Jodi Arias Trial Update Today: Jodi Arias will be allowed to represent herself in the upcoming penalty phase of her murder trial, Judge Sherry Stephens ruled on Monday, Aug. 4. In the next phase of the Jodi Arias retrial, jurors will decide whether the former waitress and aspiring photographer will be put to death for killing her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander.

Judge Sherry Stephens granted Arias' motion to act as her own attorney, but warned Arias: "I do not believe it is in your best interests. I strongly urge you to reconsider."

Last year, Jodi Arias was convicted of murder for the 2008 killing of her lover Travis Alexander in Arizona. The Jodi Arias jurors were not able to a unanimous decision on her case. Friday's proceedings were closed. The sentencing phase of Arias' trial is scheduled to begin on September 8, 2014

Under state law in Arizona, Arias' murder conviction stands. Prosecutors have the option of putting on a second penalty phase with a new jury to pursue a death sentence. If the second Jodi Arias jury still fails to reach a decision, the death penalty will be removed from consideration. The judge will then sentence Arias to life imprisonment. Jodi Arias would be will be eligible for release after 25 years in jail. The second penalty phase is set for September.

A new jury will be impaneled to consider only the life or death sentence. Judge Stephens said that there will be no further delays.

Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott, lawyers for Jodi Arias, will continue in the trial as advisors, but Arias will be in charge. If Arias represents herself, she will present evidence at the trial as well as interview jurors and witnesses. Arias has no legal experience. The former waitress has no college degree or high school diploma. Arias got her GED in jail.

Jodi Arias admitted to killing Travis Alexander, her then boyfriend at his suburban home in Arizona. But Jodi claimed she did it in self-defense. Alexander was stabbed 27 times, his throat was slit and he was shot in the forehead. Prosecutors say Arias killed Alexander in a fit of rage after Alexander said that he wanted to end their relationship. Medical examiners say that the murder took less than 2 minutes.

Legal experts say that, because of the gruesome nature of the crime, Arias' decision to represent herself might be a good idea.

San Francisco-area defense attorney Daniel Horowitz told ABC News "It's actually probably a good idea to represent herself. She looks like a vicious psychopath with a ridiculous defense."

Horowitz added that the jury "may find her pathetic. ... If she can get just one juror to bond with her on some level, even if they hate her, they're getting to know her, and it's harder to kill someone you know," he said.

Because of the excessive publicity, Jodi Arias attorneys have already filed motions requesting that the sentencing phase of the trial be moved out of the Phoenix area. Jodi Arias' lawyers filed a motion for a change of venue after finding that 70 percent of the media coverage in the state started in Maricopa County. The sentencing phase retrial will not be broadcast live. A new jury will be impaneled next month. If the new jury is deadlocked, Judge Stephens will decide whether to sentence Arias to spend either her natural life in prison or be eligible for release after 25 years in jail.