Monday, December 22, 2014
ja's wearing her new glasses that someone(s) that supports her bought for her after she sold the glasses that she wore during the first trial.
A closer look at the glasses that someone(s) that supports ja bought for her. (Posted in an earlier post on this blog is the "tweet" by the person that bought the glasses that ja wore during her first trial.)
How did ja get her other pair of glasses out of the jail for them to be sold on a website that her and her family endorses? Did ja pay for the first pair of glasses that she wore to trial? If not, did "The State of AZ?" How is what's going on legal for a convicted murderer to do? She's a convicted murderer. She's VERY dangerous. WHY isn't she being treated like the dangerous murderer that she is?
Off topic! of the ja case....The "Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez" case. Is he innocent or guilty??? Has the system failed him?
The "Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez" case.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/ive-been-dragged-through-gates-hell-says-man-jailed-murder-n272071
'I've Been Dragged Through Gates of Hell,' Says Man Jailed for Murder
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/ive-been-dragged-through-gates-hell-says-man-jailed-murder-n272071
Conviction: A reporter's 10-year quest for answers in a little-known murder case
http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/02/10/10374404-conviction-a-reporters-10-year-quest-for-answers-in-a-little-known-murder-case
"Joey Jackson Fans" Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joey-Jackson-Fans/485866588137167?fref=photo
Jodi Arias Retrial Juror Crime Scene 10.22.14 Video by: Paul Sanders.
Published on Oct 24, 2014
Interview with Trial Watcher for Jodi Arias retrial at the scene of the Juror #9 incident. Kathy Brown and Mikelanne speak of what was witnessed. No Juror badge. Innocuous? #JodiArias
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuGrpgvRxuk&feature=youtu.be
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Jodi Arias Retrial: Phase 3 - Sentencing: Day 1. Written by: Paul Sanders
Jodi Arias Retrial: Phase 3 - Sentencing: Day 1
I arrived at the courthouse at about 6:15 in the morning expecting a crowd of people. Fortunately, the line for the Sentencing phase was relatively short. One trial watcher die hard got there at five in the morning. The air was cool and the skies clear as I watched the sun rise behind the courthouse where the trial would happen. I took a picture thinking that maybe this would be the sun rising for Justice for Travis.
I had been to some of the preliminary hearings in the South Tower where the trial would be held in downtown Phoenix. I made my way to the fifth floor along with a handful of trial watchers. The moment the elevator doors opened, we were immediately admonished by a court employee in a suit and bow tie that public seating folks were to wait downstairs in the "overflow" room.
We made our way to a private room on the first floor. Jen Wood of Trial Talk Live warned me that Janet, a court assistant, was a bit brash and would be in charge of Public Seating. She was not kidding. Janet spoke to us and I felt as if I was back in high school as she explained the rules of those who wanted to see the trial in the gallery. We were to treat our overflow room the same as a court room. All phones must be put away. No pictures were allowed. No drinks are allowed except bottled water with a cap. No tweeting was allowed (which they changed later).
I acted like I had during the Marissa DeVault Trial when I was a Juror for almost four months. Be seen and not heard. Be respectful of the court and those around you. And, turn your cell phone off. Janet had made it clear we could be escorted out at any time. I was not about to mess with her.
I saw the family of Travis Alexander as they sat and felt only a fraction of the pain that they must be going through as this trial continues. They were all dressed very well and all were very polite keeping among themselves. At one point, I watched as Juan Martinez spoke to them. He seemed warm and caring ready to take this task on in an effort to see Justice for Travis.
It was strange not sitting in the Jury box and even stranger sitting in the gallery on the side of family of Jodi Arias.
Jodi was escorted in with three uniformed guards. She was dressed in street clothes wearing a loose fitting tan top with tan vertical striped pants that had large pocket flaps in back. At one point, I saw her search the gallery for those she knew. She acted as if she were a pleasant girl.
I was most interested in the jury and what they must feel. The first day in a jury box is intriguing for a Juror. As a Juror, you want to do a good job and you feel a great responsibility on your shoulders. Although the jury remained stoic for the most part, I knew they were thinking about the great task ahead of them.
There are eighteen Jurors seated, a slightly higher number than the normal 16 with 4 alternates. A Juror was lost first thing in the morning so it appears that 19 were selected with 7 alternates.
The jury is surprisingly young for the most part with most Jurors aged between 30 -40 with a few who may be younger and one gentleman whom I guess to be in his 60's. There are six men and twelve women. All the Jurors appear to be white, Caucasian and I guess three to be Hispanic. Most of the Jurors were casually dressed.
I watched the Jury throughout the day and the one thing that I noticed that was different than the trial I was juror for was that the majority did not take notes even beyond opening statements. I found this to be curious as our Jury was fanatical about note taking. We knew that court transcripts were not to be given to us during deliberations so we felt it was incumbent upon us to take good notes. We used them significantly when we did deliberate so I hope the jury is not making a mistake. This being just phase three may be part of the reason.
Jodi has been convicted of First Degree Murder. She is also Death Penalty qualified due to the heinous nature of the crime. The Jury is aware of this. The Jury is only to decide life or death as noted by Judge Stevens.
I have to commend the Jury on something minor but may show that they are a thought out and organized group. During the DeVault Trial, it took us, as the Jury, a couple days to decide our seating order. This Jury sat in the same positions every time they came out to the Jury box. It means they organize themselves before they come into the Jury box.
That's a good sign.
I will be back in Court in the morning and will give an afternoon update from my unique perspective as The 13th Juror. I will also drop some Tweets at The 13th Juror MD @ The 13th Juror MD.
Jodi Arias Phase 3 (Sentencing) Retrial Day 2 "A Juror's Perspective" Written by: Paul Sanders
Jodi Arias Phase 3 (Sentencing) Retrial Day 2 "A Juror's Perspective"
I dressed in the same type of attire I wore as a Juror in the four month long trial of Marissa DeVault. I always dressed professionally in respect for the victim, Dale Harrell, as well as in respect for the position I had as a Juror. And...I am old school. Today, I wore a pressed Ralph Lauren blue Oxford complimented with a Jerry Garcia tie.The tie is bright red with flavors of blue, gray and black I remember thinking as I was getting dressed this morning, I wondered what kind of journey we would go on today. It seems that anything surrounding Jodi Arias attracts drama whether one wants it to or not.
The day's testimony began with Juan Martinez questioning the medical examiner, Dr. Horn. I remember watching Mr. Martinez from the gallery prior to the start of trial and he walked up to the family of Travis Alexander and spoke to most of them in the front row. He spoke softly to each individually and one felt that he was making sure to include the family in every step of the process. I sincerely feel that he is the symbol for Justice for Travis and his heart is in this beyond what any of us could imagine. I respect him for the amount of care and detail that he puts into his work. He is simply amazing!
He pursues each witnesses like a caged lion. He rarely stands stationary. He paces as he carefully directs his questions. His questioning flows and is poignant and purposeful. He makes his witnesses feel at ease on the stand. His pace is fast. He also has the remarkable ability to allow you to connect the dots in the testimony he gets. He doesn't tell one what to think, he affords one the opportunity to think for themselves.
For example, yesterday he managed to present over 125 pieces of evidence in front of the Jury. It was vivid and graphic. I can barely imagine what the family must be feeling to see these images regurgitated again. The weight of the pictures forces one to think of Travis Alexander and all that was lost because of someone's selfishness. He was a good man with a life in front of him. Juan understands this impact but he forces one to look outside the box. There was a picture of Travis deceased in the shower. He drew attention to a clear, plastic drinking glass lying in the corner on its side in the shower. We, and the Jury, saw the glass. He left it at that and moved on to another piece of evidence.
Hours later, I realized what he was talking about. Travis' body was in the shower with multiple wounds on him. There was little to no blood on the shower floor.
"She" used the glass to wash him off after she dragged his body into the shower. It establishes and reinforces consciousness of guilt. Juan is methodically revealing her character and lack of empathy piece by piece. I pray the jury sees this because this truly is about Justice for Travis.
Jennifer Wilmont did virtually all the speaking for the defense side of the trial. The Cliff Notes version is that she spent entirely too much time talking about a bullet that she wants us to believe that Travis did not immediately succumb from using a case from 1848 to show a man lived for 12 years after having a tent pole go through his mouth and into the frontal lobe of the brain. My main issue with this is that it seems immaterial in that this has already been determined by a prior jury. It would seem to me that her focus needs to be on mitigating factors as opposed to a discussion on the manner in which Travis died.
Suffice it to say that the pace slowed to a crawl. She completed her work and the Jury was dismissed.
Suddenly, Judge Stevens asks if Beth Karas (HLN Legal Analyst) was in the courtroom and called her to the stand. I believe I remember this happening to Jean Casarus (sp) in the first trial when Juan Martinez autographed a walking stick.
Apparently, Juror #9 was outside smoking near a number of my fellow trial watchers. Beth Karas and her cameraman were doing some takes on film when someone realized that a Juror from the trial was near them. They gathered up their things and went inside to pass through security.
Juror #9 walked up to Beth Karas and asked her if she was Nancy Grace...
I was floored because my Juror experience is recent enough to know the rules like the back of my hand. The rules are simple. If one is a Juror on any trial, the only people you can talk to are your fellow Juror's. (You just can't talk about the trial to each other until the deliberation stage). One cannot talk with the attorneys of either side nor can one talk to a Judge on the trial you are part of. Certainly, I saw all participants in the DeVault trial. A smile and a nod of the head would suffice if one passed an attorney in the hallway or one happened to take the elevator down with the Judge.
The Jury is admonished every day. Do not speak to anyone, including the media, throughout the trial. Period.
Juror #9 was 86'd before court resumed for the afternoon.
The afternoon opens with Juan speaking to Dr. Horn. He asks a question or two.
Juan then walked from the floor and up the step to the witness chair where Dr. Horn was seated with his hands flat on the table in front of him.
Juan reached into his suit coat pocket and, quick as a flash, Faux stabbed the Medical Examiner with his pen...
Juan Martinez is brilliant, just brilliant!
See you tomorrow and don't forget to pick up "Brain Damage: A Juror's Tale - The Hammer Killing Trial." on Amazon.com
Thanks for listening!
Justice for Travis!
Phase 3 (Sentencing). "A Juror's Perspective." Written by: Paul Sanders The 13th Juror MD
Jodi Arias Retrial - Phase 3 (Sentencing). "A Juror's Perspective."
Justice for Travis.
Justice for Dale.
This was the third day of the retrial of Jodi Arias. This was the Friday, in loose court terms, of the first week of the trial. I feel empathy for the remaining Jurors and know the weekend will be long for them. I know that their heads are reeling from a week of completely unfamiliar territory for each of them.
If each Juror is doing as expected, their minds will feel like a rumbling Gerbil Wheel in their heads. They are not allowed to talk to anyone as to the events they have just witnessed. They are denied Facebook, Twitter and the ability to share their thoughts with their loved ones. They cannot listen to News radio nor watch CNN, HLN or even the evening news. Each will find things to do such as take their kids to school, work their jobs over the weekend, do some housework and get ready for Monday.
Three weeks ago, none of the Jurors knew they would be on a high profile Jury. Odds are, most of them have never been on a Jury before. This is a new, exciting, yet, intimidating experience. I can guarantee each wants to do the best job they can especially in the face of the tragic and horrific death of Travis Alexander.
I know how they feel because fifteen of us spent the better part of four months in the system's search for Justice for Dale Harrell, a victim who also died a horrific death. The stakes were as high as Arias as we completed three phases of the trial including the sentencing phase. I, with eleven others on our Jury, understand the weight of deciding life or death. Dale Harrell will always be in our hearts.
To this Jury, Travis Alexander will be in each of their hearts until they die.
The experience is intimate, close and intimidating.
I can imagine what is going through their heads this weekend. Their first day of trial seated in the Jury box must have been like a whirlwind. I know it was painful to see the effects of the brutal attack on Travis Alexander. The first day of the retrial, the Jury was shown 158 pieces of evidence by the Prosecution lead by Juan Martinez. It was a lesson in the murder of Travis Alexander - fast forward. I saw the looks on their faces and many could only look at the pictures on the screens as if taking small sips of water, careful not to look at these images too long. I know they will remember these images the rest of their lives. I hope they remember them clearly in the deliberation room and I suspect they will.
The second day of the retrial, each Juror met for their first morning together in the Jury room. Seventeen of them will struggle to remember each other's names. They will meet the Court Assistant, Janet, who also happens to be in charge of those who can be in the Gallery. She is really tough and a stickler for the rules. She is in charge of the Jury. I can only imagine how each Juror felt when they witnessed the immediate dismissal of a fellow Juror in the span of an hour. Juror #9 made the mistake of approaching the media. The mistake was magnified when her lack of a Juror Badge put the trial at risk.
I noticed that each Juror was wearing a Juror Badge today. Although I hesitate to say it, I don't believe I saw badges on everyone yesterday.
The Jury would have come in today and I bet the wrath of Janet was severe on them at the start of the morning. Janet gathers the Gallery seating people from a room on the first floor. If the number of public that arrives is beyond 20, a lottery is held. She gives us the rules in the morning and escorts us up to the courtroom. I will say that she was less than affable with us. Hence, I feel empathy for the Jury.
My impression of what the seated Jurors think of the Court personalities is fairly simple. They are impressionable and they are listening with open ears. I can bet they are bursting inside wanting to discuss what they have seen but know what can happen after the dismissal of Juror #9. None of them want to be in that position. It is frustrating not being able to talk to your fellow Jurors about the events that have been put in front of you.
I suspect they really like Juan Martinez. They like him because his evidence flows continually almost without pause. He keeps your attention and time passes quickly. He keeps the mind busy and working. The Juror's like him because he shows them things that they can touch and feel.
(The only thing I don't understand, speaking as a learned and experienced Juror in a similar position, is why don't I see the Jurors furiously taking notes?)
I also suspect they don't particularly care for the defense team of Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Wilmont. The flow of evidence does not feel tangible. The defense seems aggressive and this impression will alienate many Jurors quickly.
Jurors are selected for having a history of being a reasonable person. A reasonable person would see the picture that Juan Martinez is painting.
A Walmart Supervisor was on the stand today. Juan Martinez made her feel comfortable on the stand which is not to say that she was timid in any sense. She knew her job and she carried well as a witness.
Kirk Nurmi did his best to shake her and she didn't budge. She even remained friendly. She made it clear that there was no gas can returned at her Walmart as the defendant had claimed. Kirk Nurmi never broke her. Kirk Nurmi slammed his book on the defense table at the end of his questioning.
He just alienated the Jury and will have to work to build up their trust again. It's like the kid who flips the checkerboard over when he loses a game. Who wants to play that kid again?
The close of trial on day 3, the Friday in Court time, Judge Stevens called out Juror #17 and told that Juror to wait behind until she was spoken to privately.
This is not good for Juror #17. Our jury, in the Dale Harrell murder case, had times when Judge Steinle III needed to speak to us privately, usually the result of a Jury Question completed by a Juror and submitted to the Bailiff. At no time did the Judge call an individual Juror out in open Court.
Three days and three alternates potentially gone.
I imagine what each Juror must be thinking as they went home for the weekend leaving Juror #17 behind.
I know they will see images of Travis Alexander all weekend. They will wonder why they ever wanted to be a Juror to begin with. The sacrifice is surmountable but the Gerbil wheel in the brain will feel like it will never quit.
Believe it or not, they want Justice for Travis Alexander.
Let us keep them in our prayers.
I look forward to seeing you on Monday.
Paul Sanders
The 13th Juror MD
The 13th Juror MD
Day 4 - Sentencing "A Juror's Perspective" Written by: Paul A. Sanders, Jr. The 13th Juror MD @ The13thJurorMD (Twitter)
Jodi Arias Retrial - Day 4 - Sentencing "A Juror's Perspective"
I have to think that the Jury is on edge. Primarily, it seems like there has been a Juror concern each day. One must remember, they cannot talk about what happens in Court. The last two days featured a different Juror held back from the rest of the Jury. Today, it was juror #12, a mature gentleman that I would surmise to be in his late 50's or early 60's. He was held when the Court broke for lunch recess.
The first thing all of us did was to count seats when the Jury was reassembled for the resumption of testimony which was primarily from Detective Flores throughout the day. I mistakenly called Juror #12 as Juror #17 on my lunchtime Tweet. Simply enough, I have the jury counted beginning from the bottom row starting from the left to second row starting at Juror #10. My mistake. At least we know who Juror #12 is...
We spent the bulk of the day feeding and plowing through Jodi Arias lies that we are familiar with from the first trial. Much of this was done via interrogation tapes, tapes of phone calls and through the testimony of Detective Flores. There is a certain point where one no longer wants to listen to the defendant because nothing she says can be trusted.
I know the Jury feels the same thing. The Jury has seen the brutality of the death. They have seen the premeditation involved with the gas cans. They surely have become aware of her "Consciousness of Guilt" in her behavior after the murder by leaving messages on Travis Alexander's phone. They were surprised at her behavior when she called the police department feigning genuine concern. There were more than likely disgusted by hearing about the Iris' she gave Travis' grandmother for the funeral.
The similarities between this trial and that of Marissa DeVault, The Hammer Killer, never cease to amaze me. They both attacked completely innocent victims. They were prolific liars and their crime was almost beyond heinous.
Our Jury tired of DeVault's lies quickly. We were subjected to a five hour interrogation tape with Detective Tomory and the interrogation was truly brilliant in its ease and allowed DeVault to hang herself with her own words. The lying does not convict one of murder. The lying only shows a consciousness of guilt that makes a Jury angry. The images of the victim seem to be clarified by each lie told. They see Travis Alexander and they remember over 150 pictures of him and his brutal murder from the second day.
These Juror's will see the interrogation tapes in the deliberation room. There may be a Juror or two who needs to be convinced that the prior Jury made the right decision in premeditation. They will watch the tapes minute by minute until they are convinced of her guilt. We spent three days dissecting the DeVault Interrogation tapes and by the end, we were at each other's throats.
Travis Alexander will stand large in the deliberation room just as Dale Harrell stood tall in our deliberation room. Justice is slow and it is not easy on the Jury's minds.
Somebody said to me this morning that in regards to Jury issues, that Jurors are volunteers and they should know better than to approach the media. I beg to disagree that a Juror is a volunteer. The Jurors in this trial come from a pool of 400 citizens of Maricopa County. These folks did not volunteer. They were selected and each knows the responsibility of this trial. Fairness to the defendant balanced with justice for the defendant.
Lady Justice is blind folded and holds the sword of justice in one hand. In the other, she carries a scale. It is this scale and the weight of each side that they must balance. It is a greater responsibility than one can imagine until one sits in the seat of a capital murder trial and must make judgment whether for the victim or the defendant.
This stage of the trial is about aggravation and mitigation. Juan Martinez is doing an exemplary job of presenting the aggravating factors and I think the Jury sees it. A reasonable man or woman would see this. I trust our system enough to know that we have 17 reasonable people sitting in the Jury box.
Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Wilmont have a tough mountain to climb in contrasting Juan Martinez' powerful case. The mitigating factors are those factors that reduce the culpability of the defendant. They do not excuse the defendant and the Jury must decide if there is a preponderance of evidence that will reduce her culpability for this heinous crime. They must weigh this on the scale that :Lady Justice symbolizes.
I wonder when they will figure out that Jodi Arias has no mitigating factors...
Justice for Travis!
Justive for Dale!
Paul A. Sanders, Jr.
The 13th Juror MD @ The13thJurorMD (Twitter)
The 13th Juror MD @ The13thJurorMD (Twitter)