Answers about what I think about Richard Samuel's (Jodi Arias)

Since I am a pediatrician friends and family seem to think I have the answers to everything, yet I do not always. But, they know if they ask me about a topic I will research the topic and give them my honest opinion. Some then agree with me and some do not.

I was asked by several people what I thought of the defenses expert in the Jodi Arias trial. Yes, I have watch as much of the trial as I possible could, but I admit I have not followed it as intensely as I followed the Casey Anthony trial.  

But here is my take on Richard Samuel's. But, first let me explain his areas of expertise: 

First of all Richard Samuel's is a psychologist and not a psychiatrist (meaning he does not have a MD following his name). He can not prescribe medications for patients.

 A psychologist performs research and therapy on the mind. There are a number of specialists in this profession, ranging from clinical therapists to sports counselors, but almost all focus on practice, research, teaching, or a combination of all three. Though people often confuse the two, psychologists and psychiatrists are very different.

Specializations

  Psychologists have three main areas of focus: practice, research, and teaching. Most are trained in at least the first two, though they may emphasize one area more than the other in their work. Practice is the interaction with patients, and includes things like diagnosing conditions and creating treatment plans that often include counseling or cognitive behavioral therapy. Research consists of performing experiments and gathering information about why people or animals have certain behaviors and think the way they do, and generally includes things like interviews, experiments both in labs and in other settings, surveys, and studies on the physical aspects of how the brain works. In addition to these two focal areas, many people in this field also teach at the university level.

Training

The training to become a psychologist varies slightly based on specialization, but almost all have to have either a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in psychology or a related field or a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD). After getting the doctorate, a person usually has to complete a one to two year internship and get a few years of professional experience or residency before he or she can apply for licensure. Most people also get board certification in their area of specialization, though it's usually not required to practice. Those who work in schools or with children usually need special certification and licensure, and their training is more focused on education and childhood development.

As Compared to Psychiatrists

The main difference between psychiatrists and psychologists is their underlying focus. While psychiatrists are licensed doctors and have a medical focus, psychologists work with more non-medical means of treatment, like therapy and cognitive testing. Also, psychiatrists can prescribe medicine, while psychologists usually can't, though there are a few exceptions in certain regions. The type of training needed for each is slightly different as well: psychiatrists have to get a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, and then complete four or five years of residency training before they can become licensed to practice.

"Here is my take on Richard Samuel's assessment of Jodi Arias" 

(1  Was it really only an assessment of Arias and the findings and diagnosis there of? I think not.Thus being his job inside the jail is to assess inmates by interviewing them and rendering a bias diagnosis. I would say Samuel's should have only visited Arias no more than 3 or 4 times and then reported back his findings of said inmate (thus remaining bias).His ethics were already questionable from his bartering with the dentist as trade of services. I believe this is why Richard Samuel's moved to Arizona from I believe it was New Jersey. His ethics were already questionable and he paid a fine and had to take classes, although he lied and down played the incident as (having to read a book). 

( 2 Prosecutor Juan Martinez has been right to question Richard Samuel's evaluation of Jodi Arias and his ethics in how long he saw her (Why so many visits?) Then Richard Samuel's motives for purchasing a self help book for Arias. Should Samuel's had been the treating doctor then and only then could had referred Arias to the book, but not purchased the book for her.You can most certainly be helpful to someone, yet not show bias. If Samuel's referred this book to everyone (mother/brother) as Samuel's so stated that he did why did he not purchase (mother/ brothers) books also? But, I never heard him say that he purchased their books. Not only did Samuel's purchase a book, but also greeting cards for Arias. Bias? I think not. 

( 3. Then we come to Arias' DSM test for PTSD why are there 3 scores and only 1 test administered? Then the test was administered on the story (Lie) of the 2 Ninja's dressed all in black. I feel that Samuel's ethics came in question yet again with the 3 different scores. I have actually done my research and the DSM scoring is (simple) addition. How could someone make so many mistakes on simply adding numbers together?  Only my opinion, but I do not believe that Samuel's was at all bias and I also feel he had a underlying agenda. 

( 4. I think if it comes down to Samuel's (So Called) expert testimony to get Arias off that she will have a needle in her arm in a few years. I do not feel that Samuel's has conducted himself with professionalism.

This Bloggers Note: "Hurry Up And Get This Trial Over With" 

When I believe Jodi Arias is Lying?

1. When her mouth is moving.

2.When she blames everyone but herself.

3. When I see her talk with her hands and there is no crooked finger or she crooks the wrong finger.

4. When all her answers can never be yes or no, but she must explain and there is always something derogatory said about Travis. Either he is mad at her, abusing her, or having sex with her in positions that she does not like. Yet, she seems to always return to him from 1000's of miles away and end up in bed with the very same man that makes her feel dirty or like a used piece of toilet tissue.

5. The fact that when she is cross examined by the defense or jurors she is as calm as a cucumber, but let the prosecution ask her a question and she either becomes a hostel witness or cops a superior attitude with Mr. Martinez. This is when she hangs her head and cries under her hair so no one can see they are crocodile tears.

6.  When she talks about the day of the murder of Travis showing no fear or tears when explaining how she had to defend her life against him. Battered women or someone that truly cares about human life would be moved to tears in there explanation in having to relive this situation in there mind again on the witness stand. (Yet there are is no visible shaking or tears while explaining this day again. Only I was in a fog defense,a battered woman or Travis Alexander was just mean to me defense.   It is my opinion if Jodi had any remorse in her action of taking the life of another human being that it would show in her demeanor on the stand.

7. The fact that she would break up with Darrell Brewer within days of meeting Travis shows that she does not have the one boyfriend at a time philosophy as she states. Also the fact that she is with yet another guy just hours after killing a man. In my mind how could she function and act as if nothing was wrong while trying to yet again lure in another Mormon man.

8. The gas cans she was caught in a lie in front of the jury as to the 3rd gas can she purchased and then claims to had taken it back on the same day when receipts add up to another purchase for gas when she claims there were only 2 gas cans.

9. Her journal entries show nothing happened when she claims she was attacked by Travis the first time.


10. Let's face it everything was about sex. The sex she enjoyed with Travis.

As a last note Jodi is a narcissist. She cares nothing for anyone but Jodi.   

Jodi Arias Trial Part 2

I have been watching the Jodi Arias trial and her testimony is really sexual and graphic in nature. The prosecution  is really giving her head way to bury herself I suppose since he does not raise many objections. She has talked about her entire life even childhood where she says she was abused by both parents. She states her mother whipped her with a wooden spoon that she kept in her purse and her dad just threw her into walls while back handing her. She has went through every single boyfriend and everyone abused or cheated on her in some way. When she first met Travis Alexander the guy she admits to stabbing 29 times, almost decapitating him and shooting once in the head for good measure, he asked her for a BJ which she obliged him. Then now she says he made her feel like a used piece of toilet paper and a prostitute. Now she is using the battered women's defense. Please when you drive over a thousand miles and meet a guy you don't know and perform a BJ on him don't gripe about it, because who's fault is it? She kills the guys his parents are in the court room having to endure all the details of every sexual encounter they had. Give me a break! My heart goes out to every battered woman who knows anything about this trial to have a cold blooded killer use this defense. It is a slap in the face of every battered woman out there. I really want to see what happens on this trial, but tired of hearing her sex life and how Travis hid there relationship. Forgive me the guy was Mormon and it was against the church laws to have premarital sex. He wanted sex pure and simple, but that does not make him the monster she is claiming he was. He hid her because she was not Mormon wife material, end of story. It is so sad that a man cannot get a piece of a whore that gives it so freely without being killed for it.

Jodi Arias on the stand

I have read all of the comments made on this page (CBS) and I agree with most except for Rev Doctor Black. He wrote a short sentence that if Jodi was black that that the media would not be making a big deal about this trial. This statement has nothing to do with this case,just as Jodi's mom beating her with a wooden spoon or the oral and anal sex she claims has either. This girl has lied about so many things and cannot be believed. Yet,she sits there on the stand trying to act embarrassed about her sexual relations with Travis after other boyfriends describe her as demanding and forceful in the bedroom. I do not believe that Travis treated her the way she says except I do believe that he hid their affair. I sit there this week listening to her as she goes on and on about sex with other guys as well as Travis. She was living with a 50 year old man when she met Travis so she can drop the sweet, naive, innocent act. I am angry that she sits there and claims she is a mentally, physically abused battered woman. I personally believe that she seduced Travis and stalked him. Yes, Travis was a grown man but he had not had sex due to his Mormon faith and yes I am sure he loved being with her and having sex for a while, but Jodi was not the kind of girl you took home to meet mother. So yes she was Travis' dirty little secret. But in no way does this warrant Jodi stalking him and then later stabbing him 29 times slitting his throat almost cutting his head off and then shooting him in the head for good measure. This is what needs to be testified about not her life history. I can only pray that the jurors can see right through her and this will not be a recap of the Cassie Anthony verdict.