Jodi Ann Arias shot and stabbed her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander to death

[WooFrigginHoo]

Al Jazeera has a story on Jodi!
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opi...155937564.html

( I've actually wondered what would of happened if some woman in a Mid-Eastern country tried to pull shit like Jodi's trying to pull )

Thanks for the link!

One recent case in which the defence was the basis of an acquittal was that of Barbara Sheehan, who pumped a torrent of bullets into her husband of twenty-four years while he was shaving. Testimony in that case revealed that the relationship had been one of prolonged abuse including incidents in which Mr Sheehan had smashed his wife's head against a cinderblock and thrown boiling pasta sauce at her.

Acquittals however, are the exception. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence [PDF], the average prison sentence of men who kill their female partners in the United States is 2 to 6 years while women who kill their male partners do more than double the time at about 15 years. In addition, 90 percent of women serving time in jails for killing men have been battered by those men. This is true even though women are eight times more likely than men to be murdered by their intimate partners. These grim statistics, the realities of abused women, and the fear-based dynamics of intimate crimes that often rely on the word of a woman against a man, all pale against the snappy dramatics of the Arias trial. When a scheming woman pretends to be a victimised one, her lies inevitably taint the fates of those who will tell the truth in the future.

[Harlette]

Al Jazeera has a story on Jodi!
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opi...155937564.html

( I've actually wondered what would of happened if some woman in a Mid-Eastern country tried to pull shit like Jodi's trying to pull )

haha!! i like that article even if i am a dulled american they prolly would have stoned her to death in the town square by now after one of there 2 hour trials

[poppym]

I'm no lawyer, so I'm uncertain of the exact wording of the laws. As far as I understand, the prosecution is seeking a conviction on murder in the first degree....and the penalty of death. Her defense to the charges is that she murdered him, but it was in self defense. I believe it depends on the instructions to the jury in the state of Arizona, given by the judge as to whether or not they can also consider lesser charges such as second degree murder, etc. Or, I am not totally sure....maybe they can find her innocent, even if she admits to killing him, if the prosecution cannot convince the jury that it was first degree? I know the laws differ from state to state.

I'm no lawyer either, but am a forensic psychologist in Scotland and a little familiar with law at least. I know nothing, of course, of US law, or that pertaining to Arizona, but pretty sure that the defense here is the 'killing' of TA and not that of 'murder' in any lesser degree than 1st. Only know this because I've followed the case since 2009, and know that Juan Martinez is not permitted (by the DA) to make any plea deals with the defendant in this case, ie; lesser charge of manslaughter or 2nd degree. The evidence against her is so compelling that JA has already tried this, prior to her 'self defense' claim, and was rejected by the State. The options for the Jury are, in my understanding, Murder in the 1st, or Not Guilty. That's it! If it's 1st, then they move to Life or Death.

[MNaghtenRulesOK]

Wonder if the defense is still going to call Matt Mccartney to the stand? Also, if I recall correctly.. I think the defense wanted to use to polygraph expert in the sentencing phase, no?

Their listed polygraph examiner is Rosemarie A. Urbanski

You can find info about her & the company she works with here: http://sentencemitigationinstitute.com/

[MNaghtenRulesOK]

Wonder if the defense is still going to call Matt Mccartney to the stand? Also, if I recall correctly.. I think the defense wanted to use to polygraph expert in the sentencing phase, no?

Their listed polygraph expert is Rosemarie A. Urbanski. If you google her name you'll find the website of the company she works for and her details etc.

[poppym]

I'm no lawyer either, but am a forensic psychologist in Scotland and a little familiar with law at least. I know nothing, of course, of US law, or that pertaining to Arizona, but pretty sure that the defense here is the 'killing' of TA and not that of 'murder' in any lesser degree than 1st. Only know this because I've followed the case since 2009, and know that Juan Martinez is not permitted (by the DA) to make any plea deals with the defendant in this case, ie; lesser charge of manslaughter or 2nd degree. The evidence against her is so compelling that JA has already tried this, prior to her 'self defense' claim, and was rejected by the State. The options for the Jury are, in my understanding, Murder in the 1st, or Not Guilty. That's it! If it's 1st, then they move to Life or Death.

Of course I might be totally wrong! Heard her friend Donavan say on HLN that she's hoping for manslaughter??

[Sweetharmony]

forever[/I] with his redirect. *dreading it*

Welcome! Agree - Nurmi is so tiresome and he is so disrespectful. He whines like a two-year-old with that (whimper) Its-not-fair (whimper) tone of voice. I am sick to death of this slug in a suit.

[MNaghtenRulesOK]

Thank you!! : ) Glad I finally worked up the nerve to post!

I understand that Nurmi is fighting an uphill battle and has piss all to work with but still...my god...!! It feels like every. word. has. a. pause. after. it!!! Between his monotonous dribble and JA's boring rambling; I don't think I'll make it through too much of it!! Together they are better than any kind of sleeping aid! : D

[Sweetharmony]

Thank you!! : ) Glad I finally worked up the nerve to post!

I understand that Nurmi is fighting an uphill battle and has piss all to work with but still...my god...!! It feels like every. word. has. a. pause. after. it!!! Between his monotonous dribble and JA's boring rambling; I don't think I'll make it through too much of it!! Together they are better than any kind of sleeping aid! : D

I keep the live feed going in one tab with My Death Space in another so I can while away the time reading comments here with the sound of the trial in the background. If I miss anything I view it later on Tawnidilly's Youtube videos. OR I just shut it all down and watch the videos later where I can skip ahead...

[loonywop]

Their listed polygraph expert is Rosemarie A. Urbanski. If you google her name you'll find the website of the company she works for and her details etc.

Rosemarie Urbanski is the handwriting expert who deemed the letters forgeries or probable forgeries

[Harlette]

idk if the site is to busy or my internet, so its not letting me quote

@woohoo - i remember a case a few years ago there where a woman went w/ fiance to LE to report a rape, instead she was arrested and jailed for letting herself be in the position to be raped, jodi should thank god she lives here

@MNaghtenRulesOK and @poppym - i found out in arizona the judge has the discretion at the end of trial the let the jury have the opportunity to be able to find her guilty on a lessor charge if the evidence warrants it, and its totally her call then, she doesn't need the DA to approve it - but donavan is also a nut case, i don't think she used enuff time in the prison library when she was jodi's cell mate - kinda sad her supporters are all just the ppl she has meant since she was sent to prison

[morbidT]

idk if the site is to busy or my internet, so its not letting me quote

@woohoo - i remember a case a few years ago there where a woman went w/ fiance to LE to report a rape, instead she was arrested and jailed for letting herself be in the position to be raped, jodi should thank god she lives here

@MNaghtenRulesOK and @poppym - i found out in arizona the judge has the discretion at the end of trial the let the jury have the opportunity to be able to find her guilty on a lessor charge if the evidence warrants it, and its totally her call then, she doesn't need the DA to approve it - but donavan is also a nut case, i don't think she used enuff time in the prison library when she was jodi's cell mate - kinda sad her supporters are all just the ppl she has meant since she was sent to prison

Things are running slow for me, too.

[Jinkasaurus]

@MNaghtenRulesOK and @poppym - i found out in arizona the judge has the discretion at the end of trial the let the jury have the opportunity to be able to find her guilty on a lessor charge if the evidence warrants it, and its totally her call then, she doesn't need the DA to approve it -

do you have a source for this?

[Harlette]

do you have a source for this?

there are more, but here is one off the top of my head
http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2012/...es-court-says/

[MNaghtenRulesOK]

I keep the live feed going in one tab with My Death Space in another so I can while away the time reading comments here with the sound of the trial in the background. If I miss anything I view it later on Tawnidilly's Youtube videos. OR I just shut it all down and watch the videos later where I can skip ahead...

I pretty much do the same. Although I was glued to it last week when JM was doing cross. Now that Nurmi's back at it...meh. I'll be switching off for the most part. : D

[luvit]

Don't want to go through 1508 pages for live feed could someone please post it? Ta

[Ian 1]

I haven't thrown "all" out the window. lol That's a bit dramatic and false. I've stated my opinions, they should be clear by now.
Again, sorry different opinions aren't respected by some

Not called for! You are deliberately dismissing other people's fact-based opinions. For example, you keep reasserting that the shooting/stabbing sequence is bears significance only to the Aggravating Factors when in fact, it is a cornerstone of the self-defense theory.

[Sweetharmony]

Don't want to go through 1508 pages for live feed could someone please post it? Ta

Here ya go: http://www.azcentral.com/community/m...ive-video.html

[luvit]

Thank you Sweet...

[Ian 1]

Thank you for posting this! I've always wondered what type of machine they are typing on. I knew they used a shorthand type method of sorts, but I was surprised to see what the printout looks like. No wonder they make so much money! Pretty amazing, I'd say!!

Yep. The invention of this machine, put an end to Gregg and Pitman shorthand that used to be a part of young women's secretarial training courses. On a few occasions in the distant past. old-style shorthand court reporters died before they could transcribe their shorthand notes and, since they were difficult for others to read/interpret, Transcripts could not be produced and the record of the proceedings were often lost. The Stenotype machine went a long way towards overcoming a recurrence of those disasters. Of course, when machine shorthand first came in, the old style shorthand purists objected strenuously and looked down upon the new 'technology.'

[rdeadline]

I keep the live feed going in one tab with My Death Space in another so I can while away the time reading comments here with the sound of the trial in the background. If I miss anything I view it later on Tawnidilly's Youtube videos. OR I just shut it all down and watch the videos later where I can skip ahead...

That's exactly what I do!

[elamir]

Al Jazeera has a story on Jodi!
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opi...155937564.html

( I've actually wondered what would of happened if some woman in a Mid-Eastern country tried to pull shit like Jodi's trying to pull )

Ask away, I'm living in Egypt at the moment :)

[I doubt it]

I always note where bullet casings fall when running for my life, don't you? Stop and inspect the area for blood, determine if it's mine or not, pick up any knives or guns or bloody socks, do the laundry.

"well it's your fog"

Oh, come on!. She didn't know where Travis landed, she didn't know where he was shot, she didn't know if he was bleeding - but she was absolutely sure the casing did not land there!

[elamir]

haha!! i like that article even if i am a dulled american they prolly would have stoned her to death in the town square by now after one of there 2 hour trials

Generalising about the ME is just as stupid as generalising about any other region, but yeah say you're in Egypt and unless you're Mubarak you wouldn't be getting a trial that is weeks/months long. Virtually nothing by way of appeals process (again unless you're Mubarak) not sure if she'd be given a death sentence, more likely a long prison sentence- in fact I'm not even sure they sentence women to death in Egypt.

[I doubt it]

In the event that I haven't mentioned it before, the sequence of killing blows has been adjudged to be irrelevant with respect to the Aggravating Factor (Cruelty) that has 'qualified' Jodi Arias for the death penalty should she be convicted of Premeditated Murder.

However, the sequence--did she shoot Travis before she stabbed him--is the lynch pin of Jodi Arias's defense--it holds her story together and is the single most important element of her defense. It is her only chance of getting off if the Jury buys it. Jodi's defense is "self-defense." That justifies Jodi picking up the gun. Then she mitigates the killing of Travis by saying the gun went off "accidentally." That gets her off any premeditation/deliberation. Then she claims that she was immediately overtaken by the 'vapors' (she calls it a fog), and has no memory of the butchery on Travis body that followed the shooting. Then her lawyer and experts come in and back up the memory loss bull by arguing that the shock of the 'accidental shooting' and Travis vicious assault, triggered her 'crocodile brain' (look it up), calling forth unconscious primal impulses that compelled her to pick up the knife and butcher Travis dead or dying body; overkill for which she cannot be held responsible under the special consideration granted to 'abused and battered' women. That gets her off the stabbing and slitting. And once all of that is out of the way, she gets to walk. Of course it's important for Jodi to win the sequence argument--gun before knife. She benefits enormously cause it backs everything else up. It is almost equally important that the Prosecution not allow Jodi to win it.

None of her defense works if the Jury does not accept that Jodi Arias shot Travis before she stabbed him and slit his throat. It all falls apart if the Jury concludes she stabbed Travis before she shot him. Of course, Team Jodi are not going to let one little thing go by that could lead the Jury to conclude that Jodi stabbed and slit before she shot.

But the ME said the shot to the head would have knocked him unconscious, and therefore had to come after the defensive wounds on his hands.

There was the case of the I-5 killer where a girl was shot in the head and was walking around and able to call 911 - but it that case the bullet did not penetrate her skull.

if by chance, the bullet came first, and it only dazed him, she still would have had time to get the hell out of there. His brain got scrambled! She wanted him dead to be sure he couldn't identify her as his attacker - which in Jodi's mind was the same as killing her.

I don't see how she has self-defense in any order. Overkill is overkill, not self-defense.