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Tag: jodi arias retrial

  • Nancy Grace Cited as Reason for Dismissal of a Juror in Jodi Arias’ Sentencing Retrial

    Nancy Grace was cited as the reason for the dismissal of a a second juror after he reportedly approached a journalist and asked her if she was the HNL television personality.

    The first juror was released Tuesday because of family issues.

    The second juror on Wednesday allegedly approached legal analyst and freelance journalist Beth Karas, who is covering the trial for her website, and asked if she was Grace.

    Karas reported the incident to the judge after realizing he was a juror. A hearing was held and the judge dismissed the juror.

    A jury deadlocked on the first sentencing of the 34-year-old Arias, who was convicted of murder last year in the 2008 death of her lover, Travis Alexander.

    It took several weeks to select the jury from a pool of 400. There are now only four jury alternates left.

    The sentencing retrial began Tuesday.

    During his opening statement, prosecutor Juan Martinez showed a photo of the slit throat of Alexander, who also was shot and suffered about 30 stab wounds in his Mesa, Arizona home.

    Prosecutors portray Arias as a vicious killer who brutally attacked her boyfriend in a fit of jealousy and rage after he broke up with her and said he wanted to see other women.

    Defense lawyer Kirk Nurmi, on the other hand, said Arias should be given a second chance at life, citing Arias’ clean criminal record. He also claims she suffers from mental illness and is a victim of child abuse.

    “It’s up to you to write the final chapter to this story,” Nurmi told the new jurors, who are deciding on whether she deserves death for her crime.

    The sentencing re-trial was set to begin reconvene Thursday morning in Phoenix.

  • Jodi Arias: Sparring Over Legitimacy of Sex Letters Bogs Down Death Penalty Re-Trial

    Jodi Arias has claimed that ex-lover Travis Alexander wrote letters to her apologizing for an alleged incident in which she said she caught him masturbating while looking at pictures of young boys.

    Attorneys on both sides are sparring over whether the letters are legitimate and should be included as evidence in the penalty phase of the re-trial, which is slated to begin this week.

    On Thursday, prosecutor Juan Martinez said the letters were phony. Arias’ head lawyer Kirk Nurmi countered, saying the prosecution’s “own [forensic] expert did not say those letters were forged” and said they were impossible to authenticate since they were copies, AzCentral.com reported.

    The dispute, among others tied to possible evidence in the case, has caused the penalty phase retrial to be delayed until Tuesday. On Monday, Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens will hear arguments on the issues at a hearing.

    Stephens said the new jury that will decide whether the convicted murderer is sentenced to death, or whether she will spend the rest of her life in prison, will hear the case at Arizona’s Maricopa County Superior Court on Tuesday.

    Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the 34-year-old, who murdered her former boyfriend Alexander in June 2008 via stabbing and shooting, after an initial attempt ended with a deadlocked jury.

    Before the new jury can start hearing the case, the judge will hear from the defense, which believes the death penalty should be taken off the table.

    “The defense has challenged the death penalty,” said azfamily.com‘s Mike Watkiss. “They want it thrown out. I think bear in mind the defense is now playing to appellate courts. They’re no longer playing to Judge Sherry Stephens. They want to set a record that they can later appeal on.”

    The judge has also ruled that there will be no live streaming video like there was for Arias‘ first trial and no broadcast video until after the verdict.

    “I think it’s sort of a suspect judgment on the part of Judge Sherry Stephens [to ban video until the verdict], but here we go,” Watkiss said. “These are the rules.”

    The waitress-photographer was convicted of first-degree murder in May 2013.

  • Jodi Arias: Can She Fight Death Penalty In Re-Trial?

    With the selection of a new jury on Monday, it’s fair to say that the final chapter of the Jodi Arias trial is about to begin.

    Arias first came to the attention of Americans when introduced as the prime suspect in the murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander.

    It was a brutal crime; Alexander was stabbed a total of 29 times and nearly decapitated. He was also shot directly in the face.

    During the five month trial, Arias claimed she was attempting to defend herself.

    The jury didn’t feel the level of violence suffered by Alexander justified a defense plea. She was found guilty in May 2013.

    When it came to the question of the death penalty, it resulted in a hung jury and the prosecution opting for a retrial with a fresh jury.

    These persons will be tasked with doing what the original jury could not—Deciding whether or not the 34-year-old former waitress will be put to death.

    Arias originally decided that her best hope at escaping execution was to defend herself during the sentencing phase of her trial. She has since changed her mind, despite writing a lengthy letter to the judge as to why she did not trust her defense attorney.

    Arias’s behavior in terms of her defense is just one aspect of her erratic decision-making and bizarre accusations.

    At one point Arias reportedly sought a restraining order against television personality Nancy Grace.

    Arias’s antics are thought by some to be an attempt to influence the public, from whom her jury will be selected.

    This could be true. Regardless of whether or not it is, her behavior may be a key factor in determining whether she lives or dies.

    Despite following Arias throughout her 2013 trial, the original jury was still unable to agree as to whether or not Arias should die. This was a jury that was heavily sequestered during her trial.

    This new jury will no doubt feature individuals highly familiar with her case, and possibly with opinions as to whether she should live or die already formed.

    Said jury consultant Jo-Ellan Dimitrius, “I can assure you they’re going to have at least one person on that panel that has an agenda.”

    Dimitrius is convinced that all it will take is “one whack-job” to hang the jury.

    Jodi Arias is a highly polarizing figure. Even so, she’ll have to hope that she can somehow convince at least one jury member to spare her life.

  • Jodi Arias Gets Penalty Phase Of Trial Delayed

    Jodi Arias’s plan to represent herself seems to be going swimmingly thus far. She was successful in getting the penalty phase of her trial delayed by three weeks.

    Arias argued that the delay was necessary because of difficulties in securing a key witness for her defense. Following a closed door hearing on Wednesday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens granted her request.

    Instead of the penalty phase of the trial beginning on September 8th, the trial is set to begin on September 29th.

    Arias stood accused of having murdered her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander several years ago. Though she claimed self-defense during a testimony that spanned 18 days, the jury simply didn’t believe Arias’s version of events.

    Arias was convicted of Alexander’s murder in May 2013. That jury found her eligible for the death penalty.

    The jury itself could not come to an agreement as to whether or not Arias should be put to death even though her conviction made her eligible.

    The prosecution opted to have a new jury to whom to present a case for capital punishment.

    Arias decided to take matters into her own hands at this stage. She will be representing herself, although it’s still uncertain whether or not this move will help save her from the death penalty or backfire.

    Thus far it seems she is handling herself well; winning this delay could mean she’s taking all the necessary steps to avoid a fatal outcome.

    There remains a possibility Arias’s bizarre behaviors, which include getting a restraining order against Nancy Grace, could catch up with her at some point.

    If it happens that for whatever reason this new jury becomes deadlocked over the issue of putting Arias to death, that won’t be the end of the matter.

    The decision will then rest in the hands of a judge. He or she will then determine whether Arias spends the rest of her life in jail or if she will be executed by the state.

  • Jodi Arias: Second Penalty Phase Gets A Date

    Jodi Arias has been dominating headlines for several months now after her explosive trial ended up coming to a standstill when jurors couldn’t decide on whether to hand down the death penalty. Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in May for the killing of her boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in 2008. Arias denied involvement in his shooting/stabbing death at first, but then admitted she had killed him in self defense. Alexander was found in the shower with 30 stab wounds, a shot to the head, and a cut to his throat.

    Because the jury couldn’t come to a decision, a new penalty phase trial has been set for September 8. In order to receive the death penalty, Arias will have to be found guilty of murdering Alexander in an “exceptionally cruel” way. A new jury will be chosen and cameras are forbidden from the courtroom when the trial begins.

    Arias was on the minds of Arizona taxpayers in January when news broke that her legal fees–which they are footing–had topped $2 million. If the second jury fails to come to a decision about the death penalty, Arias would either face life in prison or life with the possibility of parole in 25 years.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jodi Arias’ Second Penalty Phase Banned from Live Coverage, Judge Rules

    Maricopa County Superior Court Judge, Sherry Stephens, has rejected a bid by convicted killer, Jodi Arias, which would move her retrial from the city of Phoenix. In addition, Judge Stephens has ruled that no video be permitted in the courtroom when the trial resumes.

    Arias, 33, was convicted in May after admitting to the homicide of boyfriend, Travis Alexander. His executed body was discovered June 2008 in the bathtub of his Phoenix home. Travis suffered a gruesome slit to the throat, multiple stab wounds and a gunshot to the face.

    Contrary to popular belief, Arias asserts that she was fighting in self-defense. However, the case has been painted out as an act of jealousy due to the fact that the victim wanted to end the relationship to be with another woman.

    The first jury failed to reached a verdict on whether Arias should receive the death penalty, which then resulted in a second penalty phase. Arizona law permits prosecutors to seek the death penalty through yet another trial with a jury of new faces.

    The Associated Press reported “If the second jury fails to reach a verdict, the death penalty would be removed as an option, and the judge would sentence Arias to either spend her entire life behind bars or be eligible for release after 25 years.”

    This five-month trial has received extensive media coverage with backlashes from many who follow the case. In fear that the penalty phase would be unfair due to its media popularity, the defense attorneys requested that the trial be relocated to a different county. The attorneys also argued that by moving the trial, Arias would be avoiding such ridicule and chastisement from the public, which the attorneys claim she has been experiencing.

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    Thus, Stephens denied the proposal and reassured that there will be no warrant for live coverage, including mobile electronic devices. Also, she announced that the new jurors would have no prior knowledge and insight of the case.

    “The court has no basis for finding the publicity about this case has been so outrageous that it will turn the new sentencing proceeding into a mockery of justice or mere formality,” Stephens said.

    A recollection to last October verifies just how unpleasant people have taken to this murder trial, and it clearly seems others will not be supporting that appeal Jodi was asking for on Twitter.

    A retrial date has not been set.

     Image Credit: Youtube, Twanidilly

    Image Credit: Youtube, Whatchutalkinbout

     

  • Jodi Arias: Judge Looking At Retrial Date Today

    Jodi Arias is back in headlines this week as an Arizona judge takes steps towards a retrial date in order to work out her penalty.

    Arias, who was convicted in May of first-degree murder for killing her boyfriend, Travis Alexander, has been the subject of much discussion over the last several months as the jury debated on whether or not to give her the death penalty or a life sentence. Ultimately, a decision couldn’t be reached and a retrial was granted; a new jury will be chosen next month.

    The standards for choosing the death penalty include whether the murder was carried out in an “exceptionally cruel” way. Alexander was shot, stabbed over 30 times, and had his throat slit; Arias claimed she was only fighting back after he attacked her in a violent rage. Photographs found on a camera at the crime scene show the couple engaging in sexual activities before heading to the shower, and there are photos of Alexander’s brutalized body as well. His body was found in the shower.

    The first trial was drawn out over five months and has already spawned a television movie. Because it was so sensationalized, defense attorneys are asking the judge not to allow cameras into the courtroom during the retrial. At least two witnesses were scared away from testifying because they say they received death threats.

    Prosecutors said that Arias killed her boyfriend in a jealous rage after finding out he’d made plans to take a trip with another woman.

    Image: Thinkstock