitutes — that they can have a go at: Juror 17 and de la Rosa. May these women stay safe).
It’s astonishing, really, how they pine and long for Arias, how they clamour to tear at her some more. They never really cared for Travis or his siblings; what they crave is a pound of Jodi’s flesh. Not sure how to make this happen, they make up stuff out of whole cloth: Jodi is control of jurors, the judge, Maricopa County, the justice system, perhaps America itself … Wow! What a powerful, evil woman! I’ll bet some male trial watchers will start reporting that Jodi stole their penises and testicles and that she’s got a collection of pilfered genitalia stashed amongst her legal paperwork. I mean, there’s nothing a witch can’t do, right? And psychological projection is very, very powerful …
It is indeed dumbfounding to see people let their imagination run wild when it comes to Arias. I noticed today that some photos came out online. She is smiling and seems to be in a cell. It started a real rampage on social media with lunatics saying how dare she exist and smile? How dare she have chocolate in her hand? How dare she talk to anyone? You are right, they want to torture her and they project on her their most vile intentions.
She has become the nation’s whipping girl. I am grateful for the other side of this coin. We unfortunately see the uglier side of some people through this case, but there are many advocates for the fair treatment and sentencing of inmates.
She doesn’t belong to the lynch mob, but they have repatriated her to their dark world as if she was an object of lust, hate and desire.
Anyone who listened to Bill Montgomery’s press conference after he lost Debbie Milke, knows that he won’t let go of this siren to regain his popularity. She is their prized possession like the bearded lady at the Circus. As long as they keep her, the ghouls will be happy and won’t mind how the county’s money is being spent.
I receive messages telling me that she has no remorse. They pretend to know her. They judge her. It is a phenomenon. An extreme case of psychological projection is at work.
Fantastic job Lise, on all the Candy Crush pieces! Requiem is the best yet!
The part I can’t get past is the fact that 11 of 12 people wanted her killed. If this doesn’t condemn the practice of “death qualified” jury members for the biased bunch of BS it is I don’t know what will. This was never a case that warranted the DP in any way. While I am always opposed to execution for any reason I will leave that topic alone and just say that this case didn’t meet the requirements for a death sentence.
Selecting 12 people that state they are capable of sentencing another human being to death, while excluding any that can’t, already means this is not a jury of anyone’s “peers”. This is not a sample that is representative of society as a whole. This is not even an open minded and impartial jury. Research has shown that “death qualified” jurors are more likely to vote guilty than their non-qualified counterparts when presented with identical fact information.
So the prosecution played fast and loose with aggravating factors to get the DP on the table and then rigged the game with a jury more likely to vote guilty. One lone juror held out to uphold the integrity the entire jury was charged with. This juror should be honored as a role model. Instead she needs protection. You summed it up in the first sentence: Arizona we have a problem
Thank you Lise for being a voice against injustice and for your witty and talented way of using that voice!!
Thank you Lori. Even if I was a proponent of the death penalty, which I am not, I would have strongly opposed this decision. I am glad you bring up the conundrum of death qualified jurors being recruited to do just that; kill people. It is like allowing 12 angry people to the party. This is not a jury of your peers.
You never give the death penalty to a 1st time offender, especially not for this type of tragic relationship gone bad.
Arizona has been rigging the game for too long. I am so glad this juror showed them how it is done. It is called integrity.
This case is for the books. They should reverse and nullify it as a hard earned lesson for the court, the media and the ones tempted to start their own lynch mob.
Yes, Lise, I saw the smiling Jodi pictures that came out today. Looks like she’s just being silly and enjoying whoever is visiting her via video conference. Very soon, she won’t have contact with others for a long, lonely while, so why shouldn’t she enjoy the little company she gets now?
But, speaking of imaginations run wild, here is a prime example. One of these twitter twits can’t stand that Jodi is smiling, and quickly tweeted the Sheriff — not once, but twice — to tell on Jodi and hopefully get her in trouble. Oh my god, I’m almost speechless; this is what she wrote:
“@RealSheriffJoe Seems #jodiarias is imitating autopsy photo in visitor pic- CanU stop inmate harassment of victim family”
“@RealSheriffJoe Please look- #jodiarias pic mocks dead Travis? lips pushed 2 expose teeth, nostrils flared, eyes down”
Lunacy, indeed! Why would this person even imagine mocking an autopsy photo? What kind of a person has these kind of dark thoughts and projects them outward onto another? A ghoul, that’s who.
It is lunacy! Writing to Arpaio to tell him Jodi was imitating autopsy photo? They are out of their mind. Remember when they said she was torturing Travis’ sister by doing a drawing of her? It ended up being an already existing picture she had picked up and traced. Nothing to do with the family.
The Walking Dead have nothing on them.
Gosh Lise. how can I top these wonderful comments full of praise for your remarkable insight into this case and as a brilliant writer? I can’t!! Another brilliant article, you’ve done it again, thankyou!!
Thank you for reading Heather and for your comment. I think that my article is appreciated by the ones looking for this angle on the case. People should be screaming bloody murder about this trial and verdict. As mentioned by a reader, they are ok with Martinez using an autopsy photo on top of little girl’s picture, but they are upset because Arias was photographed with a Hershey bar. The world upside down.
I am not a Jodi Supporter but I do like reading all points of view and found your article interesting and thought provoking while not agreeing with a good deal of it.
I appreciate that you took the time to read it. I would not qualify as a Jodi supporter either. I do not know her at all, except for what came out at trial, but I support due process for everyone. I became interested in the case because of my interest in criminal trials and more importantly, restorative justice. I write blogs about many other cases. This one struck me as very unfair because of the lynch mob mentality and the lack of integrity of the legal Circus happening in Arizona. If she had a fair deal, I probably would have moved on.
Thanks for giving us your view through words from a superb writer or really should define you as an artist Lise. What a magnificent article!! I ultimately agree that the family and State should have taken the plea bargain and no one should ever had the intent of profiting from the many facets of this tragedy. There are no winners. However, I will end my comment with a personal belief I hold near and dear to my heart and soul. “There is perfection in everything in life even if we don’t understand while we are experiencing it in the present moment.”
I am glad you enjoyed the article. I know some people who share your view on the inevitability of fate. As if life could only be understood backwards and there is a grand scheme of things after all. This kind of tragic event almost makes me wish it true.Thanks for sharing.
Lise, I have followed this trial from about mid point of first trial & found I was looking at a circus. The whole thing was amazingly cruel to the defendant, Jodi Arias. I went back to beginning of case & it seemed like you said, that the world seemingly & it’s mother (& especially Martinez, Flores, Montgomery, Arpaio) had her down as guilty before even a word was uttered at trial.
And the horrible written abuse that Travis addressed to her was equalled by those twits on Twitter, Facebook, etc. The Judge in my opinion was biased & useless, the Prosecutor was biased & deranged, & the jurors were mostly biased & 11 but one were likened to murderers themselves. If this is American Justice, you can keep it, so much for your Constitution, so much for your Bill of Rights, so much…the value of a human beings rights. And one more thing before I go, was/is it allowed for the Judge to weep openly in court when a verdict is announced? This Judge’s weeping after verdict was announced showed me she was terribly biased & that if she could have been an extra juror to give out death sentence to Ms Arias, she would have done.
Again I think this piece you wrote…is probably the best summing up of this circus I have read & I have read many’s a piece. Best wishes & please keep us updated on Jodi & her future appellate proceedings. Thank you.
PS. I hail from Emerald Isle & know many people here have been watching Jodi’s trial & her tribulations at the hands of Mr (Death-Seeker) Martinez. I very much hope he sooner than later gets ‘Disbarred’.
What a breath of fresh air amongst all the bloodlust and hatred going on in social media! Thank you! I’ve been following this case in Europe since the airing of the first 48hours and watching the (first live for me) trial made me wonder if that was what American justice was really like. It’s good to know that isn’t the norm, even though it’s heartbreaking for the ones denied their right to a fair trial. Keep up the good work for restorative justice!!!
Very well written article,
very refreshing from all the negative ones I’ve seen online,
I enjoyed reading it very much.
thank you.
~friend in Canada~
This case is what it is because we’ve all dated assholes, and we didn’t get to kill them. We didn’t trash them mercilessly, we didn’t make up crazy stories about pedo-porn and turn every sorted sex game (that we probably loved at the time) into some justification for gutting our ex like a fish. But, you know…somewhere between the “it’s not you, it’s me” and “I swear, she’s just a friend…”, we probably wanted to. And yet, we suck it up, put on our big girl panties and move on. Travis wasn’t a saint, we’ve all dated a Travis, we all know a Travis, and that’s what makes this case so personal for people. We look at Jodi and ask, “what makes YOU so special that YOUR feelings were so important that someone had to die over them? Why do you think you don’t deserve to have your heart broken? Because you’re so much better than everyone else?” That’s what breeds the hate for Jodi. The trial itself was another matter…bad judge, bad trial. But as for Jodi, I think most women identify with dating “that guy” but find it inexcusable that she couldn’t be an adult and move on like the rest of us do.
This is a consummate mile high view of this Travisty train wreck. And you did it without any curse words which is something I’m not able to do in an extensive venting of my feelings. That alone deserves recognition.
The very scary thing is that the lynch crazies are going to get jury summons at some point and even more scary is that some may have already served on a jury. God help the defendant.
Congratulations on telling it like it is. It’s only a matter of time before Jodi gets a FAIR trial and gets rightful vindication from this overcharge and mockery of justice.
Thanks. The jury system is indeed flawed. It reminds me of the saying about leaving justice in the hands of those who aren’t bright enough to find a way to get out of jury duty. It all comes back to money. A rich defendant can hire a jury consultant and great lawyers, but people like Jodi Arias have to go with public defenders and a contaminated jury pool. This death qualified distinction also has to be eliminated. As we have seen throughout the two trials, there are a lot of angry people out there and they could easily become jurors one day. Scary thought.
After listening to the jury foreman interview who didn’t seem to realize that he was there for sentencing and mitigation, but more to speculate on state of mind, premeditation and intent, I think it might be time to bring in professional jurors who might understand jury instructions better.
Is there a planet where we could find jurors untouched by this high profile case? It should be dismissed as a moral lesson.
Laura, I appreciate your comment but you say the trial itself was another matter, bad judge and bad proceedings. This is what my article is about: the lousy trial. Most people in bad relationships don’t end up killing each other. I will give you that. But crimes and trials would not happen if circumstances and people were all normal and perfect.
I leave personal judgement at the door as far as Arias is concerned. I have not personally met a Travis but we know they exist and bad relationships can be toxic. But my point in this article is about sentencing and how the media and Maricopa went about their business.
It didn’t have to become a Circus or make the defendant into someone all women have to hate.
Mistakes are made in life. Check the list of all inmates doing time for similar situations. We don’t talk about them or discuss their sentence or value as human beings. So let’s leave Arias alone. She had more than her share of hatred.
This article is beautifully written. It covered every aspect of the flaws in the Jodi Arias trial from beginning to end. I’ve never seen anything like this trial, and comparing it to a “circus” is an understatement. I’ve never seen so many people wanting to “crucify” another human being. The eleven jurors that wanted the death penalty for Jodi, were part of the lynch mob, and every one of them should be ashamed for “punishing” juror #17, with their extremely harsh words, their “thrill seeking” death penalty attitude. I believe with all my heart that they were looking for a “pat on the back” for “doing what the first jury failed to do”, like it was some kind of game to them. I saw things “exactly” as juror #17 saw it…and had I been on the jury, I would have voted the same way as juror #17…NO DEATH PENALTY…!!! I’m so proud of her for standing her ground. I can’t even imagine the scrutiny she endured for not agreeing with “their” assessment of Jodi. What happened to “a jury of your peers”…is it now “majority rules”…God help us if that ever happens. This country needs to stop listening to all the rumors, gossip, lies, and corruption that the media can spread like wildfire…it’s contagious, and it’s wrong. What’s happened to following your gut instinct, and having a say in the verdict, without being ridiculed, threatened, and your entire life destroyed, just for seeing things differently. It’s very disturbing to say the least. Thank you Lise LaSalle …I loved your article!!!
Your comment is greatly appreciated Vicki. I sure felt like the 11 jurors were looking to give the victim’s family and the public at large what they wanted. Poor Juror 17 was doing her job and tried to stick to her beliefs and common sense. They had no business trashing her they way they did during their first interview. What were they thinking? It is how the system works. You accept it and show some class.
The first jury foreman mentioned how shocked he was by the way the defendant was crucified in the media and the court of public opinion. It is rabid out there.
People need a civic education about trials and what jury instructions mean.
I agree. The US is becoming ruled by the media and a thirst for sensationalism. Trials are not Entertainment. It has to stop somewhere.
Lise….Thank you for taking us down the timeline road of this case and for pulling it all together for us. As I read through your blog, I was reminded of the wide range/roller coaster of emotions I had during this trial, but the one emotion that sticks out for me the most was the feeling of despair. I felt despair about the state not accepting Arias’ plea offer, Judge Stevens inability to control the courtroom antics, Juan Martinez using the courtroom as a media platform to promote himself, Nurmi and Willmott’s lack of focus/direction, the personal/vicious attacks on witnesses for the defense, the ghoul groupies/grim reaper gang taking up residence outside the courthouse, the destruction of Arias/Alexander’s young lives, the pain each family had to experience, Alexander family inability to take death penalty off the table and the lack of respect for the right to a fair trial. The only good I can find in this story is that you and I became friends while watching/discussing this trial. Actually, we formed a wonderful group of twitter friends who could exchange ideas (not always agreeing), participate in intelligent debate without making it personal/mean. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts, ideas, and blog with us.
Lisa, you have expressed so well the gamut of emotions we went through during these two trials. So much dismay at how this legal fiasco was handled by all parties. It seemed at the time, that so many people who could have made a difference lacked the courage to step up to the plate because they feared retaliation. The lowest common denominator prevailed until they began to scrape the bottom of the barrel on all levels.
I cringe when I remember all the details you mention. I sometimes want to believe it didn’t really happen because it is so difficult to imagine that human beings can stoop so low. Very sad case.
I am so blessed to have met you Lisa and the other wonderful people who showed heart and compassion during it all and became very important to me. Through this epic tragedy, I met people who restored my faith in humanity. Thank you sister.
Hi there Lise. I read that Bill Arias said that it was . 22 caliber gun that was taken from Jodi’s grandparents home. I recall reading that perhaps Detective Esteban Flores wrongfully updated the police report? Could you please tell me exactly what happened here? I also read that there were .25 caliber hollow point bullets found at Jodi’s parent’s house. Did someone claim that the .25 caliber hollow point bullets belonged to them and where exactly were these .25 caliber hollow point bullets found in Jodi’s parents home? I would greatly appreciate your help Lise. Laters for now.
Hey Ryan. The grandfather reporter a .25 caliber gun stolen so I don’t know what her father said, but he is not the one who was burglarized so if the case, he probably was simply misinformed. Jodi’s grandfather had hollow point bullets for his gun but a round point bullet was used to shoot Travis. So it complicates things.
Thank you for a reply Lise. However, what about the .25 caliber hollow point bullets being found at Jodi’s parent’s home? Did someone claim them and where were they found?
What I know Ryan is that her grandfather declared at the time of the burglary that his stolen .25 caliber gun was loaded with seven hollow point bullets. I don’t know if some other hollow point bullets were found at Jodi’s parents after the police investigation started. Arias testified at trial that her father owned several guns. I don’t remember what type they were and what kind of bullets they used. And they never reported any bullets or guns missing. I don’t think Jodi’s parents house would have been searched because there was no reason to. She didn’t live there.
It is a pleasure and a relief to read an article that is unbiased and based on facts. It is sad that so many respected media outlets have used their platform to spew venom and lies. A big part of the public believes the media is always completely honest. They take what they say as fact and unfortunately that is not the way it is. Due process is extremely important and vital to our justice system. I do not know why more people can not see that Jodi Arias, regardless of their opinion, did not receive due process. Thank you!
I feel the exact same way. It is a mystery to me that people are not shocked beyond belief by the lack of due process of this trial by media. It could happen to anyone and it doesn’t matter who the defendant is, we have to protect the integrity of the justice system or it will become a free for all.
Jodi Arias is far from the monster they presented in the media and in the court. In fact, the media and Maricopa county are the bad guys in this story.They have wagged the dog for their own gain. It’s a shame and I hope people wake up and smell the stench.
Lord have mercy.
You write fire & woke me up.
Thank you.