04-23-2013, 12:28 PM
(04-22-2013, 08:57 PM)HairOfTheDog Wrote: I wouldn't have sympathy for her either, heartbreaker. I don't think the defense has come anywhere near proving that Travis Alexander physically attacked Jodi over a camera drop and she had to kill him to save herself (and then overkilled him due the effects of being a battered and then covered it up because she was suffering from PTSD). I'd be surprised if any jurors believe the self defense claim and fail to find her guilty of first degree murder. I too think Martinez's closing will be very strong; looking forward to it.
But, like others have expressed here, I've been unpleasantly surprised before. Still reeling from the Casey Anthony verdict. I hope we're not surprised again with the Arias verdict.
Much less confident about the sentencing than the verdict. I don't think it should matter that Jodi has been diagnosed with BPD during sentencing deliberations. The disorder doesn't prevent people from knowing right from wrong; instead they often feel irrationally justified and entitled in their extreme reactions to anger and perceived rejection. I just fear that there will be at least one juror who will view any mental disorder as a mitigating factor when deciding life or death, regardless of how they're advised; hope to be wrong.
Life without the possibility of parole would still be a win for the prosecution, imo. But, hope to see Arias isolated on death row instead of having the opportunity to continue manipulating the prison population (especially since the Alexander family wants the death penalty).
I also wanted to mention that when i said i wouldn't have sympathy for her having BPD i actually stated that without even thinking about the murder. I just don't have sympathy for people when they don't get help, there are a lot of people out there with mental illness or diseases and there are a lot of people out there that either choose to get help or are able to get help through the direction of others. And when other people choose not to it really gets under my skin. I firmly believe that Arias knew there was something wrong with her, deep down inside she knew there was something wrong with her. I guess i feel you know when you aren't on the right "railroad tracks' with everyone else you know you aren't humming the same song. She could have gone to a doctor to just talk and from there things could have progressed but she didn't and this was before travis.
i also put some of this on her mother. If people were coming to her mother saying your daughter needs help or something isn't right and she just sat there, then she knew something wasn't right. She didn't protect her daughter from herself, she didn't protect society from her and she didn't get her the help she needed. Even with the help it doesn't mean she wouldn't have gone off her meds or still done what she did but at least it would have been one step in the right direction instead of doing nothing and enabling Arias to just do what she continued to do which was live as she chose to do, with not much consequence. She kind of reminds me of the runaway bride, she changes and morphed herself to who ever she was dating and their preferences.
I also am worried about the sentencing more verses the verdict but i will be happy with life in prison either way. I am thinking she will be kept away from many people because of the popularity of her case and safety issues but i could be wrong. She has had quite a few write ups in jail so it has proven that she has had issues in jail, i also wonder as details of her trial (sexual exploits, phone sex call, etc) become known in jail if she would become more of a target in jail and if they wouldn't seclude her more because of that. Even if Arias was on death row she would manipulate people there too, it is what Seeing what we see of her as we do i wouldn't be surprised that if she was sentenced to death that she would do a glamour shot type hairdo going in to the chambers or something ridiculous and her last sentence would be a quote from Travis and how she is going to finally be with him or something like that. she is narcissistic and really thinks she is going to get off.
Has anyone else noticed that she doesn't watch the jury as much when they walk out, she is too busy talking to her attorney (female) or the other one with really short hair that sits in the back when she hurries up front. Before she would try really hard to make eye contact with each one and not say a word and now she can't stop talking to her attorney, something much sure be important.