Jodi Arias Sentenced to Life in Prison

Jodi Arias and Casey Anthony have a few things in common.  Both are young beautiful women, both had little to no criminal records, both are liars, both are manipulative, both were charged with Premeditated Murder in the First Degree, both had media trials, and both were declared the most hated woman in America!

That actually is not much when you consider the fact that Casey Anthony was found Not-Guilty and set Free and Jodi Arias was found Guilty and sentenced to Life in Prison!

Now you may not agree with that last part, because you have not heard it on the other news channels yet.  However, if you consider the facts in a logical way, you will see that Life in Prison is already a done deal!

Casey Anthony

Somewhere in the middle of the Casey Anthony trial I told friends and associates that Casey was Not-Guilty.  Wow, I got a truck load of criticism.  However, it seemed obvious to me that Casey did not commit Premeditated First Degree Murder.  Chloroform was always talked about, over and over.  Plus let’s not forget the loose duct tape on Caylee’s remains.  The coroner could not prove a cause of death.  Although chloroform was sometimes used to commitment murder, virtually everyone knew that chloroform can be used to subdue a person for things like robbery and rape.  Casey wanted to party.  It was convenient to use this chemical babysitter to knock Caylee out so Casey could go party.  Casey may have even thought it was safe – we will never know.

Nonetheless, in the middle of the trial it was obvious to me that Caylee died of an accidental or at least unintentional overdose of whatever Casey was using to make her sleep.  It seems obvious to almost everyone that Caylee died as a result of Casey’s actions.  However, it was not premeditated murder.  The prosecution failed to prove Casey planned to kill Caylee from the beginning.  After that, all the lies and stuff were just a coverup for what Casey did.  Casey was acquitted of Premeditated Murder, she was not acquitted of causing Caylee’s death.  A fine line distinction that even today people do not see.

Jodi Arias

Jodi Arias was a completely different story.  Where as we did not know who killed Caylee or how, with Travis Alexander we knew how he died, his body and crime scene told us.  We also knew Jodi did it – she told us so at the start of the trial.  The gas cans and other things showed us she planned something.  It seemed, and was, a slam-dunk case.

Convicting Jodi was simple enough – we all knew she did it.  Really, how many times can you kill a guy in self-defence?

The Rock

It reminds me of a scene from the movie The Rock:

[after Mason has killed a bad guy, the corpse’s foot twitches]

Stanley Goodspeed: You’ve been around a lot of corpses. Is that normal?

John Mason: What, the feet thing?

Stanley Goodspeed: Yeah, the feet thing.

John Mason: Yeah, it happens.

Stanley Goodspeed: Well I’m having a hard time concentrating. Can you do something about it?

John Mason: Like what, kill him again?

Killing Travis Alexander

Jodi seemed pretty intent on killing Travis Alexander, stabbing him in his front, including his heart, stabbing him in the back, cutting his throat to the bone, and shooting him in the head.  Is that 3, or 4 ways, to kill in self-defence?

Death Penalty for Women

The State or Arizona has 122 people on death row.  Only two are women.  Fifty percent of the Arizona women on death row were put there by the prosecutor of Jodi Arias, Juan Martinez.  Juan Martinez  already had one woman on death row and was making a name from himself trying to put another woman there.

Arizona death row had a third woman, but her conviction was recently overturned.  Taking a look at what these three women did to get on death row reveals some about how juries decide these cases.  Two of the three were there for killing children, the third for killing her helpless, terminally ill, invalid husband.  Notice that in all cases, the woman killed someone most would consider helpless and innocent.

Travis was neither!

Travis was big, strong, he could fight back.  Many even question how little Jodi could do what she did?  Travis was not a helpless invalid or a young child.

Beyond that, consider the jurors…

Will You Kill Jodi?

When the jury heard closing arguments, Jodi’s lawyer, Jennifer Willmott, citing Arias’ mental health problems and lack of a criminal record among the reasons to spare her life.

“The question now before you is: Do you kill her?  Do you kill her for the one act that she did, the one horrible act, or can you see that there is a reason to let her live?  Can you see that there is value in her life?” she said.

Jodi was only 27 when she committed this crime.  She had not criminal record before it, a near perfect record in jail.  It comes down to one act, one horrible hour in a 27 year life that was otherwise law abiding and largely uneventful.

As much as we hate her for the lies and deceit, being a juror and sending a living breathing person to die, is something most normal people do not want to do.  It is like the fact that if you are killed in your own home, it will likely be with your own gun.  The reason is when you get the drop on the criminal, you have the gun cocked, loaded, the safety is off… At that moment you realize this is someone’s child, perhaps someone’s father or mother and normal people usually do not pull the trigger and end that life.

Seven Hours To Dead Lock

I remember serving on a jury in a case of robbery on a guy high on PCP.  The whole case was put on my the prosecution.  There was little defence.  But the defence lawyer asked us to really consider it and to sleep on it.  We did.  We talked about it all afternoon.  Went home. Came back in the morning and talked another half hour, then voted. Guilty – curiosity over came us and someone asked if anyone was unsure when we can in yesterday. NO!  We were always sure, we just did not want to rush because of what the defence lawyer said.  We talked it over for 5-6 hours and we were all sure from the start he was guilty.

The Jodi Arias Jury

The Jodi Arias Jury needs to feel good about killing Jodi – but how?  We took 5-6 hours to decide something we were sure about and felt was right.  They took seven hours and came back hopelessly deadlocked!  Some wanted her to die and some likely felt they could not pull the trigger!  They could not choose death.  Life in prison vs death is a moral issue.  The life in prison is a stronger moral conviction than death.  Therefore…

If the jury delivers a sentience,
it will be life in prison.

The Hung Jury

Another possibility is a hung jury.  If a juror holds out for death and will not change to life in prison, there will be a deadlocked jury.  The jury will be done and go home, but that assures Jodi will get life in prison… here is why.

New Jury

To proceed for a death sentence, the court and the Prosecution has to come up with a new jury who basically knows nothing about this trial.  To make it worse, they need to be Americans! (No remote island tribal people from the Survivor TV show wearing Jodi’s Survivor Tee Shirts!)

Where are you going to find Americans who know nothing about this case?  How many months will that take?

Lawyers of Jodi

Jodi’s lawyers have wanted out of this case – now nothing will stop them – and you need to find someone to replace them!  Plus, you need to bring those lawyers up to speed by allowing them a half year to study the case.

Alexander Family

Although the Alexander family wants to see Jodi die, to continue this push for the death penalty means to extend their pain.  Sending Jodi away for a lifetime in prison is a closure.  They can live with it – they have a justice.

It Is Over!

Then the Alexander family can grieve or Travis, and begin what healing they can, knowing Jodi is paying.  Justice is served.

A Threat to Society

One thing the Prosecution must consider is the safety to Society.  With Jodi’s naked beauty, she may still be a threat to other men!  However, a Jodi at the age of 72 after 40 years in prison, will not be as appealing.  Even after only 20 years, she will be 52, and a harden ex-con.

Juan Martinez knows this is a slam dunk – a done deal – just take death off the table and he is the winner!

The Cost

One last factor is the cost.  Time, money, man p0wer.  It all cost.  The Prosecution is no longer trying to get a criminal off the streets, they would be seeking vengeance.   At least one Jury thought life in prison was enough.

Jodi Arias Sentenced to Life in Prison

Because of all the reasons above, Jodi Arias is Sentenced to Life in Prison.

It is a done deal.