Jodi Arias Trial Update Today: After Two Attempts to Dump Attorneys, Jodi Arias Will Represent Herself in Penalty Phase Retrial

Jodi Arias Trial Update Today: Judge Sherry Stephens ruled that Jodi Arias will be allowed to represent herself in the upcoming penalty phase of her murder trial. The Jodi Arias judge made the ruling 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."Judge Sherry Stephens previously denied two motions by Jodi Arias to fire her lead attorney, Kirk Nurmi.


Jodi Arias delivered a twelve page handwritten letter saying that she no longer trusts her lawyer Kirk Nurmi. Arias says that she hasn't seen the Nurmi since the end of the first phase of the trial on May 23. Jodi Arias' complaint says he "does not listen or respond to my concerns."


In the motion, Jodi Arias wrote "Mr. Nurmi, however, in his utter poverty of people skills, simply said to me with contempt, 'You're not going to get your way just because you throw a tantrum.' Judge, this was no tantrum. Far from it. This was a full-blown emotional meltdown. I wasn't throwing a fit, I was falling apart. Having known me for 3.5 years at that point, Kirk Nurmi should have easily discerned this, but his failure to do so shows he lacks the capacity for empathy and chooses anger over attempting to understand any impairment his client may be experiencing in direct relation to the case and court proceedings."
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.


The 33-year-old Arias was convicted last May of killing her boyfriend at his suburban Phoenix home in 2008, but the jury couldn't reach a verdict on her sentence.
Under Arizona law, Jodi Arias' murder conviction stands, but prosecutors can pursue a death sentence in the penalty phase with a new jury. If the second jury fails to reach a verdict, the death penalty would be removed as an option. Judge Stephens would then sentence Jodi Arias to either spend her entire life behind bars or be eligible for release after 25 years.


 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 said she did it in self-defense. She claimed Travis Alexander had a violent outburst while they were shooting a nude video and she dropped his camera. The jury found her guilty but couldn't decide whether to sentence her to life in prison or give her the death penalty 
The former waitress and budding photographer stabbed Alexander 27 times, shot him in the face and cut his throat from ear to ear with such force she almost took his head off. 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.

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