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Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Juan Martinez's Other Big Case


Crime writer Camille Kimball on the courthouse steps of the Jodi Arias trial

I've been inside the #JodiArias courtroom all day tweeting about the war of wills between defense witness Alyce LaViolette, a psychotherapist, and prosecutor Juan Martinez, incipient rock star. This trial contains many references to religious beliefs because the Mormon church played a prominent role in defendant Jodi and murder victim Travis' relationship. He baptized her into the Mormon church shortly after meeting her, they tended to define their relationship with each other in terms of how their interaction fit into Mormon ideals, Jodi was absorbed into Travis' Mormon social life when she moved to Mesa, Arizona to be near him. So we are hearing an awful lot about Mormon practices, beliefs, and social norms in the wide and spacious courtroom on the fifth floor.

At the end of the day, I mentioned to my followers on Twitter that Juan Martinez had been the  prosecutor  in the last big Mormon case we had here which was husband Doug Grant on trial for the murder of his wife, Faylene. I tweeted a link to a newspaper story done by the charming Michael Kiefer at the time for the Arizona Republic. Some twittles are asking me how the verdict turned out?

Well, here's a picture of Doug Grant now. Does the bright orange shirt signal to you that his current address is Guest of the State of Arizona?


Inmate 242456 D GRANT Image


Doug Grant was convicted of Manslaughter and sentenced to five years.  Juan Martinez had hoped for a  Murder One conviction and some jurors wanted that, too, but compromised on the Manslaughter to make sure Doug Grant didn't walk out the front door.

Juan Martinez had a much tougher hill to climb in the Doug Grant case than he does in the Jodi Arias case. Faylene drowned in her own bathtub and Doug Grant did make attempts to save her and call for help.

Faylene also left a rich trove of journal entries and letters describing her premonition of pending death, though she was not ill. In these writings, she seems cheerful enough about exiting life. She goes to pains to set up her children with a new mother -- her husband's ongoing affair partner.

This woman, Hilary, was kind enough to oblige the morbidly inclined Faylene 3 weeks after the drowning by marrying the freshly bereaved widower. 

The defense had substantial material to argue that Faylene committed suicide by climbing into the tub with her stomach full of Ambien sleeping pills. But the dose was far from lethal, although heavy - 5 pills.

Faylene also had a real reason to take the pills, she was in pain from a dramatic fall down a mountain just days before. Bumps and bruises everywhere. So the defense also had substantial room to argue that the drowning was a tragic accident of pain and sleepiness.

Doug's own role was a mastery of vagueness and mystery.  He claimed he helped Faylene climb into the tub...but returned to bed and fell back asleep.

He called for help when he found her in the morning...but he called a friend who was in the medical field (not a doctor) not 9-1-1.

Who was with her on that hike where she tumbled dangerously down the side of a mountain? Doug alone.

Faylene was obssessed with death and with Hilary's "joining" their family, but was Faylene highly suggestible? Did her husband, a charismatic man, exploit their shared religious beliefs to plant convenient ideas in her head? Juan Martinez hammered home during trial that Doug had a Svengali-like hold over his wife, capitalizing on the patriarchal authority structure of their religion. Suicide, the prosecutor emphasized through testimony and argument, would have been utterly against Faylene's so strongly held religious beliefs and would have kept her out of the heaven she cherished.

Faylene had no stab wounds, no bullet wounds, no slit throat. She had a well documented history of strange beliefs about her own death and her husband's relationship with another woman and that woman's destiny with Faylene's own children. So it is not a complete surprise that one or more jurors had trouble fully embracing the murder theory. 

Nevertheless, Juan Martinez did put his man behind bars. Doug Grant looks like he has a fairly decent record in prison and is currently working as an aide to the prison chaplain. He will be released next year. 

By the way, if you thought Juan Martinez was playing for the camera in the Jodi Arias trial, well, his M.O. in trials you've never seen on TV, such as the Doug Grant case, is no different. You are getting the Real Juan Martinez in the Jodi Arias case. 

So this is a good opportunity to let all my twittles know that I can't always see all of your questions at @CamilleKimball  If you haven't heard back from me, please feel free to leave a question or comment on Jodi Arias below.  And I'd like to emphasize to all the newcomers, I am inside the courtroom, not following on video.

Look for this truck across the street behind me in the photo at top
I'd also like to hear what you think about Juan Martinez below? Is he an ineffective bully? Or a rock star strategist?

Knowing what you just read about the Doug Grant case, did Juan haul a heavy load to the top of the hill? Or did he let it slip out of his hands? Or did he put an innocent widower in jail? 


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86 comments:

  1. Juan Martinez is neither a rock star or a bully. He is a control freak, a warrior for justice and a lone wolf. He is a man with a plan and is fast on his feet. He is three steps ahead and gets frustrated with witnesses who are so afraid of getting pigeon-holed they refuse to answer the question Is the sky blue? with a Yes or a No! It's his JOB to control his line of questioning, like it or not. LaViolette is coming off as deceptive as Jodi Arias did with her bobbing and weaving and qualifying every phrase out of her mouth. Juan's major fault is getting pulled into the weeds on minutia details but he may be curbing possible appeal angles. Jodi is Guilty of Murder 1. As for Doug, I'm not so sure, but his choosing NOT to dial 911 first is a major concern.

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    1. Dan4911 here. Agree. You can tell this is his normal demeanor simply by his amazing ability to go so long without glancing at notes.

      Agree he let's the witness drag him into the weeds every now and then. If he toned it down a little, he would be perfect.

      Still, there is no way I'd want him prosecuting me.

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    2. I love the term lone wolf...I was amazed how he remembered the whole story, without notes, an only Prosecutor (lone wolf), his tone needed to be firm to be effective to a sociopath/boderline personality murderer...He is relentless and it comes from his soul...

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    3. Absolutely miraculous man. A rock star in my book. He turned a soft spoken woman into a sociopath on the stand and ultimately landed her in prison, hopefully on death row.(at this writing her fate is unknown). I found him fascinating to watch. I wish someone would nominate Juan for Attorney General. Great man. Too bad there aren't more of them.

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    4. His job is to get justice for the victim. Sometimes you get stuck behind a BUSH or in the WEEDS but a good hunter will tell you that's what you gotta do if you want to catch the bear, or is the tiger, or is it the gopher. On May 8th he caught all three!

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    5. Let me say before i criticise you comment that its well thought out and you definitely you know what your talking about.

      Jodi Areas needing to qualify evefy phrase instead of answering simple yes or no is strike one on deceptive. This doesnt mean shes a lyer yer. The bobing and weaving is strike 2, and strike 3 from my observation would be a combination of needing questions clearified, (to bide time)how it takes her so long to answer and how calculated every every wkrd she speaks is. If she was in front of me, those factors alone show deception. But its clear Jody is evil. But as a prosecutor part of the job is showing the jury how deceptive a witness is. The truth fears no investigation. Witnesses have alot to fear on a stand, just the fact that my words are going to be part of public transcrips would russle my nerves. But when speaking truth, no lines of questioning will have me flustered, or scared that only happens when im trying to keep lie streight and the person askinfg knows im lying. So Laviolette is probobly being disceptive. Or trying to avoid letting information slip. I have been a witness twice, the first time i wasnt nervous at all. But the second time, i didnt even know who called me as a wigness, what the questions were supose to prove or disprove or any info on the case until after i left the court. Well i saw the Defendant so once walking into court i had a small understanding but still was very much in the dark. I wanted to help my friend, not the prosecutor but i didnt know what was neexed of me. In the end that was best. I decided that no matter what i would answer every queztion as honestly as i could (not smuging my good name!!) and if my friend expected me to lie he was no real friend. I answered the defenceses questions honest, clearly nervous but honest and the prosecution wanted me off the stand quickly so they asked nothing. What im trying to show is that nervousness is fine, and expected. But nervousness doesnt result in looking deceptive. Otherwise nobody would ever pass a lie detector or get threw a police interview without looking guilty.

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  2. Justuse, thanks for your comment. It definitely is Juan Martinez's job to control the witness, whether some viewers like it or not. Courtrooms simply are not places where witnesses can be allowed to ramble on about whatever is on their mind. You highlight a very important aspect of the current testimony performance on display in the Jodi Arias courtroom.

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  3. I found this to be very interesting.. Thanks for posting!

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  4. Thank you for your post. I find Juan Martinez unprofessional in his courtroom behavior. He asks questions and does not give the witness the opportunity to respond before he interrupts and then self testifies. He has done this with all defense witnessess not just the current one. I also feel that screaming in the courtroom is hard to handle for anyone for hours on end. You can get your point across with out this behavior.

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    1. Is this from Alyce in wonderland?? LOL

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    2. He is the same way with State witnesses. If you're telling the truth, there's no need to worry ;-)

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    3. Really?? What should he do coddle them? Roll them in a blankie and sing them soft lullabies? Maybe get them a baba? He does EXACTLY what he should do. Their attorneys can do all that..as we all know they do..NOT the prosecutor. If this were your son who had been killed in ANY way wouldn't you want someone like him fighting for your family???

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    4. Ha ha ha...your perception is completely wrong....you must be belong to the jodi arias fanclub....Juan Martinez is the MOST professional Attorney I have ever seen....He is a no-nonsense man who does not tolerate lies, manipulation and stupidity...

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    5. On cross examination, the prosecutor asks questions mainly that require a yes or no answer. The defense asks questions that illicit a response. Mr. Martinez is a very worthy prosecutor. He needed to get his questions answered. Hell, if he wouldn't of put a stop to the rambling of the defense teams witnesses, we would still be in court.

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    6. I have watched Juan Martinez and he is the Best of the Best. He is the one i would want on my team, because i know he would get Justice for me. I wish there were more men out there like Juan. we need them to get justice for the victims. Juan never gives up and he always for the victim and their family.

      Karen from oklahoma

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    7. Maybe you feel different about him if the person he was putting away was someone who killed your family member? You have to be mean and stike fast with cunning peices of filth like Jodi. And she is just one of the many.I think he did a great job.

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    8. Is that you Jodi? Alyce? Dick Samuels?

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    9. Juan Martinez, Is the best.If you had to deal with all the lies told from Jodi,Alyce,and Samuels you would not like it.He is the great white shark.

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  5. Thanks, Jeremy. Anonymous, you are not alone in that opinion. I have seen some prosecutors do a masterful job by being deceptively soft-spoken. I can think of one in particular who was often described as a shark in deep waters -- you don't see the fin until it's too late.

    One word in Juan's defense though, witnesses really cannot be allowed to speechify to their heart's content. I don't know why this judge allows this behavior. I have seen witnesses kept in much better control by other judges.

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    1. I agree. That Judge was a joke. To me she had no backbone...made me wonder how she got there, or what she was doing in a high profile case. She had no control over Dr. DICK, or Alyce in Wonderland. The Dr. that Martinez had was great. Young, but knew her stuff. Jodie's woman attorney thought she was much better than her in questions, but she fired them answers right back. As for the Pillsbury Dough Boy.....well he needs to sit up like his title demands.

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    2. I disagree, this judge was a class act, not to everyone taste but that is normal and healthy, we should not confuse style with talent. She is a great judge.

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  6. Compared to Willmott and Nurmi, Juan is a road runner. I cannot stand to listen to either defense attorney because they are so slow. Juan lights up the courtroom or at least wakes up the courtroom. We have to remember that Travis is the victim and he is dead. He can no longer speak. Juan needs to speak for him and he is doing a great job. With LaViolette, I think the defense is really shaken because Jodi seems very animated with Willmott, so Juan must be striking a note. But again, Willmott on redirect is making me fall asleep and LaViolette can finally answer "Yes or No" she certainly isn't as evasive with her answers. Can't wait for the jury questions. How do you think the jury is receiving the information? Do you feel they are believing any of Jodi's lies?

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  7. Long ago I learned I didn't have the power to mind-read jurors, more's the pity. A trial early in my career a jury acquitted a man who shot his baby daughter in the head. Even his own family testified against him. Who knows how people on a jury think? Does the role of "juror" change how someone thinks? Excellent question. Maybe I should drag a psychologist over here to answer. Hmmmmm.....

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  8. Ms. Laviolette works with the GLBT community a lot in California. There is prison gossip that Ms. Arias has acquired a lesbian lover. I wonder if Ms. L brings with her a bias against anything Mormon because of Prop 8? and that has biased her either consciously or unconsciously?

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    1. Really? Do you wonder if any of the defense witnesses carry any bias because of their sexual preferences?

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  9. Good points but a prosecutor's role is not to get justice for the victim but to represent the community. Having watched many criminal trials each side spins the evidence to best suit their side and somewhere in the middle lies the truth. I do not feel that pre meditation has been proven in this case and imo the jury decision will reflect this or be a mistrial. Either way a difficult case for any jury.

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    1. Awwww! Are you jodi's mama? The prosecutors job IS to get justice for the victim & their family..hello!?

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    2. No premeditation? Bahahaha okay just a lot of coincidences...please

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  10. Another possibility is that she wanted to go to Cancun with him and went to his house to "convince" him to take her and when he said no he didn't want her for anything but a booty call, she psychoed out and killed him. I think the premeditation was proved by renting the car and carrying 2 or 3 gas cans, so she would not be seen filling the tank up, therefore no evidence on video that she was in the area that day. NOt to mention the 25 caliber gun that was stolen from her Grandparents house...coincidence? I think not. I have grown up around guns (for hunting) and a 25 caliber gun isn't very common, a 22 maybe, and the thief didn't take her laptop....hmmm. Can't wait to hear the jury questions. Also, do you know who the next witness is? I heard Laviolette isn't going to be the last one.

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  11. I would agree about the gas cans except I used to live in Arizona and knew people that carried gas cans in the desert. As far as booty call these two had a very complex and unhealthy relationship and on the sex tape and texts they discuss Cancun trip. Don't know much about guns but have heard that 25 caliber is not what one would choose for murder and no proof that she took the gun. I keep going back to if she took the gun and pre med she had to know that this would be looked at. Don't know about next witness but I agree it will be telling to hear jury questions.

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    1. I wonder if jodi only pretended to be okay with Travis going to Cancun trying to seem normal and play the friend to remain in his life and hear details about her "competition" and even tried to date other people to get Travis jealous. Some women do play games in attempts to get the man back. And I understand the gas cans but didn't she turn her license plate upside down?

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  12. To the above 3 Anons:
    1. A bias against Mormons and whatever Mormonism represents? I hadn't thought of that. If that were true, she could have felt Jodi was victimized all over again by being sucked into that religion.

    2. Very true that each side spins and highlights to their advantage. That's the nature of the advocacy system, for better or for worse.

    3. I was the only media present at the hearing where Miss Wilmott had to miss because of a family emergency. At that hearing, Mr. Nurmi told the judge the Alyce LaViolette would be their last witness. If he has changed his mind since then, I admit it's news to me.

    Thanks to each of you for sharing your thoughts. I'm interested in them.

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  13. Juan is a good man and is passionate about the case. However, I do think he comes across as angry and worked up at times. He needs to show that the witnesses are not getting the best of him. He seems to dwell for a long time on the small stuff instead of honing in on the major points. The jurors are probably suffering from information overload, I really hope he is effective at wrapping it all up neatly in his closing arguments.

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  14. I take offense to specifically point to Ms Laviolette as being biased due to her personal life choices. All people may have bias due to many different issues including police officers based on what they do for a living. Do not forget that just days before the start of the trial Mr. Martinez and Det. Flores changed their story about what injury came first. I am sure Mr. Martinez is a good person but so are Nurmi and Willmott. People that go into a case that always think the that the states case is true go in with a bias collectively. I am sure the jurors are very tired and ready for this to be over so they can try to make their decision.

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  15. I don't think Laviolette is biased because of any other reason than she is testifying for the defense and the state of Arizona has paid her hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is so much information she didn't know about. The defense should have given her all the information, at least in the written form. She is basing her opinion on incomplete information. I am amazed that since Willmott is questioning her again how fast and precise she answers the questions. The jury has to see how biased she is just in the way she is willing to give so much with the defense and not "give" anything to the prosecution. I think if she would have agreed with at least one of his points but then said it didn't change her opinion she would have been more creditable. As for the next witness, I heard Beth Karas yesterday (4/10) say they just found out there is another witness...don't know how accurate she is.

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  16. You are correct that there is a lot more evidence that was not discussed on both sides. Why do you think that Travis's journal is not being admitted or the complete text,im,email from Travis. As far as what any expert is paid this is true of all experts on both sides and you only seem to be commenting on one side. Why is that? That sounds like you only want the state to have experts. Ms Arias agreed to a plea deal which would have made the trial expenses moot. I do not follow Ms Karas or any other televised airing of this trial as they are too biased. I follow live streaming and form my opinions from this. In regards to how witnesses answer questions I would direct you to Ms Kimball's posting about the advocacy system....Respectively

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  17. My Beth Karas new witness question was actually for Camille since she is in the courtroom. That is the only reason I mentioned it. As for experts, I'd have to be an idiot not to know that experts for both sides are paid and they will try to convince the jury of that sides opinion. Usually, they cancel each other out and the jury is left to look at other evidence. As far as the plea deal, I think the state rejected the murder 2 plea because of the premeditation factor. Either way, she admitted to killing him after lying twice. It will come down to the gas cans and whether or not you think Travis had a gun hidden on his shelf that wasn't loaded (as Jodi testified). Either way, she will be doing time. This jury is smart and I cannot see them finding her innocent of all charges.

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  18. Great insights, everyone. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I'm heading off to court in the next five minutes so this is quick, just to thank you all.

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  19. I personally cannot stand Juan Martinez. He is most surely a bully who uses his screaming tactics to intimidate witnesses. I think he suffers from SMS (short man syndrome) and needs to prove himself rather than find the truth. If I hear him say "I'm not asking if......" one more time when he just asked the question that he says he is not asking, I think I will scream! To me it is evident that Jody Arias is a liar and murderer however, if I was a juror I would have a very hard time justifying Juan's behavior in the courtroom. This is pertinent as I am a domestic violence survivor and I consider his behavior to be verbal abuse! I don't believe in the death penalty for anyone and feel life in prison is punishment enough. I do not think they will punish Jodi with death particularly since the testimony he is evoking is done by bullying methods, repeated personal attacks on the witnesses memories and an overall desire to bully the witness into saying what he wants them to say...rather than allowing them to testify to what they believe. He is an embarrassment to the judicial system but I am not surprised that people love him based on the current state of our nations love affair with bullying behavior. Shame on him and anyone who praises his tactics! Reminds me of people you see on Youtube he egg on physical fighting between their children and post online for everyone to view. He is doing it on national TV and has an audience of gawkers who love the violence in his voice.

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    1. I think he is just passionate and he may come across like that but he isn't like that in real life. I would be angry or stressed out to whenever he gets redirect they give him a hard time or fail to answer the questions he is asking them!!! They wanted him to get angry so the defense can say he is abusive or make Jodi seem like a victim once again! I also have been abused and I don't think Juan suffers from SMS!! I think he was just annoyed with the fact how perfect Jodi and all the defenses witness answered so perfectly for them but he went to question them they fooled around, make comments and never answered the question directly! He is passionate about what he does and you have to see the type of people he is dealing with! I would be angry to if I was him!

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    2. You are so wrong. Juan Martinez is the BEST! He should be our Attorney General!!!!

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    3. This reply surely sounds like Arias herself.

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  20. Very interesting point of view, thanks for sharing it. Whether or not he is "trying to prove himself" I couldn't say, but I do know that he goes home every night to an extremely gorgeous and accomplished woman. I know her as do others around the courthouse. I think he must already be pretty sure of himself in that area. They like their private lives to be private so I won't say more on that. He does get himself worked up in court and it is not always comfortable to watch, especially being right inside the courtroom as I am. Thanks very much for sharing your opinion here. Glad you triumphed over your past.

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    1. I was a gorgeous and accomplished woman myself when I was married to a verbally abusive "accomplished" man. I too lived in a beautiful home. That doesn't mean anything. I find it hard to believe that any human who behaves like he does in the courtroom would be much different at home. My concern is that he doesn't seem to have any concern for others reputations, feelings or the truth in general...he is simply interested in bullying everyone to get his way. He only wants to hear himself testify as to what he thinks after trying to destroy every single defense witness professional opinion. II am curious to know if any of his cases have been overturned by the higher courts. He certainly has this judge in his pocket as she rules in his favor 90% of the time. He makes an objection and she sustains it. The defense makes the exact same objection in an almost identical situation, and they are over ruled. Personally regardless of her guilt I think this trial is an embarrassment to our judicial system. I pray that the jurors take a very good look at the partiality and realize that he who SCREAMS THE LOUDEST should not necessarily win. P.S. Why is verbal abuse in the courtroom tolerated??
      He is nothing short of abusive oh wait he is short and abusive lol!

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    2. You were a "gorgeous and accomplished women"? Past-'were'?

      You talk about how Mr. Martinez has SMS and sounds like an abusive bully. What do you think you sound like in your post? Funny you use the same words that Arias has used in her tweets...any relation to Donavan Bering by any chance?
      By the way the reason the judge rules in his favor most of the time is because he knows the law and knows when to object. What do you want him to do sit like Mr. Nurmi and pick his nose or act like high school students like Wilmott and Arias have done through the whole trial?

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  21. I have been watching the trial via internet from Nova Scotia and i think Juan is fantastic. I know some opinions have been that he 'gets caught in weeds' but if you really follow (and this jury seems to be) he reaches his point and you are like "Wow, I didn't see that coming." He comes at witnesses in a way that throws their rehearsed lines off. Some, such as Jodi, want to dictate and they have their order set but when he is jumping around and so forth they cannot see the end of the road on which he is traveling and thereby get caught out. He is passionate and I think that victims are deserving of that. Good for him!

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  22. That's such a great observation. BTW, you will see more on this case in Canadian press soon. A Canadian reporter is coming to town this week.

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  23. I wish at times that Juan would settle down a bit, but I do believe he is very passionate for the victims families and he has gotten out some very good points and at times turned defense witnesses into prosecutor witnesses. I think he was particularly angered with ALV after she approached Samantha and it showed. I also think he has had to go in circles sometimes to throw off these witnesses who have a script they are following. They are so clearly very coached and had pat answers but his questions threw them off sometimes and he scored points. And he does have a lot of wins in his cases so he must not be doing it all wrong. And one other thing he knows his cases inside and out and goes without notes and jurors sit up and pay attention. Nurmi and Wilmott put me to sleep and if that man picks his nose one more time in court I am gonna gag!! And he needs to sit up and act like a lawyer (can ya tell he doesnt impress me one little bit LOL ) I dont like this anonymous but couldnt find a way to put my name in **** Fran

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    1. omg I'm glad I didn't see the nose picking ...I WOULD have gagged.

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  24. Fran, I agree with you that Martinez jumps around when asking questions to knock witnesses off their pat answers. I don't always like his tone or attitude and sometimes I cringe and talk to the TV and say, "Calm down, Juan!" LOL But I do like his passion and zeal for justice.

    I did hear on HLN {Nancy Grace I think} a month so ago that Nurmi did not want to represent Arias but since he started the case the judge would not let him off saying it would look bad for his client. Arias, or maybe I should say this case, is certainly making Wilmott and Nurmi look a bit incompetent!

    Looking forward to court today and hope to find out about the issue the judge mentioned Friday. While catching up on YouTube Friday night I kept watching when the lawyers went up to talk to the judge after the jury left and while Nurmi was speaking the judge filled her jaws with air and the blew it out! That made me really curious as it seemed whatever he said took her by surprise and then Martinez started talking!

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  25. Sneaking in to comment here during the lunch hour in the South Court Tower. To the commenter from Nova Scotia, a Canadian reporter is here today. You'll be getting more Jodi arias coverage up there soon. Her first comment today after the break was, "your wheels of justice down here move slowly!" Interesting to compare notes with her about American trials versus Canadian.

    Fran, you make an interesting point about the energy inside the courtroom. Does the turbo engine of Juan work to his advantage? Or does the tortoise win the race? Hmmmm...

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  26. I only heard part of the tape Nurmi is playing in court from the interview Martinez did with Dr. Samuels. I did not hear intimidation. I did hear Martinez and Samuels raising their voices to each other. For the most part, Martinez was simply asking questions about his testimony. Has the judge ruled yet? Surely there will be no mistrial from this evidence.

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  27. You called that one, mamamia. The judge decided against the Motion for Mistrial. She also specifically stated she did not hear intimidation on the tape, either.

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  28. I suppose you have heard about the gun that was suppose to have been found near the Hoover Dam. Do you have sources to find out if that's true and if it is THE gun?

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  29. Yes, I have heard about it. The prosecutor's office has stated that it is not true. Wild and woolly days, who knows what will happen next?

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  30. Camille - great article!

    I find Juan Martinez's yelling incredibly offensive and unprofessional. We're supposed to like the prosecution but if he always barks at witnesses, Arizona should think about replacing him. Look at how the jury disliked Martinez regarding the Grant trial. He should know better. As a professional, Martinez should act like one, not a caged, rabid dog.

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  31. Thanks so much, Anon. But he is pretty effective, at least his track record states so. He didn't get what he wanted in the Doug Grant case. But then, neither did Doug Grant and he's the one in jail now, not Juan Martinez.

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  32. I don't always like Martinez's style but I do like his zeal for justice. And he got justice for Travis and Travis' family in the case. Nobody is going to go to sleep while he's questioning a witness!

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  33. Yes, Maybe Juan Martinez seems to come across as a Pit Bull in Court.However he doesn't let the Liars try to get away with anything. He goes after the Obviously Guilty people with a Passion and such conviction because he know beyond any shadow of a doubt that they are Guilty as Hell.He is the Voice of Justice for the innocent victims that were silenced through unspeakable acts and crimes.Hats off to Juan Martinez. Thank God for all his hard work and dedication.

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  34. After OJ Simpson and Casey Anthony, Juan Martinez has helped to restore my faith in our justice system.

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  35. I like Juan Martinez. He shows such passion when he's up there questioning a witness. When he crosses he throws the witnesses off by jumping back and forth and they don't know where he's going. He brings justice to the victim's families by getting the psycho that did it put away. The jury pays attention to him. Nurmi and Wilma they don't pay as close attention to as with Juan. He walks up there and they sit up in their seats and focus on what he will say.

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  36. I think Martinez is awesome, he gives Killers what they deserve, hopefully death row!

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  37. I love Martinez's style. He gets to the point and if he doesn't, he keeps running circles to ensure the witness is telling the truth. Catching in lies is what he does best. I am looking at writing a book about the Arias' trial and will incorporate his amazing prosecution to the book. -Jen Downs

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  38. Juan is the best..bar none...and thank God

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  39. I love Juan! I think his style is to come across as harsh. If you are truly honest you wouldn't be sacred to answer truthfully. A liar will be scared to face Juan!! Juan does what he does to catch them in a lie. Everyone on Jodis side has lied and comes across one sided.....Jodi clearly doesn't know what abuse is. Juan is one person fighting for truth and justice....we went Easy on Casey and O.J and look what happen! Juan clearly has an excellent record, doesn't need notes and works alone...I give him amazing credit! I think 10/10...Jodi beat around the bush as well. I mean if you had to deal with liars, people who claim false stories how would you react?? Juan is fighting and wanting justice for a family who deserves peace. She is pyscho and deserves to be treated in such a way! I heard she purchased a gun prior to her arrest, they found the gun and she had her suitcase packed. So clearly she has no sense of morals, regrets or any sort of human emotion..... I think Juan was disrespected by the defenses witnesses and he reacted in how he was being treated...Juan hates people who claim the victim role!!

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  40. Juan is awesome!!! He knows his stuff and I am so glad that the jurors were smart enough to see through the lies of the defense team.
    It does worry me after reading all of these pro defense comments that some of these people might wanna think about seeing someone about how to better read people.They must get taken advantage of by people like Jodi Arias all of the time.
    So here it is all of you pro defense people out there defending that murderer... Regardless of anything having to do with the sex lives of the Murderer and the victim, regardless of any emails or messages. Being that there was no proof of ANY abuse or pedophilia. Take all of that away and just look at the bare facts. This person drove over a thousand miles to another persons residence and while there shot him, stabbed him 29 times and slit his throat! If that was all you heard about the case you all know there would have been no doubt that it was cold blooded murder! No one shoots, stabs 29 times and then slits the throat when they are defending themselves. I don't care if he called her every name in the book! She could have left or never went there at all! Had it been a man that had done this there would have been no question in anyone's mind as to his guilt. And no I am not a man. I am a woman who just believes in justice for all...even the dead!!

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  41. Juan Martinez is an excellent Prosecutor. He knows his case, he fights with a passion. I didn't hear him yelling, I heard him talk so he could be heard, that is a very large courtroom. He is no nonsense with all the witnessess, including his own. Just answer the question, don't dribble on and on. I think juries appreciate that. I will miss watching him when this is over. Hope they do more of his cases. Very professional and to the point. The jury got it right, unlike the lazy CA jury.

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  42. Juan Martinez is the best prosecutor I've ever seen. I'm glad for the guilty verdict and hope she gets the death penalty. All the lawyers, prosecutors or defense lawyers, they have to do their jobs. Most of them are different at home. They separate their personal lives and working lives very well. I'm married to a lawyer. Don't judge people from your own poor judgement or low standard.

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  43. I do not think Juan is a bully, though I can see how one might think he is.......especially if you're a witness for the defense. If you simply answer his questions then he's far less intimidating. He's fantastic at what he does!

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  44. I have to say, that it absolutely disgusts me when I hear someone complaining about Mr. Martinez and how he is possibly be too hard on Jodi! Whenever I hear such things it really makes me wonder if the ones who are saying such have even been following the correct trial, and if so... are they even paying any attention? I challenge everybody that feel like Mr Martinez is too tough on Jodi to go to Google, select images, and search "Travis Alexander's autopsy pics"! Once that is done then come to me and try to tell me this man is being too tough on that woman! she doesn't deserve the treatment she is getting from him now! I mean really?

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  45. I love Juan Martinez, I love the passion that he has for his work and that's the only way to be when you are a prosecutor. I hope i'll never need a prosecutor but if I did Juan Martinez is IT for me. He is sincere,honest, loyal, brilliant, etc, etc, etc. Love you Juan !!!

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  46. Great article, Camille! I know I was sick of the lies and answer-dodging coming from Alyce Laviolette from the very beginning so I can imagine how frustrating it was for Juan Martinez. He could ask her if water is wet and she would answer like this: "Mr. Martinez, water is only wet if you perceive it to be because not everyone thinks of water in the same way because if you're just looking at water, it's not wet but if you're in the water than maybe it is. I can't answer that as yes or no, Mr. Martinez, because you haven't been specific as to where the water is coming from and if I'm actually in the water or just looking....blah blah blah." But I believe Juan's crowning moment in all of this was the 3 minute "time out" he gave Alyce after her wisecrack about putting HIM in time out. That was absolutely brilliant. I hope she understood what was happening.

    Samuels was just as disingenuous. And the very last "expert" in the surrebuttal was a complete joke. He wouldn't even admit that if the prosecutor claimed he was 6'2", that would be a lie and not just an "exaggeration." Where did the defense find these "experts"?

    Jodi's testimony during cross examination was snarky, snide, manipulative, and immature. Her smiles and knowing looks to the jury were ridiculous (was the judge even awake during this testimonial sideshow?). Jodi: "ummmmm....what answer? ummmm.....okay...." There was even a point when Jodi was so pleased at herself during one sparring event that she put her hand over her mouth to actually giggle. The jury saw all of this. And they saw right through her. And when Juan led Jodi down the path of the gas cans, and backed her into the corner with his now famous question, "would it surprise you, ma'am, if I were to tell you that Walmart has no record whatsoever of you returning that gas can?" Brilliant.

    What astounds me in ALL of these defense witness shenanigans is the weak judge, sitting there and having to be nudged awake to admonish non-responsive and combative witnesses (all of these witnesses from the defense). The prosecution witnesses all told the truth so they were a non-issue. They simply answered the questions. Maybe the judge was afraid of anything that may leave room for mistrial or an issue for appeal? Who knows. I don't think she was doing her job. The supersized photo and analysis of the so-called image in Travis' eye was just a side show. The judge should never have allowed that nonsense.

    Thanks again, Camille, for opening up this discussion. And I'm thankful to live in a state where we have a prosecutor like Juan Martinez who doesn't miss a thing, and works hard to ensure justice is served. Justice was served in this case. Jodi isn't giggling behind her hand tonight.

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  47. I think Juan is a wonderful, passionate Prosecutor. He knows exactly what his case is, does not have to rely on notes, He is the LONE WOLF~~ He had to retract answers from the Defense witnesses in this case! They all had the gift that kept on giving, with that being said, I can see why he had to completely drag the answers out of them. Truth is easy to say, when you are trying to "FIT" the answer to what a Defense team wants you too. It is called lies. It is always harder to keep them straight..I'm amazed at Juan Martinez and have watched a few of his cases on the ID channel, he was the exact same way.. They don't call him the "BULLDOG" for nothing...

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  48. So glad I cam across this Blog. Thanks for sharing and being so interactive with your readers, Camille. I love Juan Martinez but have to respond to a couple of the comments from above. A Prosecutor IS the voice for the dead. Someone said that the Prosectutor's job is not to get justice for the victim!? That is wrong. The community AS WELL AS THE DECEASED are the victims! Also, Juan did NOT need to prove Pre-meditation. Jodi did that for him! He just simply pointed out the obvious! She left a strong paper trail that began in California, stopped in Arizona, and then picked up again in Utah. So, it's ignorant when people say pre-meditation wasn't proved. HA. Even if you wanted to say Juan didn't prove it....well all I can say is then....Jodi proved it for him. Looking forward to reading one of your books and so glad I found a new author to follow. Blessings....

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  49. Juan Martinez is a incredibly smart prosecutor. Nothing gets by him and he does not have to refer to notes. Everyone is different and so what if he is a little loud while talking. The defense experts could not even give him a yes or no answer because they were so biased and believed a liar. He proved beyond a reasonable doubt that this was a premeditated murder. They jury will render the death penalty for Jodi. If she really whats to be executed rather than life in prison she will not request an appeal. Aileen Wuornos stopped all her appeals and was executed in 11 years. The Jodi show is coming to the end soon and it can not come soon enough for everyone that believes in justice. Justice for Travis Alexander!

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  50. I thought Mr Martinez did a terrific job- you can tell he is passionate about his work- I enjoyed watching him on TV ,, the other case I would need more details.. I will get some of your books- I am a fan of your type of books

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  51. I have to admit that I am so addicted to Juan Martinez and his impeccable courtroom style. He is so amazing and very very compassionate about Justice! He is by far the best attorney that I have witnessed in action. Just love him!! Can't get enough of him.

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  52. Mr. Martinez does exactly what he is suppose to do which is to be the voice of the victim and to get justice for the victim. He has a style that brings attention to the facts of the case, not attention to himself. I have so much respect for the man after seeing the Arias trial. He should be applauded, not criticized for getting the just and right verdict and the vote for aggrevated murder. The State of Arizona is lucky to have him.

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  53. I came very late to the discussion, but want to say the communication stylings of Juan vs anyone else strongly resemble my own. Its the "I'm not yelling , I'm Italian and I'm trying to make a point!" technique. I don't think Ms Arias was really offended by his demeanor or decibel, but by the content. She just didn't want to describe stabbing and throat cutting, thus the fog. She is "good with hands" she said of her paintings. She just didn't want to "paint" the picture in the jurors heads of how "good" with her own hands she can be. When she said that her mind was scrambled , or something to that effect, when men like him and Travis were yelling at her, Juan should have asked if she would feel justified doing to him what she did to Travis. That would have been dramatic!

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  54. I'm sure not one of you has been in a courtroom where a judge would not condone the intimidation of Juan Martinez. Obviously, Judge Sherie, got a big incentive to let Juan violate all the laws of fair representation., A lone wolf, get real, this is not a TV show. He violated every witness he questioned and judge Sherrie let it go. They had to nail Jodi to the cross, and not depend on the jurors on their own. A clean judge would have stopped Juan from intimidation, interruption, and practically stoning evey witness into submission. Go to a real courtroom where the criminal justice system isn't crooked. Yeh, shadey sheriffs and state attorneys and judges working for the church and votes

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  55. When you tell the truth " You ain*tgot nothing to remember".Think about it. sound familiar? Hats off to Juan. Great Prosecutor.

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  56. Juan, is a fantastic, magnificent man. He does his job the way he sees fit. He wasn't going to be sensitive to Jodi because she is young and pretty. There are not enough prosecuters like him. He wouldn't of had to react the way he did if the defense witnesses answered him the way they did for the defense lawyer. Maybe if this strong willed, determined, and extremely effective prosecuted was the prosecuter for the O.J trial that double murderer , horrible excuse of a man would of been behind bars years ago. Not to mention the Casey Anthony case. In both cases especially the OJ case the prosecuters were to sensitive and soft during the whole process from beginning and especially at the end. The only time I heard any resentment from Marcia's mouth was when she talked about Mark Furhman, the scapegoat for the defense. Marcia or Chris could of stopped that right away if they did their jobs correctly. I know Juan would of not let the case go into a race case when it had nothing to do with race. But they left that man up on that stand to hang, and it was the prosecuters witness. It made me sick.
    Now with Juan none of that bull sh*t would of happened. He reminds everyone why they are there. He would of mentioned over and over that OJ , was nothing but a homicidal double murderer who nearly decapitated his children's mother. I believe that if the prosecutors would of reminded the jury and court spectators over and over that he killed two innocent people , the mother of his kids, instead of the reminders that he is a beloved football hero or a actor who loves life. F- that sh*t.
    Juan I love u and I wish there were more prosecuters like u. One last thing someone mentioned how they were beautiful and lived in a nice house but her husband was abusive and that Juan reminded her of him, this is his job, put the bad guys away, he does not act like that outside the courtroom. Its also the charming, charismatic men who trick many people, like OJ, who are the ones to look out for, my ex husband was such a man.
    Good luck in future cases and in life Juan I think ur incredible.

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