Jodi Arias Freed by Police Perjury, Evidence and Witness Tampering!

Phoenix, AZ—Okay I’m jaded.  I have investigated so many high profile cases over the decades and have learned one sad thing about them.  Integrity among witnesses, cops and prosecutors quickly vanishes.

Being a criminal defense investigator is not like what most people think or understand.  While investigating these cases I soon found myself trapped in a world of lies.  If I can expose the lies my client often goes free! Because of bizarre dynamics, this is anything but an easy task.

Let’s begin with a personal statistic I’ve established about my fellow humans.  A full one-third or more of people routinely lie.  As we know most people in fact can’t seem to tell the truth about something as simple why they’re late for work. 

If this percentage of people can achieve the same result by lying as telling the truth they will choose to deceive.  It’s best described as a form of narcissism or self-empowerment. 

In high profile cases deception is the rule, not the exception!  People lie from every possible side of a case skewing justice along the way!

Whether or not the accused is guilty, those arrested lie most of the time.  They think that lies will help them and they are desperate.  Their friends and family members that find themselves as defense witnesses want to help so they lie too.

For the cops interviewing those people separately, they can easily expose this deception.  Lies told by suspects and their family or friends will nearly always destroy any chance of escaping even an unjust conviction.

Unfortunately many cops have a terrible habit of guessing culpability first and then creating, shaping or forming the evidence to convict those they believe are guilty. 

The best example I can cite here is O.J. Simpson.  The case appeared weak and cops went about to frame a guilty man.  However in the end they got caught and Simpson was freed.    

Cops are in the unique position to remove, move or add physical evidences including DNA to any crime scene.  When they subsequently serve search warrants more opportunities are presented to place damning evidence inside the homes, offices or vehicles of the accused.

Motives for this behavior include seeking professional recognition, fame, or simply being driven to nail the coffin lids on the people they arrest.  Let me say that the percentages of this happening are so much higher than you would ever dare imagine.

We all have made ourselves believe that cops and prosecutors wear the white hats.  After all they are the good guys who can always be trusted never to mislead you, right? 

Ego’s, self-image issues and narcissism are no strangers to cops and prosecutors.  They love the attention they get by publicly demonizing some hapless perceived miscreant.

In high profile cases this begins at press conferences where cops and prosecutors pat each other on the back for the important arrest.  Thus the demonization of the accused begins and the defense is never able to challenge this with equal time. 

By the time the defense discovers any solid evidence they are subject to gag orders by the judges on the case!  Prosecutors often deliberately cross the line so that gag orders are issued.  That in effect insures the public will only hear one side of the case!

Once they bring in the TV cameras inside the courtrooms that suddenly guarantees that lies will become the new truth!  Bad behavior and deception go into high gear! 

Savvy cops know how to play the civilian witnesses by making them feel important.  The cops want to hear only the things that will bolster their cases.  So it’s very easy to ask questions that provide the answers they want to hear the witnesses repeat! 

This often begins with the first eyewitness identifications.  The witness was either a victim and saw a violent crime committed by a stranger.  Their eyes were fixed on weapons, the hands and shocking deeds of the perpetrator/s.

Soon a cop brings a suspect to the witness in a police car.  The witness assumes that the cop somehow found the right person and they want to help the cops. 

What happens next is horrible.  The witness will more than likely identify whomever the cops have brought! After all the witness wants to help the cops whether they recognize the suspect or not.

Identifications made outside of a proper line up suck in a big way.  The so-called, one-on-one identification method is excessively subjective and should be outlawed. 

A high percentage of people will exaggerate or outright lie if they think it will help the police take a criminal off of our streets.  Once the useful idiot/witness gets praise and recognition he or she will become locked into the lie forever. 

Thankfully the mass proliferation of surveillance cameras has stopped many false identification cases cold before they got out of hand.  

With the limelight of TV cameras, and recognition from the likes of TV commentators such as Nancy Grace witnesses abandon the truth and instead gravitate to what’s seems popular at the moment.  

It’s exactly like the intuitive Dr. Josef Goebbels infamously said, “If you tell a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.”  The media can be counted on to repeat each and every lie until they are set in stone!

When you allow a murder trial like the Jodi Arias case to become a media circus only bad things will happen.    

Today with the Internet and our instant communication keeping a jury away from sensational influence outside of the courtroom is impossible. 

Guilt or innocence is established by a lot of things in America.  Unfortunately too often the truth does not really matter.

This all takes me to my personal motto about the criminal justice system, “If justice happens it’s usually by accident and for all the wrong reasons.”

Germany Is Becoming the New Hollywood with a Vengeance!

Los Angeles, CA—It was in 2011 at the Goethe Institute across from the offices of the Screen Actor’s Guild where I learned about the generous film funding offered by the German government.

A panel of leaders in German film and government funding spoke to American filmmakers explaining the process. 

This was as filmmakers were given little choice but to flee the extortionate taxation of California’s politicians that have squeezed this important industry virtually to death.  Hollywood’s loss is certainly Germany’s gain. 

Germany has learned that funding films creates production, jobs, and wealth as it promotes art in a big way.  In the end the German government realized tax revenue by simply priming the pump. 

Whether it’s a Liam Neeson thriller, or one of the many edgy Quentin Tarantino films and so many in between, they’ve been funded in part by Germany.  The catch is they agreed to simply producing a percentage or the entire film in Germany.

The films themselves have been wonderful.  Frankly most of the films would never have been made without the German funding.  Simply put, our German friends are providing opportunities for American writers, actors, directors and producers to do the work they love.  Of course the same holds true for the German counterparts. 

The world’s film library has become so much richer because of some dedicated people promoting this concept.   I’ve been fortunate to make friends with some of these terrific people. 

I’ve got a special fondness for the German people since my days as a conscripted U.S. Army medical corpsman serving there 1968-70.   

If you want to get your film made Germany may well have a solution for you simply by finding one of many gifted German producers willing to work with you. 

Here is a reel of some of the films created with funding and created at Studio Babelsberg In Berlin:

Here is a video that event I attended that explains the ins and outs of German film funding:

Jodi Arias Is A Free Woman!

Phoenix, AZ—The defense in the Jodi Arias case has filed a Poison Pill Motion that will end the prosecution of Arias.  She will be set free without as much as a jaywalking conviction!

According to the motion the computer belonging to Travis Alexander, while in police custody was tampered with.   Thousands of pornographic files were deleted in a very serious case of evidence tampering.

Arias claimed under oath during her trial that she discovered Alexander masturbating while looking at porn images of little boys.  Prosecutor Juan Martinez had repeatedly ridiculed Arias in arguments as a liar saying she made that up. 

This is bad as prosecutorial misconduct can get.  There is no other legal remedy now but to send Arias home.

I don’t anticipate Arias being held in custody beyond a week or two under the cataclysmic circumstances.

What remains are the federal and local investigations into the evidence tampering, violation of civil rights and obstruction of justice by cops and perhaps a prosecutor. 

As for the legions of trial watching trolls that demanded the death penalty for Arias emotional meltdowns are on the way!

Nancy Grace had better get some better medication from her shrink because this news will make her head explode!

I predicted this outcome long ago and it comes as no surprise to me.  I was criticized, condemned and castigated for telling it the way it was. 

As for Jodi Arias, I wish her luck and hope she makes good use of the life that’s being returned to her! 

Read Motion Below:

  Arias Motion to Dismiss Evidence Tampering

Using Camera Drones in Some Routine Police Work Would Greatly Benefit taxpayers.

Los Angeles, CA—When there is a personal injury or fatal accident on any one of our highways it must be investigated.

Police respond, care for the injured until the arrival of EMT’s, arrange for towing of disabled vehicles and prepare accurate diagrams of the scene for their reports.

They also need to photograph the vehicles, skid marks and debris.  This takes time and keeps the freeway closed until they’re finished.

The diagrams are used by the courts and insurance companies to fix responsibility for these mishaps.  In some cases people are charged with serious crimes such as Murder and Manslaughter.  Defense lawyers can be counted upon argue that the diagrams are inaccurate or misleading in order to win freedom for their clients.

Skid marks and tire scuff is forensic evidence that’s used by investigators to reconstruct accidents.  Speed is routinely determined by measurement of these marks on the pavement that all too quickly disappears from view. 

Drone images can far more accurately capture an accident scene removing guesswork as to their integrity of measurements of skid marks and such.

A small drone can be carried in a police vehicle trunk, and quickly deployed by officers at such scenes.  High-resolution video and still photographs can be taken from perhaps 50 or 60 feet above in 10% of the time it takes to make a good diagram. 

The same holds true for violent crime scenes and many other events that could be documented by the inexpensive drones. 

The camera drone industry is changing at lightning speed right now to fill every possible need for these sometimes life-saving products. 

My best drone equipment is not even six months old and is already being made obsolete by improved devices! 

Here is the equipment that I’m currently using and its cost is no more than $2,500.00

At a minimum police will be able to reopen the highways quicker reducing the already problematic gridlock.

Los Angeles is Apparently Hostile To Camera Drones and is Considering a Ban!

Phantom 2 with a GoPro HD camera targeted by LA politicians

Los Angeles, CA—City Council Members Tom LaBonge, and Mitchell Englander have moved forward with a request for recommendations from the LAPD and other agencies on restricting or otherwise banning civilian drones.

This is only the first step.  We will have to wait and see what develops and deal with any ordinance/s that they propose. 

Once they have a proposed ordinance it must negotiate the legislative process that includes public comment. 

We are certainly free to begin contacting members of the City Council now letting them know that the existing laws and FAA regulations are more than adequate to deal with any issues of public safety and privacy. 

We need to let them know that any knee jerk reaction to media hype may seriously infringe on 1^st Amendment rights. News organizations, videographers, photographers, filmmakers have a right to gather and display their images.  

Any “Chicken Little” fears of our multi-rotor camera drones are unfounded and without merit. The fact is that the multi-rotor drones are in civilian hands worldwide by the hundreds of thousands.  To date there’s never been a death or serious injury reported anywhere.

Feel free to respectfully and politely contact the city council members and ask them to abandon efforts to ban or restrict our drones.  The benefits of this technology for the people of Los Angeles far outweigh any harm. 

They have already created a law to prevent drone abuse to celebrities by stalking paparazzi photographers. 

The council members really need to move slowly and intelligently as they watch how this new technology progresses.   Exploiting ignorance and the unknown is never good public policy.    

The Council’s contact directory is right here:

http://lacity.org/government/ElectedOfficialOffices/CityCouncil/CouncilDirectory/index.htm

Here is a copy of the three page request for recommendations by the Council. 

 

style=" margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block;">     style="text-decoration: underline;" >Drone Ordinance Movement Los Angeles

Judge Rebecca Wright Should Win An Appeal With NBC!

Los Angeles, CA—After spending decades inside courtrooms first as a Chicago cop, later as a criminal defense investigator and journalist in Arizona and California, I’ve been redundantly disappointed the cast of characters I’ve met.

The judges for the most part are a bunch of pompous tyrants on a power trip.

Prosecutors are a bunch of smug bastards that routinely hide evidence and put their thumbs on the scales of justice at every opportunity. 

The beleaguered defense lawyers must hold their noses while they simply watch their hapless clients get convicted 80% of the time.

Occasionally there are unexpected surprises and dramas but the reality is most of the cases settle without trial in plea agreements. 

Accordingly, I have authored a somewhat cynical motto,  “If justice ever happens it’s usually by accident and for all the wrong reasons.”

What do I think about most court or police themed entertainment programs?  They all suck in a very big way.  Mostly they annoy me on account of their runaway political correctness.  I dumped cable years ago since I have little time to watch TV anyway. 

I recently found a judicial oasis that cracks me up in a big way.  The show is the NBC offering, Bad Judge.

Most refreshing is the leading female protagonist, Judge Rebecca Wright.  She’s refreshingly human and prefers to error in form rather than substance.

The writing for Bad Judge is funny and the entire cast is marvelous. The disappointment comes when you realize it’s only a half-hour show.   

Judge Wright is played by Kate Walsh.  Walsh was born in CA and later raised in Arizona.  She moved to Chicago where she established roots at Second City.  She was also involved with the Piven Theatre Workshop and the Chicago Shakespeare Repertory.

Walsh additionally went on to New York and did the Off Broadway circuit. 

Walsh’s acting and comedy chops soon earned her guest star spots and a coveted role in the dramatic series Gray’s Anatomy.  She also won a subsequent spin-off show. 

Walsh’s striking good looks and ravishing red hair are only second to a great smile that captivates souls. 

Walsh was made for that role.  In fact the casting for the show could not be better. 

In Bad Judge, political correctness has taken a back seat to refreshing comedy.  Most of the overly, narcissistic and egotistical judges and lawyers I ever met would absolutely hate Walsh’s character.  Maybe that's the reason I love Judge Wright!  

Sad news came to me this week as I learned what became my favorite show has been cancelled.

In the mean time we will have just have to catch episodes on NBC on Thursday nights.  

When a show’s last episode is finished a “wrap party” is always a tradition.  I expect this one will be solemn, however I can’t imagine this crew not having fun anyway.  

I only wish I could be there so I could congratulate each and every cast member for the fun they all brought to my life.

Arias Trial is Void Because the Government Facilitated Witness Tampering on a Grand Scale.

Judge Sherry Stephens and Prosecutor Juan Martinez 

Phoenix, AZ—Let me begin by saying I’m not now nor have I ever been retained as the defense investigator for Jodi Arias.  I’m not her friend or one of her supporters. 

I have however been greatly alarmed by the conduct involved with her journey through the Arizona criminal justice system. How the Arias case became such a high profile circus defies all logic.

This was a no more than passionate event of one lover killing another.  This is not really unusual as homicides go.  

How this became a Capital First Degree Murder Case makes no sense to me at all.  Had there been financial gain involved I may have supported a murder charge.

Arias has already been behind bars for over six years and has served adequate time for a more realistic crime such as Manslaughter. 

She’s been convicted of Capital Murder and now a second jury is going to be wangling with her punishment.  We now know that any attempt at fairness of her murder trial and sentencing phase has been terminally compromised

The prosecution and trial of Arias before Judge Sherry Stephens, was nothing less than a judicial nightmare.  The prosecutor Juan Martinez has substantially lowered the acceptable prosecutor's behavior bar and Judge Stephens has miserably failed to rein him in.   

Judge Stephens succeeded in raising her own celebrity star along with Martinez by making sure national TV cameras were unobstructed as they mugged for them.

The media circus created one more unintended monster; legions of pathetic trolls that formed a media fueled lynch mob.  The results were constant death threats to each and every witness that was called by the Arias defense.  Undoubtedly that influenced testimony and perhaps caused defense witnesses to restrain their testimony or refuse to cooperation.  

The threats were discussed today before the Arizona Court of Appeals and they are the apparent reason Judge Stephens has sealed the courtroom.  This sudden attempt to deal with this mess all comes too little and too late.

The decision to allow cameras into courtrooms for live and contemporaneous broadcast was a bad one.  Video is fine as long as it is broadcast or otherwise published after the trial is concluded.

Too many things and do go wrong including the now apparent unbridled witness tampering in the Arias proceedings.

Arizona has now more than adequately demonstrated that protecting Arias’ rights became impossible.  This cannot be somehow cured or remedied now.  Now there is only one fair thing to do and that’s to cut the losses and free Arias. 

There is a valuable less here for future trials. 

Come see Tony LoBianco at UCLA!

http://www.tonylobianco.com/The-Little-Flower.html