Thursday, February 28, 2013

Arias trial on TV

I posted below about the Jodi Arias trial, but I did not realize that the trial was televised on Tru-TV.

I still think that Arias will be convicted of first-degree murder, but I am not as impressed with the prosecutor as the TV commentators. Arias has been testifying in her own defense for 2 weeks. The prosecutor keeps pressuring her, asking argumentative and tricky questions, and trying to put words in her mouth. She is holding up under the pressure pretty well. If he gets her to crack, then I guess it will have been a good strategy, but I don't think she is going to crack.

Arias admits to shooting and stabbing her lover, and her excuses are lame and contradictory. If I were the prosecutor, I would just let her tell her story, and try to extract as many details as possible. There is no story she can tell that makes her innocent.

Update: Here is a sample of the argumentative cross-examination:>
Martinez: And you don't know what he is doing in this period of time that he is out there, right?
Arias: Uhmm.
Martinez: Yes, or no, do you know what he is doing when he is out there?
Arias: Specify which period of time which you are referring to.
Martinez: The period of time you're not seeing him -- you don't know what he is doing.
Arias: That is correct.
Martinez: And this is a period of time that allows you for comtemplation, or to think, right?
Arias: If I was in my right mind, yes.
Martinez: Well, I am not asking you whether or not you were in your right mind, was I?
Arias: No.
Martinez: I was asking you whether or not you had time to think?
Aria lawyer: Objection, asked and answered.
Judge: Overruled.
Arias: I may have had time -
Martinez: (interrupting) Did you just tell us ...
Prosecutor Martinez should have gotten a lot more objections. This is sloppy questioning.

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