Jodi Arias Trial Update Today: Jodi Arias Trial Delayed Again; Judge Sets Oct. 4 Hearing Date

Jodi Arias Trial Update Today: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens delayed the Jodi Arias retrial decision again today. Jodi Arias judge set a new hearing date for Oct. 4. Jodi Arias' lawyers want to have the second jury sequestered.

The judge in the Jodi Arias trial delayed the next hearing nearly three weeks. Judge Sherry Stephens originally planned to set a date for the penalty phase of the Jodi Arias retrial on Monday. The Jodi Arias judge was also expected to rule on Jodi Arias' lawyers' motions relating to media coverage and to decide whether to give lawyers access to the prospective Jodi Arias jurors' Twitter accounts. The next hearing date is now delayed until until Friday, Oct. 4.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens made the announcement via Twitter last this morning. The judge did not give a reason.

The last hearing in the Jodi Arias trial was Aug. 26. The hearing lasted a few minutes. Judge Stephens announced the Jodi Arias trial continuance to Sept. 16. Jodi Arias was in the courtroom so briefly she never even sat down before she was taken back to jail.

The Jodi Arias trial lasted about five months. Jodi Arias was convicted of first-degree murder May 8 in the 2008 stabbing and shooting death of boyfriend Travis Alexander in his suburban Phoenix home. The jury convicted Jodi Arias of first-degree murder in May. The Jodi Arias jury found her eligible for the death penalty, but could not unanimously agree to sentence her to death.

The Jodi Arias will now have a retrial. The guilty finding in the first trial will stand. The second jury will only decide whether to sentences Jodi Arias to death or life in prison.

Because of the publicity that the first trial attracted, Jodi Arias' lawyers wants the new jury sequestered, will deal only with her sentence.

Lawyers for Jodi Arias were seeking to set aside the earlier determination that the murder of Jodi Arias' boyfriend, Travis Alexander, was done in an "especially cruel" manner. This was the aggravating factor that the State of Arizona required for the prosecution to pursue the death penalty.

Earlier this month, Judge Sherry Stephens denied the motion. The death penalty is still an option.

If the jurors in the penalty phase retrial cannot decide unanimously decision, Jodi Arias will be automatically sentenced to life in prison. Only a jury can hand down the death penalty in Arizona.

In the event of an automatic life sentence, Judge Sherry Stephens will decide whether Jodi Arias will become eligible for parole after 25 years.

Tags
world news
Jodi Arias
trial
update
TODAY
Join the Discussion

Latest Photo Gallery

Real Time Analytics