Jodi Arias Trial Update & Live Stream: Defendant Spent Too Much Time on Stand, Legal Experts Say

(Update: story updated to correct errors. - Ed. 12:55 p.m.)

While Jodi Arias' defense team attempts to explain her numerous lies, and alleged memory problems with "expert witness" testimony, many legal experts are convinced her lawyers made a tremendous mistake by allowing her to stay on the stand for a virtually unprecedented 18 days.

(See live stream below) 

A photographer from California, Arias is charged with the the grisly first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in June 2008, when she allegedly stabbed the 30-year-old man 27 times, shot him in the face, slit his throat from ear to ear and left his bloodied corpse crumpled over in the bathroom shower of his home. Arias' fate depends on whether the jury believes she killed Alexander in self-defense, as she contends, or was actually a jilted lover exacting jealous revenge, as the prosecution argues.

There seems to be a consensus growing among many legal experts that Arias' marathon 18 days of testimony on the witness stand will only serve to hurt her in the jury's eyes.

"I just can't envision 18 days of examination of a defendant where she's basically admitted the killings," said retired Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fields, mydesert.com reported.

"Before 1975, not many murder trials went beyond 18 days," noted David Derickson, an Arizona defense attorney and former Maricopa County Superior Court judge.

Defendants typically only testify when the crux of their defense is a "state of mind." For Arias, that's meant describing in graphic detail the purported abuse, coerced raunchy sex games, and mind-control she suffered from Alexander that eventually forced her to kill him in self-defense.

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 DNA evidence proved she was lying, she said masked intruders killed him, and 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. 

With Arias finally off the stand, her defense has an uphill battle to wage to convince the jury she's finally telling the truth. The jury clearly hasn't been buying Arias' stories, say legal experts.

"She certainly gave a lot of rope [for the jury to hang her with]," noted former prosecuting attorney Jeffrey Gold.

"Juries are notoriously difficult to read," said former U.S. Attorney for Arizona Paul Charlton. "But when you get question after question that is aggressive, it doesn't bode well [for her]. It shows that they are uncertain about her credibility."

Jurors submitted over 200 questions to be asked to Arias by Judge Sherry Stephens. Arizona is one of three states that allow jurors to ask witnesses questions once prosecuting and defense attorneys have completed their questioning, according to Fox News. Almost all of the 220 questions centered on Arias' varying versions of events and supposed inability to remember the most important aspects of the trial, such as killing Alexander. The jury's questions displayed a palpable level of skepticism for Arias' version of events, and in some cases, carried a notably pointed tone.

"I think it's bad for her," observed Phoenix defense attorney Richard Gierloff. "People are questioning her testimony and have a lot of questions. [Prosecuting Attorney Juan] Martinez is adding to that fire."

The defense's next phase of the trial will attempt to explain how Arias' memory loss, constant lying, and odd behavior are caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and domestic abuse by using "expert witnesses" like psychologist Richard Samuels.

A psychologist and self-advertised "expert witness" on PTSD, Samuels testified Thursday 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" and strange behavior. Samuels said that Arias suffered acute stress disorder following the harrowing incident and said that the disorder eventually evolved into PTSD.

After Samuels is done testifying, the defense is expected to call another "expert witness" to the stand, Alyce LaViolette, an expert on domestic abuse who has experience as in criminal trials. LaViolette has authored books on domestic violence, and delivered a speech about post-traumatic stress disorder at a 2011 conference for military families called, "Why Do People Hurt the Ones They Love?", Fox News reported.

Arias faces the death penalty if convicted. Court proceedings resume with more "expert witness" testimony Monday at 1:30 p.m. EST.