Juan Martinez Continues Cross-Examination of Alyce LaViolette At Jodi Arias Murder Trial

by UInterviewApril 10, 2013, 12:00 amNews >

Alyce LaViolette returned to the stand in the Jodi Arias murder trial on Tuesday, as prosecutor Juan Martinez continued his cross-examination of the psychotherapist and domestic violence expert.

On Tuesday, Martinez mostly picked up where he left off in trying to cast doubt on LaViolette’s evaluation of Arias, who is accused of plotting and executing the vicious murder of boyfriend Travis Alexander. Martinez attempted to discover how and why LaViolette found Arias believable.

In his efforts to unravel the witness’s claims, Martinez asked about whether or not there was an external motivator to Arias’ actions. "Did you rule out secondary gain with regard to the defendant?" Martinez asked. "I did not rule out secondary gain," LaViolette replied. "Isn't it true … She could have been less than truthful with you?" Martinez asked. "I didn't rule out secondary gain. I looked at it in the context of all the other information," LaViolette said.

She then added, summing up the defense strategy, "There is always reasonable doubt, Mr. Martinez."

Martinez also pursued a line of questioning about Arias’s tendency to play the victim. LaViolette only conceded to learning that Arias had been manipulative in high school. She did not, however, feel that it gave her reason to believe that Arias was a manipulative adult.

Then, Martinez’s focus turned towards the sexual nature of the case, and LaViolette’s admittedly “old fashioned” views on sex. Martinez attempted to show that LaViolette might have been hindered by those views, and therefore unable and unwilling to press the defendant on her sexual relationship with Alexander. LaViolette claimed that despite being old fashioned, she had asked Arias about her sex life with Alexander and others before him.

At the end of the day, Martinez was growing more and more frustrated with the defense witness, at one point asking, "Aren't you providing an excuse and siding with the defense again?"

"No, I'm not saying that… What I am saying is I like to look at the big picture," LaViolette replied.

Martinez will resume his questioning of LaViolette when the trial resumes today at 12:30 p.m.