You're right, Duluth. Foreman Bill Zervakos said in the penalty phase of the first Arias trial the jury agreed not to change each others minds so basically they did not deliberate at all which is their job. He said the vote in the beginning was 7 to 5 for death and one person did change his or her mind but the others did not. One of the jurors said recently that it was three men and one woman who voted for life.
I think Zervakos made up his mind from the first day he saw Arias in court to make sure she did not get a death sentence. He said she didn't look like a killer and he didn't believe she was capable of murder. He said he was sick to his stomach when he voted guilty. He thought if he voted for a life sentence and hung the jury, the judge would sentence her to life. He was furious when he found out that there would be a retrial on the sentence and went to the media to try to convince the public that she should not be sentenced to death. When he was met with outrage, he shut up and stayed off TV. But he did try to save her life by speaking to the defense and warning them to keep her off the stand in the retrial because she was a bad witness.
He was in his 50s and I think she probably reminded him of his daughter or granddaughter. He scoffed at the fact that Arias was a danger to society and said he would like to sit down with her and talk. He said she is not a serial killer and she had a normal life until she met Travis Alexander. He said he believed Alexander emotionally abused her and that her age of 27 influenced him in refusing to vote for the death penalty.
Nern, glad you have time to keep up on what is going on and comment. Hope you are staying warm and enjoying your family.
I think Zervakos made up his mind from the first day he saw Arias in court to make sure she did not get a death sentence. He said she didn't look like a killer and he didn't believe she was capable of murder. He said he was sick to his stomach when he voted guilty. He thought if he voted for a life sentence and hung the jury, the judge would sentence her to life. He was furious when he found out that there would be a retrial on the sentence and went to the media to try to convince the public that she should not be sentenced to death. When he was met with outrage, he shut up and stayed off TV. But he did try to save her life by speaking to the defense and warning them to keep her off the stand in the retrial because she was a bad witness.
He was in his 50s and I think she probably reminded him of his daughter or granddaughter. He scoffed at the fact that Arias was a danger to society and said he would like to sit down with her and talk. He said she is not a serial killer and she had a normal life until she met Travis Alexander. He said he believed Alexander emotionally abused her and that her age of 27 influenced him in refusing to vote for the death penalty.
Nern, glad you have time to keep up on what is going on and comment. Hope you are staying warm and enjoying your family.