Paul Sanders "The Inside Out of Fear" #jodiarias


The Jodi Arias Death Penalty Retrial: A Juror’s Perspective

by The 13th Juror MD


DAY 28


“THE INSIDE OUT OF FEAR”

(This Perspective dedicated to a prayer and a candle for Detective Flores)

The jury would have been upbeat today as they arrived for the Jodi Arias death penalty retrial. Their mood was enhanced by the clear and crisp blue skies that had just been painted clean by the rains the night before. It may be accentuated by the fact that the activities of Super Bowl week are only blocks down the street with the temperature resting in the low seventies.

They are rejuvenated because they had just inundated the courtroom with twenty seven questions the night before. Each would have figured out that it averaged two questions a juror. The intensity of the questions was fuel for thought because so many were focused on details that could be considered favorable to the prosecution and Juan Martinez in this case. Most importantly, they were realizing that many were on the same page.

A juror is alone in his thoughts of a trial without the ability to share with anyone. It is one thing not to be able to talk to family, friends and co-workers about your experience, it is quite another not to be able to talk to your fellow lambs to the law. There are times that you want to explode inside but yield to the admonishment as quickly as you had the thought. The dynamic of having questions answered by the jury is a great communication on many levels.

The questions this jury asked created a bond among themselves. I understand the dynamic of this powerful tool because it happened to our jury in the death penalty trial of Marissa DeVault. The questions are akin to the release of steam after twisting a valve. Pressure goes down as jurors start realizing that the thoughts rolling in their heads are rational and others relate to it. It has an aspect of being both a confidence builder and self-empowering by having some sort of a hand in justice.

The jury waited in the “little” room while Kirk Nurmi voiced a legal objection to the Judge in respect to the first witness that the prosecution was going to put on the stand. He stood tall behind the defense table wearing a tan suit, Easter egg green colored shirt with a loud green patterned tie.

“I am objecting to this witness on a number of levels,” he said. It looked like he was reading from his legal pad which he held in one hand. “The fact that this witness is one who put his hand down the pants of my client to see if she was wearing a thong is objectionable in itself. This is despite her activities with the Mormon church. The jury does not need to be subjected to this.”

Kirk Nurmi paused and studied his notes for a moment. “The real concern here is that the defendant would be considered promiscuous. Furthermore, your Honor, we have not had time to review the testimony of this witness as disclosure was only a week ago,” he said as he sat down.

Juan Martinez stood up from his seat wearing a charcoal gray suit.

“Proceed,” Judge Stevens told him.

Juan speaks his case. One can tell the jury was not present because his affect was different. He spoke in soft tones without the command of an on-stage presence. It lacked being razor sharp in its intensity but did not fail to be less than succinct in point and cool in delivery.

“There are two aspects of requirements at issue. First,” he began carefully with one hand outstretched as he emphasized each point, “I would note that it is of significant concern of when the defendant contacted this witness. This witness is available to testify today. This is also substantive that the defendant said she was dabbling in the Mormon religion,” he explained. He reached down and picked up an exhibit.

The sheet of paper was Exhibit number 438 and contained a reference to a gentleman named Abe. It was a lengthy email that Arias had written to this witness. “This exhibit shows direct manipulation of Travis Alexander by the defendant,” he said as he put the exhibit back down.

Juan Martinez glanced at his legal pad and continued without pausing. “The next matter will be, “undergarments”, as relates to the witness and defendant. This witness can testify to the time they spent together in Palm Desert, California with a date that is significant of the defendant’s baptism in 2006. The defendant and witness made out in a Palm Desert mall. During this time, a reference was made to the defendant about a thong and magic panties. The defendant instead said the real magic was not in her panties. This happens when people go on a date. But, this is not a promiscuity issue as the defense contends.”

He sat down when he was finished while I tried to interpret this in my notes. Judge Stevens ultimately ruled, after some pondering, that reference could be made about hands going into the defendant’s pants but any mention of panties would be precluded. She would accept the comments of the defendant on her perception of her activities in the Mormon Church.

Kirk Nurmi vehemently proclaimed that the State’s case was nonsense. He further told the Judge that the State was sandbagging his case. The jury did not know that there was still a pending motion to the Court accusing the prosecution of misconduct by Juan Martinez and it looked to have the death penalty taken off the table should the court find merit in his case.

Juan Martinez did not look worried.

He stepped to the stage and waited patiently while the jury watched moments after they were sat late in the morning. Juan Martinez waited in the front of the prosecution table with one hand in his pocket and the other resting at his side. He looked occasionally at his shoes while the court went through the mechanics of swearing the witness in.

I saw the jury watching intently as everyone did in the courtroom. There is an aura of excitement in that the defense had rested earlier with little fanfare. It was left in the air whether the defendant would eventually testify based on an appeal of the recent Supreme court ruling regarding her alleged right to testify in secret.

The witness was wearing a blue suit, appeared middle aged with the distinguished feature of having a shaved head. He sat in the chair confidently and rested his elbows on the arms of the chair with his hands interlocked.

“What is your name, sir?” Juan Martinez asked crisply.

“Abe Abdelhadi,” he answered.

“Where are you from?”

“San Gabriel, California. I am from Pasadena,” Abe answered. His words were confident and his tone firm.

“Who do you work for?”

“I work for Legal Shield,” he answered.

Juan looked at him and queried. “Was Legal Shield known by another name at one time?”

“It was formerly called, PPL, or Pre-Paid Legal.”

“How long have you worked there and what do you do?”

“I have worked there over twelve years and am responsible for setting up legal plans for employee benefit programs,” he answered without emotion.

Juan Martinez quickly walked to the prosecution table and picked up an exhibit and placed it on the projector which displayed throughout the courtroom. “Let me show you Exhibit number 438. Did there come an occasion when you met the defendant, Jodi Arias?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“Do you see her in Court today?” Juan asked.

“I do,” he answered.

“Please describe her for us,” Juan commanded.

“She’s sitting over there to the left and she is wearing a white blouse with glasses,” he answered as he waved his hand toward her direction.

“Let the record show that the witness has identified the defendant,” Juan said.

I did not have to be in the jury box to know that they were engaged in the pace and the rhythm, not unlike watching a great tennis match with questions served and answers volleyed back quickly. They were being subjected to information fastidiously and without pause. It kept the note-takers busy while the rest watched in rapt attention.

It did not take long for Juan Martinez and the confident Abe to tell the story of his meeting Jodi Arias and the end results.

The first time that Abe met Jodi Arias was at a Pre-Paid legal function that recognized the top sellers, upcoming executives, of the company. It was an afternoon affair held on a Saturday in August of 2006. It was a fancy affair including lunch for a multitude of participants and a staged presentation in the late afternoon. Abe was seated in an exclusive “Executives Only” section due to his prior quarter’s outstanding performance. He was a single man.

At some point, he took note of Arias who was seated only three seats away and did not appear to be with anyone. He did not know her as one of the executives that the section was reserved for but overlooked its importance because he thought she was cute. He reached three seats across in the same row and exchanged handshakes with Arias while introducing himself. She seemed nice so they exchanged cards and personal phone numbers.

He called her a couple of days later. They spoke a few times over the months but there was some distance between the two so when an opportunity presented itself, they decided to meet for lunch in Palm Desert in November of 2006. He was going to be in the area for another Pre-Paid Legal function and looked forward to their meeting again. They had lunch in the early afternoon in a restaurant located in a mall. The lunch must have gone well because he felt there was a mutual romantic interest developing.

They agreed to meet again in December of 2006 and met in Pasadena, California. He took her to a restaurant, Mi Piace, an Italian restaurant he worked for a number of years prior. He thought, the restaurant being familiar, would be a great place for a casual date which he again looked forward to. The restaurant was decorated in a Christmas atmosphere since it was between holidays.

The two enjoyed a nice dinner. He consumed two drinks of Makers Mark Bourbon on the rocks throughout the meal while Jodi Arias chose not to drink anything alcoholic. They had a good conversation and left the restaurant an hour later. Since they were in no hurry to get home, they walked the quiet city streets until they found themselves in the Philosophy section of a Barnes and Noble Bookstore. Somewhere in the conversation, Jodi Arias had said that she “dabbled in Mormonism” when the topic of religion came up.

Abe walked Arias back to her car. They kissed passionately for ten or fifteen minutes with her leaning back on the car. In their passion, his hands went in the pants of Arias. They did not proceed further but another date looked possible on the horizon.

He called her the next day and left a voicemail. She made contact with him a short time later and said she was getting back with her ex-boyfriend. He was not attached to her so he thought little of it however he did have occasion to speak with her a few times on the phone up until February or March of 2007 primarily for Pre-Paid Legal business reasons. Her last few phone calls had turned personal when Arias began speaking at length about her relationship with Travis Alexander. He had suggested that, without knowing Travis, that it did not sound like “he was that into her”. It might be time for her to consider moving on.

The witness sounded like a reasonable and honest man. He was confident without being cocky. He was resolute and firm in his answers with enough humility that it carried as honesty. There is no doubt in my mind that the jury liked him as a witness although they may not have found him particularly enduring in warmth of personality. He was much like a business man busy in his task of answering questions accurately and to the point.

Juan Martinez was able to extract a story of a strange contact with Arias that the witness experienced with Jodi Arias eight or nine months after they had been out of touch. It was a contact from Arias to Abe that was considered an unpleasant exchange as he mildly worded it. Arias told Abe that Travis Alexander had found out about their date a year prior and he was upset about it.

This struck Abe strange in both its context and in its lack of importance in his life. They was no harm in dating anyone. At the same time, he knew that Arias had told Travis Alexander about their date because he did not discuss it with anyone. It was out of context because it had happened a year prior and Arias and he were barely acquaintances.

“We were discussing the letter, Exhibit number 438, dated February 18 of 2007. Are you familiar with this letter?” Juan Martinez asked him.

“I never received that letter,” Abe stated.

“How do you know, even though the letter has your name attached to it in the greeting, that the defendant did not send this to you?”

“I did not get it,” Abe answered.

“Would it be something that you would remember?” Juan asked.

“It is a long letter. I would remember a letter like that. Besides, my name is not in the address line.”

“This letter from the defendant talks about a hug you exchanged in Anaheim, California. Did you review the letter?” Juan Martinez asked.

“I did.”

“It does not mention the two of you making out in Pasadena, does it?” Juan asked, pausing.

“No, it does not,” Abe replied without emotion.

“I’m finished with this witness,’ Juan Martinez said as he made his way back to the prosecution table.

He sat while the Court waited momentarily for Jennifer Willmott to make her way toward the witness, just to the left of the pine colored podium. She set her legal paid down. She was wearing a bright blue business skirt suit with nude stockings and black high heels.

She began her questioning quickly after greeting Abe with a perfunctory, “Hi” which he answered in the same. She began questioning every aspect of his profession and his intent for visibility. The implication of her questioning was clearly in the direction of chipping away at the validity of the witness in both character and his motivations. She brought special attention to his reaching over three people to greet Arias the first time they met. It was soon made countered by Abe that the seats were empty despite the implications of Willmott.

“You continued calling her?” Willmott asked.

“Yes,” Abe answered.

“You set a date for dinner in Pasadena?”

“I did.”

“You went to a restaurant you used to work at?” Willmott asked. The inflection in her voice made it seem like it was cheapened in some way. Those in the restaurant business know that you will never get better service from a staff you once worked with. A reasonable person on the jury would quickly gather the same despite the tone.

“Yes,” he answered firmly.

“You had two drinks while you were with her?”

“I did.”

Jennifer Willmott paused as if she had just thought of something. “You remember having two drinks eight years ago?”

“Yes.”

“You remember a meeting that was only an hour or so?”

“Yes.”

Jennifer Willmott made it obvious that she was looking at her watch. “You had two drinks down in forty five minutes?”

“It was an hour or so,” he corrected her.

“You said you walked to Barnes and Noble and spent time in the Philosophy section? Am I right?”

“Yes.”

“You walked her to her car?”

“I did.”

Again, Jennifer Willmott paused as she tried to think. “You are seventeen years old than her, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” he stated. There was no concern in his voice and may have been just shy of nonchalance.

“You initiated this kiss, right?”

“She kissed back,” he answered.

“You hugged her?”

“Of course. It’s what people do when they go on a date.”

“You said you put your hand in her pants?”

“Yes.”

“Inside her pants?” she accused him. There was the inflection in tone that made romantic activities seem surly and dirty.

“You know what she was wearing underneath?”

“I do,” he answered.

“You leaned her up against a car, didn’t you?”

Abe’s face stayed as stoic as that of a juror. “I did.”

The jury liked Abe because he was consistent in his testimony. It did not fall apart under questioning but stood resolute in its appearance of truth. There is a point in time in a juror’s mind when they trust a witness and Abe proved he was trustworthy.

It was quite unexpected that Travis Alexander would suddenly make an appearance in the exchange between the defense attorney and the witness on the stand.

Abe was in Oklahoma City on a pre-Paid Legal Convention in 2008. He had heard the name of Travis Alexander in in his professional circles on occasion and came to know who he was from afar. He also knew him from his conversations with Arias from March of the year prior. The convention was busy and a lot of pedestrian traffic was moving about when Abe decided to use the restroom.

He remembers it as the only time he ever saw Travis Alexander. He was walking to a sink to wash his hands and he happened to look in the mirror to see Travis only feet behind him and one got the feeling their eyes connected for a moment. It was two strangers who would be inextricably linked in ways both would never understand simultaneously. Their faces were stoic and without emotion. Neither smiled at each other and maybe both thought that each was vaguely familiar but could not put their finger on how they might know each other. Neither said anything to each other and the moment passed as soon as it had appeared.

One wonders how often this chance meeting has crossed Abe Abdelhadi’s mind over the years. Does he wish they had said something to each other? Would he, were he to know the future, have done something to prevent Travis Alexander to continue an association with Arias as it would one day cost his life?
If he had known what the future told, there is no doubt he would have derailed the train that Travis Alexander was on. The fact was, neither could know the horrific direction the story would eventually take.

It is those thoughts over the years that may have given Abe the confidence to stand tall on the witness stand. He spoke for that moment in the restroom when he may have wished he could have said something and chose the witness stand to speak a truth that some people in the room denied existed.

He received a pummeling from Jennifer Willmott but her blows left little to no impact because Abe would not let them shake him. He took the abuse much the same as Travis Alexander had throughout the last few weeks of trial. He took it like a man.

When Jennifer Willmott attacked his character again by implying that his truths were questionable, he stood up in his words that were carried by the spirit of Travis Alexander. She went into great detail by reading the letter to Abe that Jodi had written to him. He listened patiently. She was headed back to get another document at the defense table when Abe simply stated without provocation or benefit of question.

“In an email that I did not receive,” he reminded her.

That is exactly what the jury will remember despite the defense team having it stricken from the record.

The court was dismissed for lunch and returned after a normal lunch hour. The jury was absolutely exited without showing it once it was announced that the state would be bringing Deanna Reid to the stand. This was a witness that the jury had heard about countless numbers of times and certainly had a visual in their heads of what this girl might look like. No one could forget the piercing question by a juror in anonymity when Dr. Geffner was asked if the defendant was aware that Travis Alexander had proposed to Deanna Reid in January of 2008. The jury was hungry for knowledge about her and she was a window into the victim, Travis Alexander.

Deanna Reid stepped to the stand wearing a black dress with a white blouse. She was a pretty girl of average height and seemed to carry a familiarity with getting on the stand. She settled in quickly and focused on the prosecutor.

Juan Martinez handled her no different than he had with the prior witness. There were no pleasantries and the direction of questioned was focused on obtaining information. The jury took notes while they learned that she had met Travis Alexander in 1998 while being involved in various church activities, the same circles that Travis was involved in.

“You began to date in 2000, right?” Juan asked.

“Yes, in April,” she answered. She sat straight in her chair, leaning slightly forward, with her hands resting comfortably in her lap.

“Did there come a point in time when you had to leave the country?” Juan Martinez asked.

“Yes. I went on a mission for the church in June of 2000 to Costa Rica.”

“Do you want to explain how that works? How a mission works?”

“You make a commitment to stay on your mission for the Mormon Church for a year and a half,” she explained. “You may contact your family on Christmas and Mother’s Day. Letters are acceptable at any time.”

“When did you come back from your mission?”

“I came back in November of 2001,” she stated.

“During the time that you were away, did you keep in touch with Travis Alexander?” Juan pursued. It was not obvious at first but his pace picked up and he started pacing as if he were working out a problem with her.

“We kept in touch through letters. We were still boyfriend and girlfriend despite our separation,” she stated.

“Did you receive a letter from Travis Alexander a few months prior to your return?”

“I did,” she answered. “He told me that he was dating someone else.”

Juan looked at his legal pad and changed direction as all of us had become used to. “Who is Vernon Parker?”

“He is a Bishop with the church,” she answered.

“Was Travis Alexander living at his residence when you came back in November of 2001?”

“No,” she answered. “He was living in an apartment.”

“When is it your understanding that he moved?” Juan Martinez asked. He stopped pacing and waited for her to answer.

“August of 2000,” she replied.

Juan put an exhibit that on the screens for all to see. It was the affidavit of witness number one. It featured the statements regarding who was living at the Bishop’s home and included the testimonial of a computer with pornography on it. Deanna looked at the statement very briefly. It referred to a date on January 18, 2001 and we remembered the modified statement saying the actual date of an incident may have been more than likely to have happened in November of 2000.

“I want you to read the reference in this statement that says you were restrained by the wrists, thrown on the couch and had a knee in your stomach,” Juan directed. “It also states that Travis Alexander screamed that he was not going to marry you. Do you see that?”

Deanna nodded her head. “I see that.”

“You are familiar with the names stated in this?”

“Yes,” she answered. She was looking at Juan Martinez with no attention being shown toward the screen hanging down

“This individual claims you were restrained. Were you restrained at all?” Juan asked as he took a step forward.

“No,” she answered.

“Did Travis Alexander touch you violently in any way?”

“Never,” she answered with firmness.

“Did he ever, at any point in time,” Juan asked earnestly, “hit, push or shove you?”

“No.”

“Did he hold you down?”

“No,” she answered quickly.

“Did Travis Alexander ever say anything about not marrying you?” Juan asked with another step forward.

“No, he did not.”

“He never held you by the wrists?”

“No, sir,” she answered.

“No more questions,” Juan said as he briskly walked back to the prosecution table.

It was immediately apparent when Jennifer Willmott began her interrogation of Deanna that there was a history of conflict. There was a tension everyone in the courtroom could feel as the attorney went into a full out assault in her accusing, by innuendo and tone, that Deanna was not truthful in some way. Their relationship clearly had a history and Willmott did not like Deanna any less than Deanna liked her. It was two cats in the same room with their backs arched and the hair standing on end. It was uncomfortable, terse and laden with sarcasm.

No one can say when the war started but the first shot was not fired by the attorney but by the witness who represented what was left of the memory of a man she might have married had circumstances been different. There was a clear sense that the witness on the stand carried the spirit of Travis Alexander every day since his murder. It was spoken not in anger but with passion and truth as she perceived it.

“The only one in this room that is being deceiving is you,” Deanna suddenly directed at Jennifer Willmott.

The questioning will continue in tomorrow’s proceedings.

It felt like the tide was changing. There was not only the fact that testimony moved quickly and effortlessly as Juan Martinez spoke for Travis Alexander, there was a subtle momentum change. It was a feeling that anger was being directed at the witnesses that were present for the day.

The defendant sits at the table with her looks of innocence.

Most cannot look at her and others cannot help but think that the anger arising from her side of the room is fear turned inside out. That fear is founded because, at the end of the day, should the course not change, somebody else is facing a death they will see coming.

The jury will leave for the day and the one thing they are still wondering is if the defendant is going to come back and testify…


“Every good relationship that develops as a result of this Trial is the
manifestation of the Spirit of Travis Alexander.”

Justice 4 Travis Alexander…

Justice for Dale…

Paul A. Sanders, Jr.
The 13th Juror @The13thJurorMD (Twitter)

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