Arias: Jury Foreman Speaks Out

Jurors declined to comment and left the courthouse. But on Friday jury foreman William Zervakos told ABC's "Good Morning America" that Arias' testimony didn't do her any good.

"I think 18 days hurt her. I think she was not a good witness," he said.

"We're charged with going in and presuming innocence, right? But she was on the stand for so long, there were so many contradicting stories."

Zervakos said with the prosecutor's aggressive style, that length of time testifying "would be difficult for anybody. I don't think I'd want to sit on the stand for 18 days."

Zervakos said he believed Alexander mentally and verbally abused Arias.

"Is that an excuse? Of course not. Does it factor in the decision that we make? It has to," he said.

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HLN Update 10:10am

Jury Split:  8 for Death, 4 for Life

Update 5 June

William Zervakos gave an on-camera interview to local media available here on the KSAZ-TV website.  Although he declined to reveal how he voted, he did provide some revealing clues to his thoughts and feelings.  After listening to the full interview, I came to the conclusion he is not someone who could have voted for the death penalty. 

1. He speaks of the heavy burden of sitting in judgment on the life of another human being.  
2. He believes Jodi Arias is two people:  one before June 4, 2008, and another afterward.  
3. He believes Arias has some problems. 
4. He was shocked to learn the jury's failure to reach an agreement would result in a mistrial even though he doesn't believe knowing would have made a difference.
5. He said, "None of us in the jury tried to coerce or convince each other or validate our positions. We had lots of discourse. Lots of discussion and there was a lot of emotion involved. But nobody ever took it personally and everyone respected everybody's position and that was huge."

 My thoughts, point by point, in direct response:

1. Yes, that must indeed be a heavy burden.  But you did say you would be able to carry that burden if asked to.
2. Jodi Arias is not two people, unless you want to consider she was evil before June 4, 2008, and is even more evil now.
3. To  say that Arias has "some problems" is way too kind to be a deliberate understatement.  In the interview with ABC, you stated you felt she was emotionally and verbally abused and that you had to take that into consideration.  Putting the two together, I suspect you believe Travis somehow pushed Jodi over the proverbial edge.  If that is indeed the case, that means you are (perhaps unwittingly) blaming Travis for his own death in spite of all the evidence that Jodi provoked what little verbal and emotional abuse Travis may have been guilty of.
4. A hung jury always results in a mistrial.  I'm not clear how that could have shocked or even surprised you.
5. I'm glad there was no coercion.  But what the heck was all the discourse about if you neither tried to convince others or to validate your own opinions?  For what purpose do you think Judge Stephens gave you the Allen Charge (i.e. sent you back into deliberations when you gave up so quickly the first time)?  She gave you very clear instructions on what to do in order to reach an agreement.

As they say, what's done is done.  Gotta live with it.  Don't gotta like it.

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An update to the above update... I was right.  He did not vote for the death penalty. Call me slow, but RadarOnline has more on the story.  I feel badly the man has been getting death threats.  That's totally uncalled for.  But I do resent that (a) he seems to think "we" are all wrong about Jodi Arias and that (b) he blames all the negative sentiment about her on [gasp] Nancy Grace.  Let me see... what group of people, in relation to this trial, blames everything on Nancy Grace and HLN?  Hmmmm.  Hmmmmmmmmm.  I wonder if Nancy knows what power she wields?

Pssst, Mr. Zervakos, are you aware the entire trial was televised and put on YouTube for all the world to watch?  Didja think you're the only one with the straight scoop on Jodi Arias?  Please stop insulting all of us who believe she deserves the death penalty.  Please.  We know more about her than you do.  Trust me on that.