Thursday, April 11, 2013

Jury Questions for Alyce LaViolette

92 jury questions for Alyce LaViolette on April 11, 2013. Transcribed from the video and numbered in the order as they are read by Judge Sherry Stephens:


video: Jodi Arias trial videos from @croakerqueen

Ms. LaViolette the jurors have some questions for you. I'm going to ask them in the order they were submitted by the jury.

1. You stated that you read journal entries done during the time Jodi was with Travis. Did you read entries from any earlier time frames?

2. If you had read entries from the earlier time frame do you feel it may have given you a better picture of Jodi?

3. Did you read or view any interviews involving Travis' friends and family?

4. What did you learn about Travis?

5. Do you think that Jodi could have lied to you to help her case? (0:03:47)

6. Could Jodi have exaggerated to help her case? (0:05:45)

7. Is it possible friends and family may have embellished in an effort to help her? (0:06:20)

8. What did you discover about Travis when looking at emails, texts and instant messages to other women? (0:07:20)

9. Is it common for women in abusive relationships to snap and commit violent acts against long standing perpetrators? (0:09:50)

(after sidebar) Can you answer that question yes or no, without elaborating? (13:45)

(the question is repeated, LaViolette says "it is not easy to answer in a yes or no" and the question is skipped)

10. We have heard multiple times from the defense the terms 'survivor' and 'victim' used together. Is it possible for the survivor to be the perpetrator? (0:14:05)

(LaViolette asks if it is a "yes or no" and the judge says "it is a yes or no, do you need to elaborate?", she says that she does and the judge says "you may")

11. We have seen and heard that Jodi has kicked her mother, slapped her mother, has been angry with her mother and even called her sister stupid. Would this characterize Jodi as an abuser? (0:15:35)

12. Why would a perpetrator be abusive in one relationship but not another? (0:16:40)

13. Have you ever seen situations where victims kill their partners because they see no other way out? (0:18:48)

(objection as LaViolette begins to discuss a case, sidebar, judge moves to next question without explanation)

14. Is it conceivalbe that a woman could kill her partner just to get away from the abuse? (0:21:00)

15. Have you seen relationships in which abuse has escalated on both sides? where the individuals are both victim and perpetrator? (0:21:18)

16. Is it possible that Travis and Jodi were in this type of relationship? (0:21:55)

17. If Jodi slapped and kicked her mother in the past could she be seen as a perpetrator? (0:23:15)

18. Because of possible consequences do you feel it is possible that Jodi could be exaggerating abuse events? (0:23:48)

19. Could Jodi and Travis, for example, fit somewhere around the high conflict and abuse columns in your matrix but then by exaggerating events make it appear that they as a couple lean more towards battering and terrorism? (00:24:22)

20. How does it affect your assessment when you do not have the whole story from both individuals? (0:25:26)

21. In your opinion is it possible that Jodi could have also been a perpetrator in her relationship with Travis? (0:26:55)

22. Is it possible Jodi could be guilty of psychological abuse towards Travis given that we are not privy to the majority of their conversations? (0:27:15)

23. Could any of Travis' actions be considered defensive rather than abusive? (0:28:10)

24. Can two children facing identical abuse situations end up handling those situations very differently as they become adults? Can you explain how and why? (0:29:00)

25. You talked about great differnces in the stories of victims versus perpetrators. Does it concern you at all that you can't get a full and complete story from Travis? (0:31:12)

26. If a person starts out a relationship with low self esteem and does things he or she does not neccessarily like or want to do, is their partner considered abusive if those dislikes are never verbalized or shared? (0:31:55)

(prosecutor objects during her answer, judge moves on to the next question)

27. How quickly can abuse escalate from the first time two people meet? (0:32:45)

28. Prior to Lisa Andrews and Jodi Arias do you know who Travis Alexander's girlfriend was? (0:33:30)

29. Can you describe some details of that relationship to the best of your knowledge? (0:33:42)

30. A lot of your testimony has been based on what Jodi has told you. It has been proven that Jodi has lied multiple times since killing Travis. How are you able to know everything she is saying is truthful? (0:34:57)

(prosecution objects during her answer, judge repeats the last part of the question, LaViolette points out that the first part referred to what she based her testimony on, judge allows her to continue)

31. Did you ever see any proof that Travis physically abused Jodi? (0:37:10)

32. Isn't it possible that Jodi did not write some of those incidents in her journal because they never happened? (0:37:32)

33. According to the conflict scale, would Jodi be put in the aggresive group if she slapped and kicked her mother? (0:37:50)

34. Have any of your patients ever killed their partner? (0:38:25)

(LaViolette answers with one word, "yes")

35. Are you able to confirm whether or not Jodi abused Travis? Would you say it was a possibility? (0:38:37)

36. Would you classify Mr. Alexander and Ms. Arias relationship as a love hate relationship? (0:39:20)

37. How does a love hate relationship impact the parties over time? (0:39:38)

38. The violence level of Jodi's response to neutralize what she perceived as a threat was extreme and way beyond neutralizing the threat. In your experience is this response consistent with what a victim of abuse would do? (0:40:37)

39. Other than Jodi's word, what evidence do you have that Jodi ever received Spider-Man underwear or the pink t-shirt from Travis? (0:41:55)

40. Has Jodi continued to write in her journal after June 4, 2008? (42:28)

41. Can you please provide the time frame in which you evaluated Jodi? (0:42:42)

(judge asks her to clarify time frame "in terms of dates")

42. Regarding the argument in the car between Jodi and Travis in March of 2008, you stated that Travis slapped her across the "face"? Is that exactly what Jodi told you? (0:44:20)

43. Please state how confident you are that Jodi did not lie to you. (0:44:50)

44. You described a vague connection between Mr. Alexander's childhood and his behavior. Can you describe this connection for us? (0:45:58)

45. In the April 2008 incident you stated Jodi did not fight back because she did not want to hurt Travis. Are you saying she would rather lay there and possibily die than fight back? (0:48:20)

46. Just because a person may appear to be controlling does that automatically mean they are physically abusive? (0:49:10)

47. Are you aware if any of Travis' ex-girlfriends besides Jodi have said Travis was physically abusive towards them? (0:49:35)

48. Is it possible that the instant message between Jodi and Travis on May 10, 2008 regarding his temper was a running joke between the two of them? (0:49:50)

49. In the May 26, 2008 text messages and instant messages between Travis and Jodi, if Jodi was that upset with what Travis was saying to her, why didn't she stop talking to him right then? (0:50:08)

50. Other than Jodi, did you interview anyone else face to face? (0:50:40)

51. Are you aware that Jodi's grandparents house was broken into on May 28, 2008 only two days after the fight they had through instant messages and text messages? (0:50:50)

52. We have heard of different females Travis talked to between December 2007 through May of 2008. Wasn't it a known fact between Jodi and Travis that he was trying to find someone he could marry? (0:51:10)

53. You stated one person has more power than the other person. Can that be because the other person gives it rather than because the one person commands it? (0:52:00)

54. Have any of the women with whom Travis had a relationship other than Jodi stated that Travis abused them psychologically, verbally or physically? (0:52:40)

55. Amid all of the interviews with family and friends of either Travis or Jodi did anyone mention either concern or suspicion of abuse regarding Travis or Jodi? (0:54:08)

56. You have used the term 'survivor' several times during your testimony. Could you please define this term. (0:54:40)

57. Could a survivor also be a perpetrator? (0:55:08)

58. You stated there was nothing in Jodi's journals, emails, etc. indicating she was jealous. Wouldn't that be consistent with her belief in the Law of Attraction? (0:55:55)

59. Could a female abuse, batter or terrorize a man to the point of killing him? (0:56:30)

60. We keep hearing 'him' and 'perpetrator' in conjunction with one another but couldn't a perpetrator be a 'she'? (0:57:38)

61. How many times did you meet with Jodi and on what dates? (0:57:50)

62. During your testimony you concurred that many things actually happened, such as when Travis was supposedly caught with photos of young boys. Aren't you only basing this on what Jodi told you? (0:58:25)

63. You claim that Jodi not getting medical attention for her finger or other injuries caused by Travis is consistent with other battered women because they do not want to ruin the perpetrator's reputation or get them in trouble. What would prevent the battered person from getting medical attention and simply lying about the cause? (0:59:14)

64. You claim Travis' name calling turned into character assassination but my understanding is that in order for character assassination to occur it would have to include diminishing someone's character to other people. If the name calling was only between Travis and Jodi wouldn't this just be considered more severe or intense name calling and not character assassination? (1:00:12)

65. You testified that in completing a couple assessment you talk to both parties to confirm and validate your concerns. In this case you were only able to talk with one person. How do you validate the information presented to you is truthful in order to base an accurate decision? (1:01:10)

66. You testified that in March when Jodi's phone voicemailbox was full Travis ordered Jodi to empty it. How do you know that he ordered her or just asked her? (1:01:55)

67. Considering Jodi and Travis communicated frequently wouldn't you say that it is reasonable that Travis might get a bit irritated that he could not leave a message for a week because her voicemail was full? (1:02:22)

68. Since you were hired for this case to look into Travis and Jodi's relationship to determine whether or not this was an abusive relationship why would you not look further into Travis' text about him fearing Jodi? Do you feel this may have been important? (1:03:10)

(recess, end of questions on this video)




69. You have many years of experience dealing with abusive men. Is that correct? (0:00:30)

70. If so, wouldn't by far the majority of the men you have known throughout your career be abusive?  (0:00:40)

71. Is it possible your view of men in general is skewed or biased towards being abusive? (0:01:35)

72. Did you read all of Jodi's and Travis' journals during the time they were in their relationship or just the portions that were provided to you? (0:02:40)

73. Do you believe it is possible that Travis said some of the negative things he said to Jodi because he was afraid of her stalking him and he wanted to distance himself from her?   (0:03:05)

74. In your opinion did Travis ever sound angry in his journals? (0:03:22)

75. Did Travis speak negatively of any of the women he was seeing in his journals? (0:03:30)

76. In the magazine subscriptions you had sent to Jodi in jail she wrote hidden messages in them intended for someone.  Were those messages for you?  (0:03:45)

77. If the defendant feels she has a high IQ is it possible she would try to outsmart psychological tests? (0:04:12)

78. Jodi's old friend stated she was manipulative and liked to play the victim.  Even though it was high school, isn't it possible that those traits stayed with Jodi as she got older. (0:05:05)

79. Have you seen any proof that Jodi was physically abused by Travis other than her finger that she claims Travis broke? (0:06:12)

80. Is there any reason we should believe that Jodi has not manipulated you as she as others? (0:06:25)

(defense asks to approach, sidebar)

81. Why have you looked at Ms. Arias multiple times during the cross examination with the prosecutor when there were breaks in sidebars to meet eyes with Jodi and give her a small, warm smile?    (0:08:48)

82. Do you have personal feelings for Jodi or feel sorry for her? (0:09:50)

83. On April 9th at approximately 11:33am when discussing Jodi being manipulative at the Purple Plum and what the waitress said about Jodi when the prosecutor was marking the exhibit you looked at Jodi, gave a half-smile and shrugged your shoulders.  Why do you keep doing this? (0:11:00)

84. Considering the lies Jodi told after killing Travis why would you believe the things she told you happened before the killing? (0:11:40)

85. Hypothethically, if you were to discover that Jodi had actually exaggerated rather than understated the physical abuse events that she told you about, do you think it is possible that you would need to revise your opinion on the degree or the severity of the abuse within the relationship? Please explain. (0:12:35)

86. In a verbal discussion often facial expressions and body language can be seen and tone or inflection can be heard.  Additionally, in an interview clarifying statements can be made and clarifying questions asked. Do you agree?  (0:14:50)

87. In assessing this case to which did you give more weight, written or verbal communication? (0:15:30)

88. Do you feel that being unable to interview Travis Alexander gives Jodi Arias an unfair advantage in telling their shared story of abuse?  (0:16:35)

89. Are you aware of phone conversations that were made either before, during or after various series of texts, instant messages, emails that you reviewed? (0:17:20)

90. Did you ask Jodi if phone calls were ever part of those exchanges? (0:18:05)

91. Of the 18 forensic cases, how many cases where the male was the victim of abuse and not a perpetrator? (0:18:30)

92. You testified that when conducting a couple assessment family of origin of both parties is pursued. You pursued family of origin for Travis in assessing him as a perpetrator however why did you not assess Jodi's family of origin, considering Jodi as a possible perpetrator of abuse rather than as a victim? (0:19:40)

(evening recess, court adjourned)

What I learned from transcribing the video to get the text of the questions:

  • 'perpetrator': I never thought much of it when I first heard the questions, but when transcribing the video I was struck by the frequency of the word 'perpetrator' which is used in 11 of the 92 questions.  I eventually had to look up the spelling and copied it many times rather than typing it and it would seems to me that it would be a bit of an inconvience to write this word by hand many times which leads me to my theory that these particular questions are from the same juror. Perhaps jurors have heard this word used during the trial often or they have been encouraged to use this word for some reason but I found it odd enough to point out.
  • 'slapping and kicking': At least one juror seems to clearly remember that Jodi once slapped and kicked her mother. Questions #11, 17 and 33.
  • Question #39 seems to suggest that at least one juror does not believe Jodi acted in self-defense at all, or at least over-reacted.

If you see any errors, know more about this or have any questions please "tweet" me @chrisbr40 or leave a comment.  Thanks!

Other coverage:

>> Jodi Arias Jury Questions Show Skepticism About Domestic Violence Defense

>> Jodi Arias Trial: Faltering Domestic Violence Defense Puts Attorneys In Damage Control Mode

See Jury Questions in the Jodi Arias Trial for more information.

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