I'll be honest I hadn't looked at it that way, but you know Carmelita I think you could be right about Travis, possibly having his eyes and world opened to perhaps more interesting sex - for want of a better expression. I remember listening and watching her previous boyfriend in the witness box, and thinking to myself, how did she get him - he was good looking, and respectable, at least that's how it seemed to me. He was in a full time relationship with her, they owned a house together in California, and if memory serves me, she was the one who brought Travis to their home as friends, then of course they split eventually, when she became involved with Travis and wanted to convert to the Church of Latter Day Saints - again, another reason seeking respectability as a future with Travis - I did think that at the time I heard it.

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

Hi Wroughead,

I thought Jodi met Travis at work ? I don’t know for sure though. And I didn’t know that she owned a house with another boyfriend? I would guess that he owned the house and she shared it with him. Jodi was a waitress and was short of money often. I do remember her claiming to have given Travis money, which would be a very odd scenario if you ask me, given their job/economic situations. I think she did have a low entry level Job for a while where Travis worked.


Anyhow, Jodi’s whole reality is so skewed it is hard to know what the truth of their relationship was, that she was an incessant pursuer of Travis seems to be a fact. That he used her body seems to be a fact. Was there anything that bound them other than Jodi’s manipulations (I consider her becoming Mormon one of her manipulations), Jodi’s willingness to be used as little more than a depository and Travis’s willingness to be with someone he considered little more than an unpaid whore? I don’t really think so. I do believe Jodi thought that after the “sexual revolution” Travis experienced with her that Travis would be snared for life. The irony is that it seems she thought debasing herself to win Travis would end up elevating her in the eyes of the community, just because she was on Travis’s arm in public.


Perhaps the seed of murder began to grow when she realized that all she was to Travis was a “3 hole wonder.” The sad part is, that is all she ever presented herself to Travis as, I don’t think she ever loved him, again I think he was simply a means to an end. Travis told her she was a whore in one of the recordings, I am sure that he said worse things to her in conversations that were not preserved.

Not worse in that Travis was not correct in what he was saying, worse in Jodi’s warped mind because Travis saw the reality of Jodi’s manipulation, and, that was a direct threat to Jodi’s pursuit of other prospects in her quest for a husband who would bring her the status and respectability she sought.

That all begs the question why would he allow her into his home on the night of the murder? I think that goes to the old saying, “You don’t pay a prostitute for the sex, you pay her to leave.” Jodi showed up at his door offering her services and Travis expected he could indulge in the pleasures of the flesh and like a good whore Jodi would leave soon after. It seemed that soon Travis would be entering back into the world of “proper sex” so what would be more alluring than a final romp in debauchery.

It doesn’t appear that there was anything to their relationship other than sex.

_________________
If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

I followed the trial closely at the time, I can't remember now without having to look it all up - but she was a waitress, but for some of her time, she was not a waitress - she met her boyfriend at work - they both worked for the same company, dated, then moved in together and shared the mortgage, that detail I recall very well indeed, some other stuff I'd need to go right back to the beginning of the trial to tell you about when she met Travis.

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

You are right, Jodi was a co owner of a home, she was also a saleswoman for prepaid legal and did her photography but I don't know if she made any money with photography.

http://crime.about.com/od/current/a/jodi_arias.htm

_________________
If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

Hi Carmelita, I have just been so busy this week which was why I couldn't dig all the info out - but you've found it. I do recall she was doing the photography too, and you're right she made no money from it, certainly not a living.

I thought i would add this link for you - this was taken after Darryl Brewer (who has a son from another relationship prior to meeting Jodi) had testified at her original trial, sort of explains itself.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/2 ... 13046.html

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

Thanks for the article and the conversation.

Interesting. I would love to know why he was not called upon in the sentencing phase, if it was Jodi's insistence, some half witted defense ploy, or maybe Juan had something to render Brewer's testimony moot. I don't believe for a second Brewer was not called to the box because of death threats.

From your article

"No one can condone this heinous crime [but] I don't believe in state killing," Brewer said. "Jodi needs some help and she should not be let back into society.”

Brewer is anti death penalty which makes his testimony to spare Jodi’s life ideological at its base even if he did know a different Jodi. Maybe Nurmi knew that if Juan asked Brewer if there was ever a crime that deserved the death penalty, Brewer would have said no. Maybe there were electronic communications discovered that would have made Brewer's view of a "different Jodi" just another lie propagated by the defense.

I read a little bit about Brewer and I have no doubt that he is earnest in his belief or even knowledge that Jodi’s outward behavior changed when she met Travis. But I also have to think about what Brewer offered, he was 20 years Jodi’s senior, when he left, Jodi lost the house, and even before that she was not keeping up her end of the finical bargain. I suspect his age and income offered Jodi a bit of what she was seeking in Travis. Status and respectability. I think Brewer may have seen Jodi with rose colored glasses. That is of course just speculation on my part.

The other article states that Jodi told Brewer that she no no longer wanted a physical relationship because of her new found faith in the way of Mormon, yet in the same breath she was having a breast augmentation. One of my very best friends is a Mormon and there is no way someone earnestly living the faith of “modesty” would entertain the idea of a breast augmentation. I think more than likely the Mormon faith was just an out of a relationship that Jodi thought was keeping her from stepping up into a more satisfying relationship with Travis.

I would consider Jodi's time with Brewer as treading water and when she saw more inviting water she started swimming. She was it seems financially dependent on him to some degree, I'm sure he stoked her ego. He was 20 years older than her and probably happy to have a younger woman who was probably quite a romp in the sack.

Maybe I am flat out wrong. I am a skeptic of everything Jodi does or did do, I think she is a self serving narcissist. Again I go back to the premeditated cold hearted calculation of her crime, her complete lack of remorse, and the vileness of a person who would forge letters to make someone she butchered appear to have been a pedophile. She can rot.

_________________
If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

I too am skeptic about a lot of things, and about Jodi. I do genuinely think that Brewer cared very deeply for her at one time, that mixed with his obvious loathing of the death penalty, does not surprise me in his outlook. It has to be said, however, that his prime interest during his relationship with Jodi and after, was his [then] little boy, I can't recall how old, but he was very young, so that had to come first with him, and Jodi would be aware of that, indeed she liked the child and apparently got on well with him.

I agree about the breast thing, there is no way on this earth, a woman who is, or wants to be a member of the Mormon faith would ever consider such a thing.

I am very curious to see how this all plays out, and can only assume that at some point we may get to hear whatever is being so hushed up in that courtroom - we can but hope!

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

Trial kicks off again. More crap about media access

Michael Kiefer@michaelbkiefer
The defense attorneys and Juan Martinez are here; the media attorneys, David Bodney and Chris Moeser aren't. #JodiArias motion to open court

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I'm curious to see how it plays out also. And I am happy to hear that Brewer put his son first.

So the attorneys for the media are there. I would love to know what is going on inside Jodi's brain and why she doesn't want it to all be televised this time around.

_________________
If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

Media allowed back in court when trial resumes....

Cathy@courtchatter
Now it's official! The media is back in the courtroom in #JodiArias. BUT...will #JodiArias continue to testify?

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Mark Henle@HenleMark

#JodiArias looks at jury entering courtroom Monday. The lawyers are back Tues. at 1:30. The jury is off until Wed.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I have to say that I recently refreshed myself with this trial and looked at a couple of the youtube videos at various trial stages, and the thought occurred to me again as it did when I watched the first trial live - I did not think much of her defense counsel, my opinion is the same now.

Also worth noting that as an unmarried Mormon, Travis would have been expected to be a virgin, as would his girlfriends - wow they sure didn't keep up that end of the bargain.

_________________
Since we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our minds, our one duty is to furnish it well~Peter Ustinov

Melissa Silberberg@MeeBee23

now Nurmi pitches a fit and declares no more witnesses will be called.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

I will defer to you Wrough, what I did watch of Nurmi and Willmott was not impressive. Strikingly bizarre was Willmott's argument that Travis could feel no pain once he was dead so that was a mitigating circumstance

And I think Juan was annoyed with the amateur hour also, I might look for the point where Juan says something about the defense attorneys wanting to put a "few more pennies in their pockets" and there was a visceral reaction from both Nurmi and Willmott, if I remember correctly Willmott's jaw actually dropped. I do cut the defense team some slack because I cannot image a more nightmarish client than Jodi.

_________________
If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

Rumpole, Nurmi reminds me a little of the poor chap in (I think it was in "And Justice for All") he got a child murderer or molester off and the guy went out and reoffended, the attorney who got him off slowly went mad. I think it started with shaving his head and then running about the court naked.

_________________
If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

Not familiar with the reference.. I though Nurmi and Willmott did surprising well at first trial.. look who they had for a client and Jodi was playing up even back then and didn't help. Nurmi has tried to quit AND Jodi has tried to fire him... so I have some sympathy for him

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

“And Justice for All” is a famous American movie starring Al Pachino as an ethical attorney. Al’s partner goes crazy after a murderer he got off on a technicality murders 2 children. My reference is to Nurmi’s haggard appearance after his time spent with Jodi.

I was not impressed with Nurmi or Willmott but I didn’t see most of the trial. Something I will never forget is Willmott giving a smug look after saying that Travis could feel no pain after he was dead. Granted Jodi was a nightmare of a client but there is not enough pennies in the world that could assuage my soul to say something like that in courtroom were Travis’s family sat.

Maybe Jodi was such a poor client it is impossible to weigh Nurmi and Wilmotts adequateness as attorneys. Kind of like trying to convince someone that a two headed man has one head and not being side tracked by the fact that your client really does have 2 heads.

_________________
If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

By the way, I think you would really like "And Justice for All."

_________________
If your mind is agitated you will find agitation everywhere. Where else will you find peace if not within you? __ Papaji

Court: Judge can't shut out media from Jodi Arias trial

PHOENIX — A three-judge panel of the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled in favor of The Arizona Republic, 12 News, and other media outlets to keep a Maricopa County Superior Court judge from closing the court during testimony in the Jodi Arias trial, at least for now.

The panel granted a stay to the media, which means that Judge Sherry Stephens cannot exclude the public and the media from testimony until the Court of Appeals rules on a special action filed by the media. A special action is an expedited appeal.

On Thursday, Stephens ejected the media before a witness for Arias testified. Several media outlets immediately appealed to the Arizona Court of Appeals, alleging that the exclusion violated the U.S. and Arizona Constitutions and the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure.

...more at link
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nati ... /18450799/

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Trial resumes Wednesday

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light