Jodi Arias Trial Update Today: Jury began today in the Jodi Arias retrial. The next part of the Jodi Arias trial that captivated the world last year. The next phase will be the penalty retrial of convicted murderer Jodi Arias. Prosecutors are trying for a second time to secure a death sentence for the convicted murderer.

The first phase of the Jodi Arias trial became a tabloid TV sensation. This makes it harder to find a jury that has not been tainted by media reports. About 300 prospective jurors are reported to be questioned at the courthouse in Phoenix in search of an impartial panel. The first Jodi Arias jury found the former waitress guilty but was deadlocked on punishment.

Arias acknowledged killing Travis Alexander. The murder conviction of Jodi Arias will stand. Jodi Arias will not be able to avoid facing the death penalty. An Arizona judge denied a plea to spare Jodi Arias from the death penalty during the second penalty phase of her murder trial.

On Aug. 4 Judge Sherry Stephens ruled that Jodi Arias will be allowed to represent herself in the upcoming penalty phase of her murder trial where jurors will decide whether the former waitress and aspiring photographer will be put to death for killing her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander.

Jodi Arias, a former waitress and aspiring photographer, 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.

Last year, Jodi Arias was convicted. 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 Jodi Arias retrial is expected to last until mid-December. It will not be televised live.