Monday, May 6, 2013

My Jodi Arias Jury Analysis: Who Are These 12 Jurors & What Verdict Could They Decide?

Please note: this is NOT based on scientific or market research but just my opinion and speculations. As a marketer and copywriter, I spend a lot of time diving inside people's heads (yes, I know - that can be a scary task!) and I have to figure out what people like, dislike, who they are, their habits, etc. 

Arizona is a Conservative State When It Comes to Criminals
Arizona is a conservative state and they are tough on their criminals. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is one of the toughest out there and he is notorious to running a tight ship in Maricopa County. 

Here's a brief look at some basic demographics of Maricopa County and Arizona residents:

From Maricopa County, Quick Facts Census

Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of persons age 25+   

  • 29.1% Maricopa County
  • 26.45%  Arizona

Veterans, 2007-2011                                                                       

  •  280,092 Maricopa County
  •  536,449 Arizona

Based on the age ranges, the majority of the jury are seniors and could be retired so their jury duty might not be considered such a hardship. But I wonder about the younger jurors with jobs and families, and how are they surviving? $12/per day for jury duty is peanuts and if they are the breadwinners/earners for themselves and/or family, jury duty (for this length of time) would be a financial hardship. Also, the average person who has a bachelor's degree or higher is fairly low (well below 50%)--not that it means that people with a high school diploma can't make an informed decision but that's something else to consider. How well do they know and understand Arizona state law and the U.S. legal system? Even with the detailed jury instructions, that's a lot of information to understand! 

There are over 500,000 vets in Arizona and almost 300,000 vets in Maricopa County alone. A military vet is probably going to be more tough on crime--especially a brutal murder -- so if there are any vets on the jury (there might be one possible military vet), that could be another deciding factor as to whether they will be more harsh or lenient.

Political Party Affiliations - Arizona (Source: http://perspectives.thirdway.org/?p=1450)

2012
  • Democrat 1,090,136
  • Republican 1,229,340
  • Independent 1,204,056

There are more Republicans and Independents in Arizona compared to Democrats and Arizona has proven to be a conservative voting state. Based on the age range of these jurors,  this jury could swing towards the more conservative end, especially if they are tough love when it comes to crime and the legal system.

Of course, this is ALL a guessing game on my part but it's interesting to speculate. 
See my profiles/analysis below the  juror descriptions from HLN: 


Juror 1
White Female, in her 60s
Short dark hair, wears glasses
Sat closest to the witness stand
Did not look at Arias during her testimony
Yawned during an emotional part of Arias’ testimony

It's interesting to note that even though she sat closest to the witness stand that she yawned during an emotional part of her testimony (was she bored or just not buying it?)  She also didn't look at Crybaby. I'm guessing that she didn't want to appear biased because she was so close to the witness stand and didn't want to make direct eye contact with the witnesses. She wears glasses so we know she can see properly ha!! 

Based on her age, she could be retired and/or a homemaker/mother/grandmother. Because of her age, she could lean on the more conservative side. It seems based on the general public opinion that women generally do not like Crybaby, BUT if this woman has any feelings of empathy for her, she may not be more lenient. I call this juror an "iffy" juror. If I was that close to the witness stand I would want to watch Crybaby's move when she was testifying. By not looking at Arias, this could mean disinterest or boredom (or she was just tired of listening to her lies!)

Juror 2
White Male, in his 50s
Salt and pepper hair
Took a few notes
Cupped his head in his hand as he listened to testimony

He obviously is interested in the trial if he took notes and based on his body language, he is intent on listening (or he supported his head so he wouldn't nod off to sleep). Based on his age (and dependent upon his career, if he's retired, a homeowner/ taxpayer, etc.), he MIGHT lean towards the conservative side of the law. However, if he has fallen under the Black Widow's spell and has any inkling of empathy, he could also be more lenient in his decision. Of course, this is all a guessing game. Heads--he's a conservative Arizona Republican who believes in the death penalty and is tough on criminals or tails--he believes her BS and feels sorry for her. He is male and she is manipulative so it could go either way. The fact that he is taking notes shows he is interested and paying attention though (and hopefully, he also submitted questions). 

Juror 3
White Female, in her 40s
Brunette with bangs
Took a lot of notes
Watched the prosecutor as he moves about the courtroom
Observed submitting questions

Based on her age, she could be a stay-at-home mom or works full-time, or is both mom and breadwinner OR could be a single career woman. The fact that she took copious notes and looked at Juan Martinez a lot are a good sign. She watched his every move. The fact that submitted questions is another good sign. She wanted answers  and clarification, and obviously was paying attention to the trial and witnesses' testimoy. I wish HLN gave more detail about her reaction when she watched Juan: did she smile? did she frown? did she cross her arms? Her specific body language could give more clues as to how receptive she was to Martinez as he spoke.

She is female, and the fact that she does pay attention to Juan COULD mean she isn't buying Crybaby's lies (especially if she submitted questions and we all know how many questions LaViolette and Dick Samuels received!) I think this juror could lean more towards the pro-death penalty decision. IF she's a mom, that could even push her even closer to the death penalty side. A mom would speculate more - what if this had been my son or daughter who was murdered? Or that's my guess! Also, if she's a career woman (based on her job), she might do analytical work and could have a really sharp mind - why she took a lot of notes and asked the witnesses' questions. I think this juror might be one of the sharper jurors - she doesn't want to miss anything! 

Juror 4
White Male, in his 60s
Bald
Took a few notes

It's hard to say with this man. He's probably retired and wishes he was on the golf course instead of being stuck in a court room listening to a crazy murderess spew her lies! Not a lot to go on with him -- other than he's bald and  takes few notes. It's a good sign that he takes some notes so there is some interest on his part. As mentioned above, there are more Republicans than Democrats in Arizona and he's probably an Arizona taxpayer. He could be pissed off that Crybaby is wasting so much of his time and money. He might not be taking a lot of notes because his mind is already made up or he is not that interested. This one is up in the air for me since I don't have a lot to go on with him.  

Juror 6
White female, in her 60s
Hair is cut short brown with blonde streaks
Was a prolific note taker

Taking lots of notes is a good sign! Based on her age, she falls into the possible retirement bunch. However, I don't know her occupation so it's anyone's guess. She could be retired from a career and/or raised children, is a grandmother, or all of the above. The fact that she took a lot of notes means she's paying attention and she probably isn't buying Crybaby's lies and probably asked juror questions as well. Going back to public opinion: if she does NOT like Arias and doesn't believe her lies, then we could have a 1st degree murder vote with this juror. It all depends on how she feels about Arias. If she is PRO Crybaby and feels sorry for her, then she would obviously vote for a lesser charge. However, based on her note-taking I think this juror might be a hopeful candidate since she took a lot of notes. 


Juror 7
White male, in his 30s
Married
Dark brown hair
Took some notes
He is a nail biter 

I think I'm more scared for this guy, because I bet Crybaby had her eye on him the entire time. Yikes!! He was probably biting his nails because she was giving him the crazy eyes!!

Nail biting shows nervousness or boredom. This juror is on the younger side so he probably works full-time. He is married so he might have kids as well. Based on his age though, it could go either way with his decision --especially since he's male. Even though he's married, he could still fall under her spell OR it could go the other way, and he might think, whew, am I lucky, and poor Travis, wow, this chick is a psycho-- he might feel a lot of empathy for Travis because of the age range similarity. However, if he drinks any of the Crazy Eyes Crybaby Kool-Aid, there is a slight chance that he could go with a more lenient charge. I'm guessing, based on the age range and that he takes a LOT of notes, that he is probably leaning toward death penalty and would be more sympathetic to Travis. Or we can only hope!




Juror 9
White male, in his 60’s
Long white hair is worn in a ponytail
Wore denim most days
Sat at the end of the jury box furthest from the witness
Sat closest to the first row of the gallery where Alexander’s family sits

The long white ponytail means he is probably less conservative (hippie type, maybe?) and probably doesn't have a traditional job and/or is retired from a non-traditional job. The denim comment is interesting. Is or was he a manual laborer like a mechanic, an artist, etc.? Let's hope he's NOT an artist or he might side with crazy doodler! Because he sat so close to the Alexander family, he saw first-hand their emotional reactions during the trial. This could actually be a good thing, especially if he is a father and/or grandfather, and might make him more sympathetic to Travis because he can visually see the reactions of the family. I think his close proximity to the Alexander family must have tugged at his heart strings - I know it would really affect me if I sat that close to his family. However, he sat far away from the witness stand so he might not have caught everything that was said or spaced out during her testimony. I'm guessing if he's the non-traditional, less conservative type, he will go with a lesser charge and is probably not pro death penalty. 

Juror 12
White Male, in his 40’s
Receding brown hair
Favors polo shirts and khakis
Occasionally took notes

Polo shirts and khakis are conservative attire, and this man might have a conservative job based on his age and appearance. He took some notes so that's a good sign that he was paying attention but he is also in the age range that Black Widow likes. I bet she was making crazy eyes with him as well throughout her testimony. However, based on his more conservative appearance, he could be more conservative-minded and lean toward a harsher sentence. It all depends on the fact if he bought Crybaby's lies or not. 

Juror 13
White Male, is late 20s to early 30s
Appears to be the youngest member of the jury
Took only a few notes
Smiled when Martinez asked Arias if she could predict the future

The fact that he smiled when Martinez asked Arias if she could predict the future is a hopeful sign. It means he has a sense of humor and likes Martinez's zingers he hit the witnesses with during the trial. Based on his age and the fact that he likes Martinez (if he continued to smile and look at Martinez throughout the trial and closing arguements), he could be pro-prosecution and might not buy Crybaby's lies - this trial might be really scary for him too. Like whew, I am so glad I NEVER date a crazy because that could have been me. That scare alone might push him into the 1st degree murder decision...as long as he bought the prosecution's closing and thought the defense was full of hot air. He took some notes so it shows he's also listening and paying attention.  


Juror 14
White Male, in his early 60s
Balding, and wears glasses
He swiveled in his chair often
Smokes cigarettes
Did not appear to be take notes

That's good that he swiveled his chair often because it means he was watching and paying attention. Even though he didn't take notes, his chair swiveling means he didn't want to miss the action. Again, he could be retired and could lean towards the conservative side based on Arizona demographics and his age range. But once again, it all comes down to the fact that he's male - does he buy Crybaby's act or not and was she able to manipulate him into believing her BS lies? The non-note taking could mean: he doesn't need to take notes because he has already made up his mind or he has a photographic memory (or he was too lazy to take notes ha!) 

Juror 16
White female, in her 40’s
Dark reddish brown hair with bangs
Wears glasses
Took notes
Swiveled in her chair in direction of Arias during her testimony

Let's just hope her bangs look a LOT better than Crybaby's!  She looked straight at Crybaby - now that is VERY interesting. She is in her 40s, could be married and have kids, and/or be a career woman, etc. The fact that she takes a lot of notes means she probably asked a lot of juror questions too. The fact that she wanted to look at Arias during her testimony means she doesn't have fear and it was like she wasn't afraid to confront her and her crime, in a sense. She probably hung onto every word, and wanted to see all her facial expressions and hand gestures (or checking to see if her finger was really broken). This could be another hot juror and I think this one could lean towards 1st degree murder. Her demographics and the way she reacted toward Crybaby's testimony is EXACTLY what I would do - I would look directly at her while I listened and take tons of notes!!

Juror 18
White Male, in his 70s
Married
Possibly former military
Has a tattoo on right arm above the wrist
Only took a few notes

When a man in his 70s has a tattoo on his right arm that means one thing - military - and I'm guessing he's probably a vet (possibly served in a war). Based on his age and if he's been a long-time Arizona resident (or even if he's a transplant to Arizona and retired there), he's probably conservative and will be pro-death penalty. He's 70 years old and doesn't need to take notes because I bet he has his mind made up already. He is married and might have kids and grandkids so add that to the mix and that would only make him more hardcore when it comes to crime, especially if he's former military. I bet he would be the first one to complain about how much Arizona has wasted hard-earned taxpayer's money on Crybaby and her defense. I bet he hasn't bought one word that's come out of her mouth. It'll be interesting to see if I profiled this particular juror correctly. 



The alternates - a good range/mix with the alternates as well: 

Juror 10
White female, in her 40s
Sat in the second row next to a column
Occasionally took notes
Her Gaze wandered over the gallery during sidebar

That fact that she took notes and her gaze wandered over the gallery shows she's curious and interested. Based on her age, she could be married, with kids, has a career and/or single woman career woman. Once again, it all depends on the fact if she buys Crybaby's lies or not. The fact that she took notes though is good because she's paying attention. 

Juror 15
White male, in his late 60’s/early 70’s
Wears audio-enhancing headsets provided by the court
Took notes
Observed submitting questions

I remember this guy because he couldn't hear during Crybaby's testimony! He probably took notes because he knew he had to really pay attention to overcompensate for his hearing. That's a good sign that he took notes and submitted questions. He is probably not buying what Crybaby said on the stand. 

Juror 17
White Female, in her 30s
Married
Prolific note taker
Appears to suffer from a cold or allergies
Sat in one of the most distant seats from the witness stand
Did not gaze at Arias during her testimony and tended to look straight ahead or down at her notes
Observed submitting questions

Hmmm, she could be a wild card, even with all her note-taking. She's in the same age range as Crybaby but she never looked at her, so she might be disgusted with her or she doesn't want to be seen as biased. Or she could be the non-confrontational type. She is married and might have kids.The fact that she takes a lot of notes is another good sign BUT once again, if she feels any empathy towards her (especially since they are in the same age range and she is female) that would make her lean away from 1st degree murder. But if she submitted a lot of juror questions and is taking notes, she probably has doubts so that's a good sign. Another interesting juror. The fact that she doesn't look at Arias says a lot. Why didn't she want to look at her? Does she make her ill and couldn't stomach looking at a cold-blooded killer? Interesting to ponder! I bet she was allergic to Jodi Arias' defense team - why she was sneezing and sniffling so much ha!! 



It all comes down to the juror's age, life experiences, political viewpoints, religious/spiritual beliefs  -  do they believe another human being should be killed and punished for a violent crime? How do they personally feel about the death penalty, and their views about criminals and the legal system? Are they married? Do they have children or grandchildren? Can they put themselves in the shoes of the Alexander family and feel empathy for Travis and his family?

 Do they have ANY doubts in their minds that Jodi Arias is a cold-blooded murderer? 
For both the male and female jurors: it comes down to WHO do they believe? Do they buy Crybaby's BS that she was abused by Travis and killed in self-defense/heat of passion OR do they believe that she lied and manipulated Travis and that Travis was the REAL victim? 

Forensic evidence doesn't lie so we can only hope that jury takes their time to  pour through the evidence, take their civic duty seriously, and NOT believe her crazy lies. The verdict could happen anytime now, but my prediction is that they will take at least a week to deliberate. WE can only hope that the hammer falls on her and she gets the death penalty but it's anyone's guess at this point!! 


Justice for Travis!!! 

















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