The Jodi Arias trial has had so many twist and turns. Mistrial Declared In Jodi Arias Sentencing Trial According to Fox News Jurors who spent five months determining Jodi Arias’ fate couldn’t decide whether she should get life in prison or die for murdering her boyfriend, sending prosecutors back to the drawing board to rehash the shocking case of sex, lies and violence to another 12 people. Judge Sherry Stephens gave a heavy sigh as she announced a mistrial in the penalty phase of the case Thursday and scheduled a July 18 retrial. “This was not your typical trial,” she told jurors. “You were asked to perform some very difficult duties.” The panel then filed out of the courtroom after 13 hours of deliberation that spanned three days, with one female juror turning to the victim’s family and mouthing, “Sorry.” She and two other women on the jury were crying. None of the jurors commented as they left court. The mistrial set the stage for a whole new proceeding to determine whether the 32-year-old former waitress should get a life sentence or the death penalty for murdering Travis Alexander five years ago. He was shot and stabbed nearly 30 times — his throat slit ear to ear — in what prosecutors said was a jealous rage because he wanted to date other people. A new jury will be seated to try again to reach a decision on Arias’ sentence — unless the prosecutor takes execution off the table and agrees to a life term. Jury selection for the next phase could take weeks, given the difficulty of seating an impartial jury in a death penalty case that has attracted global attention. Arias, who first said she wanted to die and later pleaded to the jury for her life, looked visibly upset about the mistrial and sobbed before it was announced. Her family didn’t attend Thursday but has been present for much of the trial. Family members of Alexander also cried in court. The same jury on May 8 found Arias guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Alexander, who was nearly decapitated in the bathroom of his Mesa home. The jury later determined the killing was cruel enough to merit consideration of the death penalty. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery thanked the panel in a statement after the mistrial was announced: “We appreciate the jury’s work in the guilt and aggravation phases of the trial, and now we will assess, based upon available information, what the next steps will be.” He said a status hearing has been set for June 20, “and we will proceed with the intent to retry the penalty phase.” Under Arizona law, a hung jury in a trial’s death penalty phase requires a new jury to be seated to decide the punishment. If the second jury cannot reach a unanimous decision, the judge would then sentence Arias to spend her entire life in prison or be eligible for release after 25 years. The judge cannot sentence Arias to death. A new jury would have to review evidence and hear opening statements, closing arguments and witness testimony in a condensed version of the original trial. Attorneys will also have to find prospective jurors willing to issue a death verdict. As the proceedings continue, Arias will remain in the Maricopa County jail system, where she has spent the past five years. Sheriff Joe Arpaio said Thursday she will be confined to her cell 23 hours a day and not be allowed to give interviews. The trial’s penalty phase also featured dramatic statements by Alexander’s sister and brother as they described how their lives were shattered by the loss of their beloved sibling. The judge had told jurors they could consider a handful of factors when deciding Arias’ sentence, including the fact that she has no previous criminal record. They also could weigh defense assertions that Arias is a good friend and a talented artist. Arias found it difficult to resist the spotlight throughout her case. She spoke to a Fox affiliate minutes after her conviction, and did a series of jailhouse interviews just hours after the jury got the case in the penalty phase. “The prosecutor has accused me of wanting to be famous, which is not true,” Arias told the AP on Tuesday in an interview where she combed her hair beforehand and wore makeup for the cameras. She also insisted that no images be transmitted of her from the waist down, showing her striped jail pants and shackled ankles. Hopefully this painful saga can come to an end.
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Judge Declares Mistrial In Penalty Phase Of Jodi Arias Trial
