Jodi Arias Awaits Her Fate As Sentencing Retrial Begins

Jodi Arias is one small step closer to learning her fate, as the jury for her retrial is sworn in, NBC News reports. Arias was convicted of killing her boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in May, 2013, but the jury could not agree on her punishment. Arias, 34, will either receive the death penalty or life in prison for the first degree murder conviction. If the new jury fails to reach a unanimous decision, Judge Sherry Stephens will decide Arias’s punishment. Should the decision be put in the judge’s hands, Arias would not receive the death penalty, as the judge’s options would be limited to life in prison or life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Jodi Arias’s murder trial captivated viewers around the world. The proceedings were broadcast live, and many were fascinated by the sexual and physical abuse that Arias spoke of during her 18-day testimony. This time, Judge Stephens has banned live television; cameras will be allowed, but no video can be broadcast until the trial is over.

Arias never denied that she killed Alexander, but she claimed that she did so in self defense, after Alexander attacked her. Prosecutors said that Arias killed Alexander in a jealous rage, after he tried to end their relationship.

The Huffington Post offers five things that everyone should be familiar with about the Jodi Arias case as they follow the retrial.

• Arias stabbed Alexander more than 30 times, shot him in the forehead and cut his throat so deeply that she almost decapitated him.
• Although she has already been convicted, the sentencing retrial will be a sort of “mini trial” for Arias, in order to fill in the new jury on the details of the case.
• Four hundred people were selected as prospective jurors. Many were eliminated after saying they had formed an opinion about Arias and the case. Some were rejected because they objected to the death penalty.
• The first trial created such a media buzz that spectators lined up in the middle of the night to get seats in the courtroom.
• Arias’s defense costs have topped $2.5 million and will go higher during the retrial.

As previously reported in The Inquisitr,Arias has had issues with her defense team, led by attorney Kirk Nurmi. Her claimed distrust of Nurmi led Arias to request that she be allowed to represent herself during the retrial. Judge Stephens advised against the move, but granted Arias’s request. Shortly afterwards, Arias changed her mind. She will be represented by Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott at the retrial.

Opening statements in Jodi Arias’s retrial are expected today, and the trial is expected to last until mid-December.

[Photo via NBC News]