The expert witnesses for Jodi Arias' defense incorrectly diagnosed her with post traumatic stress disorder, memory loss, and domestic abuse, a psychologist for the prosecution testified in court Tuesday.
A 32-year-old photographer from California, Arias is charged with the grisly first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in June 2008, when she stabbed the 30-year-old man 27 times, primarily in the back, shot him in the face, slit his throat from ear to ear with so much force it almost decapitated him, and left his bloodied corpse crumpled over in the bathroom shower of his home - all in the course of 106 seconds. Arias' guilt is not up for debate - but her mental state at the time of the killing is. Arias' future depends on whether the jury believes she killed Alexander in self-defense, or was actually a jilted lover exacting jealous revenge.
As the defense finally rested its case Tuesday after roughly 12 weeks of testimony, prosecutor Juan Martinez began the state's rebuttal with its first expert witness, Arizona clinical psychologist Janeen DeMarte. Intent to prove the defense's experts were inaccurate in their claims and could not be trusted, Martinez set up DeMarte as a consummate professional, and an objective contrast to the defense's numerous lapses of ethics and judgement.
The prosecution's expert wasted no time in poking holes in credibility of the defense's experts, psychotherapist Alyce LaViolette, and psychologist Richard Samuels. DeMarte testified that no one was capable of going beyond the "written word," seemingly a jab at LaViolette basing her assertions on her opinions of Arias' journal entries. The clinical psychologist also said that in her opinion it was "extreme" for a psychologist to examine a client for 40 hours or more, which is roughly the amount of time LaViolette claimed to have evaluated Arias.
To establish her as an objective party and the defense's experts as unethical, Martinez asked DeMarte if she would ever give a client she was examining a gift, in reference to presents given to Arias by LaViolette and Samuels.
"No, that's inappropriate ... that's creating what's called a multiple relationship ... As an evaluator you want to be an independent person," DeMarte said.
Based on her review of the psychotherapist's notes, DeMarte said she did not believe LaViolette had conducted a thorough evaluation,
"There's a big piece of missing data there as far as giving tests," Dr. DeMarte said.
Next, Martinez noted that Samuels scored Arias' PTSD test twice, with the second score higher than the other.
"The only reason I could see someone would re-score [the PTSD test] would be if it was not scored correctly the first time or they were trying to manipulate the data," DeMarte said.
DeMarte said she studied an examination of Arias conducted by Dr. Cheryl L. Karp, the Vice-Chairperson for the State of Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners. The psychologist testified that Arias had claimed more incidents of abuse to Karp than she had during her review or to other experts.
"She told me there were four distinct episodes of alleged abuse," DeMarte said, referring to her examination of Arias.
Martinez asked how many instances of abuse Arias reported to Dr. Karp.
"I can't even count [them] ... there was numerous reports of frequent abuse and threatening behavior," DeMarte testified.
DeMarte said that in her professional opinion Arias was afflicted with borderline personality disorder. She meticulously explained how Arias met six of the nine qualifications: Anger, emptiness, suicidal behavior, identity disturbance, unstable intense relationships, and abandonment fears.
DeMarte also testified that she disagreed with Samuels' diagnosis of Arias with PTSD and memory problems, explaining in graphic detail exactly how Arias did not meet traits of the disorder related to avoiding anything concerning a trauma or re-experience of trauma, like ceasing to engage with the world, detachment from others, or trouble sleeping.
"There wasn't symptoms that were consistent with that diagnosis," she said.
Earlier in the trial, the defense's first expert witness Samuels testified that his review of the case and Arias showed she was "depressed" and "in denial" after she killed Alexander, claiming that's just what caused her "mental condition."
Arias has tried to explain away many of the inconsistencies in her stories by claiming her memory was foggy the day Alexander died. Arias has wavered back-and-forth between providing surprisingly acute details surrounding the murder to claiming she has little to no memory of certain pieces of the case, such as the actual act of killing Alexander, saying her memory of the fateful day has "huge gaps," according to The Tri-City Herald.
Arias has already admitted to lying about Alexander's death to just about everyone. She first claimed she was never at Alexander's home the day he was killed. Then, when a bloody handprint on the wall confirmed she was there through DNA evidence, she admitted she was there, but said masked intruders killed him. Finally, years later she backtracked to admit she killed the victim, but now claims it was in self-defense, saying he attacked her in the shower, forcing her to fight for her life. She claims she lied so often because she was "ashamed" she killed Alexander in self-defense and because she was afraid of revealing the details of their sexual relationship.
Arias faces the death penalty if convicted. The trial resumes Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. EST when Willmott is expected to continue questioning DeMarte.
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