Jodi Arias Sentencing Retrial: Death Penalty Could Be a Possibility

(Source: abc15.com)

The Jodi Arias sentencing retrial continued earlier this year following a short winter holiday break. In 2013, Arias was found guilty of murdering ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander and was formally charged with first-degree murder. Jurors are currently deliberating on the penalty for her crime, be it the death sentence or life imprisonment.

A report provided by MailOnline indicated that Maricopa County Judge Sherry Stephens dismissed all motions from the defense to deny the death penalty sentence. Arias' defense team filed the motion to dismiss the penalty based on allegations of trial misconduct on the part of prosecutor Juan Martinez and Mesa police detective Esteban Flores.

Defense attorneys have alleged that police officers on the case provided false testimony and mishandled crucial evidence that deleted traces of pornographic websites from Alexander's laptop. They are also arguing that several mitigation witnesses are declining to testify because they cannot do so in secret.

Judge Stephens, in her comprehensive 16-page ruling, responded to these allegations stating that there was no reason to dismiss a potential death penalty sentence. In her ruling, Stephens noted, "The cumulative effect of those allegations does not require dismissal of the charges or the notice of intent to seek the death penalty. There may have been errors made, but those errors were not so egregious that they create concerns about the integrity or fundamental fairness of the trial."

A mistrial was declared last 2013 during the penalty phase of the trial as the jurors back then were unable to meet the required voting threshold to agree on a verdict. A new sentencing trial was started last October 2014.

The murder and subsequent trial has undergone extensive media coverage in recent years. A straight-to-television adaptation titled 'Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret' was released in 2013 by the Lifetime network. The film focuses heavily on portraying a love affair between the characters Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander.

 

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