After a very uneventful beginning from her defense, admitted killer Jodi Arias took the stand. When I first heard her name being called, I immediately was shocked. I honestly did not think that they were going to actually put her on the stand because of consistent lies Arias had told would now be front and center; especially the ones that have been played to the jury. Nevertheless there she was.
Clad in what has got to be her fiftieth pair of glasses, the first thing I noticed was how Jodi immediately glanced not at the audience, but over the audience. This shows me she was literally working to make sure she would be able to evade anybody’s eyes (especially the angry eyes of Travis Alexander’s family) other than the ones of her defense attorney.
Despite her defense’s statements, I in no way saw any nervousness; Jodi has always spoken softly and considering how many interviews she had, I am sure she has become a pro at answering questions. Immediately, she begins by attempting to explain one of the most media and case -heightened quotes: “No jury would convict me”. Blaming it on a planned suicide attempt, she then tries to hold back a few tears which I found disturbing since she seems to have had no problem crying so far; in my opinion those, like many others, were in no way, shape or form those viable tears at all.
She then begins into her past. To me there are two prongs of attempts by this conversation: 1. Make her human and 2. Make her more blameless. Personally, I call it the Casey Anthony attempt. The defense is trying to make Jodi Arias as much of a victim of circumstance as possible. This will (they hope) make it hard to flip the switch on the death penalty. By showing her an abused daughter and former lover to so many bad men, they attempt to make her a victim almost as much she made Travis one.
The second reasoning is what I call the blame everybody else agenda. This step is to add yet another barrier in between Arias and her perspective punishment. In addition to blaming Travis, they are now looking into blaming an abusive family and strange love life for the brutal attack.
In addition to this, the defense is also attempting to pepper their testimony of Arias with reasoning for the attack. The attack was both self defense as well as a battered and beaten woman who just couldn’t take being attacked anymore. In all, through her history of daddy’s belts and boyfriends, the defense is attempting to both make her human and, more importantly, lacking the ability to be blamed for her actions on that horrific day. This Hail Mary to me shows how much the defense realizes they have bitten off way more than they can chew.
Personally, I believe the testimony was a cold discussion about the person the press doesn’t seem to get enough of cloaked in the attempts I just dissected. The defense is pulling at straws; I just pray the last one will be the one that calls for justice.