Breann Cooper
- http://flic.kr/p/dUR7B5
Jodi Arias is currently standing trial for the June 4, 2008, murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in his Mesa, Arizona home. Arias admits now to stabbing Alexander 29 times, slitting his throat from ear to ear, and shooting him once in the head but claims self-defense. She also says that she has no recollection of the actual murder and the events leading up to the murder are foggy. Although Arias first claimed innocence explaining that two masked intruders had broken into the house killing Alexander and allowing her to go, she could give no explanation as to why she did not contact authorities in that scenario alerting them to Alexander’s situation.
Defense expert psychologist Richard Samuels testified that Arias had PTSD early in the trial saying that is why the events leading up to and the actual murder where foggy or non-existent. Another expert for the defense, domestic violence expert Alyce LaViolette testified that Alexander was an abuser and Arias was forced to kill him in self-defense.
The Arizona v. Arias trial reached its fiftieth day on Thursday, April 18, 2013. Prosecution psychology expert Janeen DeMarte was on the stand answering questions from the jurors. Arizona is one of the few states that allow the jury to ask questions of witnesses in order to clarify testimony. DeMarte diagnosed Arias with “borderline personality disorder.”
According to HLNtv.com DeMarte compared a person suffering from this type of disorder to “an immature teenager with identity issues.” DeMarte also discredited Samuels during cross examination.
“During the fight or flight response the brain will usually record something,” Demarte said.
Samuels had stated early in the trial that Arias’ PTSD was likely behind the memory loss of the murder.
DeMarte also testified that giving gifts and spending too much time with the person a psychologist is evaluating can lead to bias and cross the line from evaluation to therapy which can lead to more bias and sympathy and skewing of results, referencing a self-help book Samuels had given Arias and the forty hours LaViolette had spent with her.
The trial resumed Tuesday, April 23, 2013 with the prosecution’s rebuttal followed by the defense’s and then the closing arguments. The trial looks to last into May. For more on the Arias trial catch the live blog at hlntv.com.
photo http://flic.kr/p/dUR7B5