Jodi Arias

Vigil for Travis Alexander on 6-year anniversary of his death

Posted: Jun 04, 2014 1:29 PM CDT
Updated: Jun 18, 2014 1:44 PM CDT
Posted by Breann Bierman

PHOENIX (CBS5) - There's a candlelight vigil Wednesday night to remember the Mesa man murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Arias, six years ago.

The vigil for Travis Alexander is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in front of the Maricopa County Courthouse in downtown Phoenix.

His friends say they will release balloons in his honor.

The event is open to the public.

In May 2013, Arias was convicted in the 2008 murder of Alexander, but jurors couldn't reach a decision on a sentence. A second penalty phase is set for September as prosecutors again seek a death sentence.

http://www.kpho.com/story/25694046/vigil-for-travis-alexander-on-6-year-anniversary-of-his-death

Jodi Arias Still Off Twitter, But Continues Selling Artwork Online Ahead of Sentencing Phase of Trial

By Zachary Stieber, Epoch Times
July 7, 2014

Jodi Arias has stayed off Twitter after she alerted fans earlier this year, but friends and associates are still using the social media service to promote her artworks.

The Twitter account of Arias, which has over 76,000 followers, has been alerting fans to new oil paintings created by Arias.

For instance, on June 25 the account said: ”Grapes” now available at [website] …. Check it out. It’s gorgeous.”

Another post several days later said that a new original oil painting “City of Light” was now available.

The account also posts when a painting has been sold and thus added to the archive section of the website.

According to the site, Arias has sold 43 works of art, although it’s unclear when they started being sold. Her subject matter ranges from mathematical sequences to flowers. Many of her paintings are about humans, in different settings and sometimes with animals.

Arias was convicted last year of murdering her former boyfriend Travis Alexander in 2007, but the sentencing phase ended with the jury deadlocked. A new sentencing phase is set to start in September, with the selection of a new jury.

Arias told supporters earlier this year that she would not be tweeting anymore for a while. A recent update on the account was: “Jodi isn’t tweeting, people. Accept it. She ASKED me to take this one over. That’s the only reason I’m doing it. I don’t even like Twitter.”

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/791340-jodi-arias-still-off-twitter-but-continues-selling-artwork-online-ahead-of-sentencing-phase-of-trial/

Jodi Arias and the Fine Art of Murder

on JULY 15, 2014
by BJW Nashe

Now that the guilty verdict is in, and the moral issue of Jodi Arias’s crime is supposedly settled, it is time for other considerations to be brought to bear on this unsettling case. Suitably chastened by the firm, steady hand of justice, hopefully now we can all dry our tears, dampen our sense of outrage, stop chanting “USA!” outside the Maricopa County Courthouse, and finally view Jodi’s saga from the perspective of the true crime connoisseur. And in fact, at this point in our history, as inundated as we are with crime, whether we know it or not we truly have become crime connoisseurs. We are experts when it comes to murder – aestheticians of the bloody deed. We should all be awarded honorary doctoral degrees. Such expertise, however, inevitably leads us to legitimate questions of artistry. In the case of Jodi Arias, it is time for a thorough evaluation along these lines. The question is not whether she did it; rather, the question is how well did she do it, how artistically, how pleasingly?

The distinguished English essayist and habitual opium-eater Thomas De Quincey points the way forward in his brilliant and timeless essay, “On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts” (Blackwood’s Magazine, 1827):

“When a murder is in the paulo-post-futurum tense, and a rumor of it comes to our ears, by all means let us treat it morally. But suppose it over and done… suppose the poor murdered man to be out of his pain, and the rascal that did it off like a shot, nobody knows whither; suppose, lastly, that we have done our best, by putting out our legs to trip up the fellow in his flight, but all to no purpose… why, then, I say, what’s the use of any more virtue? Enough has been given to morality; now comes the turn of Taste and the Fine Arts.”

or Jodi Arias, it is indeed “over and done.” And no, she is not “off like a shot.” Rather, she is caged like an animal, and will be fortunate to avoid the death penalty. Or unfortunate, if her initial response to the verdict is to be trusted. Arias has stated emphatically that she would prefer death to life in prison. In her first statement made to a TV reporter following the conviction, she explained her thought process:“Longevity runs in my family, and I don’t want to spend the rest of my natural life in one place. I believe death is the ultimate freedom and I’d rather have my freedom as soon as I can get it.” One can see why the insanity defense was not considered in this case. Jodi’s logic here is unassailable. If the past is any indication, she will be changing her position on this half a dozen times in the future. For now, however, it is death that is foremost on her mind.

It is worth noting that if death is the “ultimate freedom,” then Arias’ murder victim, Travis Alexander, strikes us as being “over-liberated.” The manner in which he was dispatched from this mortal coil stamped his “ultimate freedom” with an exclamation point. There was no debating the issue. We believe he likely would have preferred to continue living with little or no freedom, trapped in his dual role as Mormon church boy/debauched fornicator. But this was not be his fate.

If death is the “ultimate freedom,” perhaps we should all be murdered just to get it over and done with. But let’s not get sidetracked by too many thorny existential questions at this point. Our primary concern here is the fine art of murder insofar as this applies to Jodi Arias. In particular, we need to look closely at the character of the murderess, her choice of victim, and the style in which the crime was carried out — the various creative flourishes and crescendos the murderess employed.

The Character of the Murderess:

And Jodi Arias earns points right from the start for her physical appearance and her personality. No one doubts that she is an attractive young woman. Many would call her beautiful. The Creator endowed her with certain charms, and the plastic surgeon did the rest. Let us praise the Lord for the miracles of genetics, science, and medicine. We can all probably agree that any time a woman blessed with Jodi Arias’s good looks becomes involved in murder, the aesthetic possibilities are endless.

It is hardly on looks alone that Jodi Arias excels as a murderess, though. There’s no need for us to succumb to displeasing shallowness. We also need to consider her personality and behavior. Happily, Jodi presents us with a wealth of riches in this regard.

Jodi Arias has demonstrated a level of psychosexual dynamism that may be unsurpassed in the annals of female crime. She is able to combine the chilly manipulative demeanor of a top flight film noir vixen — say, Lauren Bacall circa The Big Sleep (1946) — with the red-hot antics of a 21st century porn star. This heady melange of cool, calculated mind-games and x-rated promiscuity was the elephant in the room throughout the circus that some dared call a trial. Emotional blackmail, fits of jealousy, and dysfunctional codependency? Jodi had it covered. Bondage? Degradation? Anal sex? Sperm facials? Jodi was up for it. Let’s be honest, the risque photos displayed at the trial, along with the phone sex recordings, and the naughty testimony concerning Spiderman underpants and rough sex following hot on the heels of a Mormon baptism — all of this turned a whole season of “Court TV” into an Arizona remake of the Marquis de Sade’s Crimes of Love.

And Jodi’s apparent psychological problems — her dissociative personality disorder, her mood swings, and her compulsive lying — only served to boost the scandalous nature of the proceedings. Likewise, her murder trial makeover, in which she was transformed from blonde femme fatale into a bespectacled, brunette librarian, simply rendered the subject matter even more salacious. What sex addict or voyeur has not, at some time or other, entertained fantasies of  “Greek love” with a librarian? We can only assume that Travis Alexander was no stranger to this concept.

None of this detracts one bit from the artistic quality of her crime. On the contrary, Jodi Arias scores extremely high when it comes to personal appearance, style, personality, and attitude. I can’t think of another murderess who presents such an enticing blend of psychological problems, undeniable attractions and untamed desires.

Jodi Arias’ Choice of Victim

When it comes to the matter of Jodi Arias’ victim, we find ourselves in a bit of a quandary. The esteemed De Quincey lays out three criteria in this category for a truly artistic murder. First, the victim should be a “good person.” This satisfies the Aristotelian notion that a murder shall invoke both terror and pity. If the victim is an evil sort, his/her murder, though terrifying, will arouse scarcely any pity at all. Second, the victim should not be a public figure. Killing a celebrity or well-known official takes on the more public flavor of an assassination, which tends to distract us from purely aesthetic considerations. Third, the victim should be in good health, for as De Quincey puts it, “it is absolutely barbarous to murder a sick person, who is usually quite unable to bear it.”Absolutely. Just because we are dealing with murder here, there is no need to descend to the level of mere savages.

o how does Jodi Arias measure up to these standards? On balance, she does quite well. But as in most areas of life, there is definitely room for improvement. Travis Alexander was certainly in fine health, and he was by no means a public figure or celebrity. His name would mean nothing to us, were it not for his violent demise. As far as being a “good person,” however, this presents us with distinct problems. By pretending to be a devout Mormon, all the while indulging in pre-marital sex binges on the sly, Travis Alexander was clearly a scoundrel. Perhaps not a scoundrel of the order of the venture capitalist and Latter Day Saint, Mitt Romney, but a scoundrel nonetheless. Anyone who rationalizes his clear delight in sodomy because he has convinced himself that the act poses no threat to his Mormon vows, since it is somehow not considered “intercourse,” is a confused and dishonest individual. Indulge in this perversion to your heart’s content, but please, spare us the fairy tales and rationalizations. Sodomy and religious dogma do not mix. Moreover, we would not be shocked to learn that Travis combined his delusional thought processes and beliefs with abusive behavior toward women.  Should we really be surprised that this type of man would one day be attacked by one of his female sex buddies, whom he idly chattered about tying to a tree?

Therefore, when it comes to her choice of victim, Jodi scores 2 out of 3. Her slaying of Travis allows for ample terror, but alas, none of the pity we would feel over the violent and untimely death of a “good person.”

The Artistry of the Murder Itself

Now we can move on to what is by far the most important part of our evaluation — the artistry of the murder itself. Here we must navigate through some fairly complicated terrain. The crime scene itself was a huge mess, the site of bloody pandemonium. Jodi turned that house into an abattoir. Travis Alexander was shot and then stabbed close to thirty times with a knife. His head was nearly severed. So what are we to make of this attempted masterpiece? Remember, we are discussing pure aesthetics here — the morality and legality of the matter having been thoroughly resolved. That dead horse that has been flogged quite enough already.

n terms of planning and execution, Jodi Arias exceeds all expectations. What is particularly striking is the combination of cold-blooded premeditation (ensuring her the coveted first degree murder conviction), with what can only be described as a passionate frenzy when it came time to close the deal. The Manson girls of 1969 inevitably come to mind. But they were unclean hippies. Jodi was well-scrubbed, perfumed, and no doubt clothed in Victoria’s Secret, or some similar lingerie. Plus, she had the audacity to have sex with her victim prior to killing him. Then she proceeded to hook-up with another fellow directly after the carnage. Surely this deserves bonus points! Let’s face it, Jodi would eat the Manson girls’ brains for lunch. Compared to Jodi, they were stoned bush leaguers.

When it comes to the choice of weapons, we are faced with a real dilemma. Perhaps De Quincey might guide us here. The learned and eloquent dope fiend, friend and contemporary of Wordsworth and Coleridge, was partial to stabbing and throat-slitting, above all other forms of killing. Bludgeoning was acceptable, but he had a special fondness for the dagger, and no use whatsoever for poison:

“Fie on these dealers in poison, say I: can they not keep to the old honest way of cutting throats, without introducing such abominable innovations from Italy? I consider all these poisoning cases, compared with the legitimate style, as no better than wax-work by the side of sculpture, or a lithographic print by the side of a fine Volpato.”

I feel precisely the same way about guns as De Quincey did about poison. Any moron can load up on firearms and ammunition at the local gun store. They can visit a gun show, or purchase guns online, and not even be bothered with a routine background check. Pulling a trigger and blasting holes in someone takes no great level of skill or imagination. It is simply a mechanical action, requiring no more aesthetic skill than starting a car or flushing a toilet.

We have no choice, therefore, but to rank Jodi Arias considerably lower than we would prefer on this account, simply because she made the aesthetically disastrous decision to use a gun. It’s a shame, because her knife skills are unsurpassed, truly off the charts. Her blade work and the ensuing bloodshed is reminiscent of both the disfiguring cubism of Picasso, and Jackson Pollock’s abstract expressionist splatterings and drips. The bathroom scene is a true wonder; it’s shocking that this was only her first murder. And the sexual activity takes us into the realm of transgressive Viennese performance art. (A pre-murder sex tape would have been an excellent touch, but you can’t have everything.) Moreover, Jodi’s incredible performance during the police interrogation – complete with yoga positions and pleasing gymnastics — is pure Dada. Hugo Ball would have surely applauded this tour de force.

All in all, the sublime and terrifying artistry of Jodi Arias’ act of murder is undeniable. Yet it will remain forever tarnished by the crass and tasteless use of a firearm.

I am reminded of Valerie Solanas, the deranged feminist revolutionary and author of The S.C.U.M. Manifesto(1967). SCUM is the acronym for the “Society for Cutting Up Men” (not the “Society for Cutting Up Mormons”). And that’s precisely what Solanis advocated: knife attacks in the face of male oppression. The typical man, as Solanas affectionately characterizes him, “is obsessed with screwing; he’ll swim in a river of snot, wade nostril-deep through a mile of vomit, if he thinks there’ll be a friendly pussy awaiting him…” The women she calls on to butcher these males are “completely self-confident, arrogant, outgoing, proud, tough-minded… capable of intense, witty, bitchy conversation.” They are also “hateful, violent bitches… given to disgusting, nasty, upsetting scenes.” And they are prone to “slamming those who unduly irritate them in the teeth.” These women, Solanas writes, would “sink a shiv into a man’s chest, or ram an icepick up his a__hole as soon as look at him, if they knew they could get away with it…”

Zut alors! Not exactly Oprah’s Book Club material–but an undeniably compelling screed from thoughtful and angry psychopath.
Yet when the time came to put her theory into practice, Solanas went for the gun. Not the knife, the shiv, the sword, or the icepick. The gun. You might recall that she’s the one who shot Andy Warhol in 1968, seriously wounding him as he stood there dazed and confused inside the inner sanctum of his famed Factory. Warhol somehow survived the attack. And Solanas had made a serious mistake. The shooting ruined her reputation forever. It also occurred on the same day as the Robert F. Kennedy assassination — which hurt her in terms of publicity. I am perhaps one of the few connoisseurs of crime who even remembers her name. And I only invoke her here as an example of how miserably one can botch an otherwise excellent and artful execution simply by choosing the wrong weapon.

Despite the imperfections noted, Jodi Arias’s slaying of Travis Alexander, when viewed as a complete event — an “artistic whole” — ranks extremely high in the annals of murder. Although Thomas De Quincy would rightly decry Jodi’s inexplicable use of a firearm, this blemish can and will be forgiven over time, considering the strength of the overall performance. Jodi Arias will be remembered for quite some time by all true connoisseurs of crime.

http://www.allthingscrimeblog.com/2014/07/15/jodi-arias-and-the-fine-art-of-murder-5/

What a complete insult to Travis' family and his memory.   I get that the author was
going for irony and shock-value, but really?   Really?!  He's dead three times over,
can't we just let him RIP?

Jodi Arias back in court wearing prison jumpsuit

Posted: Jul 30, 2014 7:04 PM CDT
Updated: Jul 31, 2014 3:42 PM CDT
By Phil Benson - email


Jodi Arias (Source: CBS 5 News)

PHOENIX (CBS5) -  The re-sentencing phase of the Jodi Arias trial is ramping up again.

The convicted killer and her lawyers were back in court Wednesday morning.

Video cameras were not allowed in but still photographs show Arias back in her black-and-white prison jumpsuit and wearing her plastic glasses.

Procedural matters were discussed with another court date set up. A status conference is set for Aug. 8 at 8:30 a.m. No TV cameras will be allowed.

The penalty phase is set to start on Sept. 8.

Arias was found guilty May 8, 2013 of first-degree murder in the death of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, but jurors couldn't agree on a sentence, and Stephens declared a mistrial in that portion.

http://www.kpho.com/story/26156429/jodi-arias-back-in-court-wearing-prison-jumpsuit

Jodi Arias to represent herself at penalty phase of murder trial

Published August 04, 2014
Associated Press

A judge ruled Monday that Jodi Arias can represent herself in the upcoming penalty phase of her murder trial, where jurors will decide whether she is put to death for killing her ex-boyfriend.

Arias, 34, was convicted of first-degree murder last year in the 2008 killing of Travis Alexander, but jurors couldn't reach a decision on sentencing. Under Arizona law, while Arias' murder conviction stands, prosecutors have the option of putting on a second penalty phase with a new jury in an effort to secure the death penalty.

Arias, who has long clashed with her defense lawyers and tried to fire them previously, asked Judge Sherry Stephens to let her serve as her own lawyer during the second penalty phase set for Sept. 8. Stephens granted the request but said there would be no delays.

"I do not believe it is in your best interest ... I strongly urge you to reconsider," Stephens told Arias before granting the motion.

Arias will now have the task of arguing a death penalty case just four weeks from now despite having no legal experience and no college degree or high school diploma. Arias got her GED in jail.

Her defense lawyers will remain on as advisory council. They declined to comment on the latest developments. Prosecutors also declined comment.

Experts say the move might not be such a bad idea given the gruesome nature of the crime. Arias admitted killing Alexander at his suburban Phoenix home but said it was self-defense. He was stabbed nearly 30 times, had his throat slit and was shot in the forehead. Prosecutors argued it was premeditated murder carried out in a jealous rage when Alexander wanted to end their affair.

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

However, Horowitz noted, 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.

The five-month trial that began in January 2013 provided seemingly endless amounts of cable TV and tabloid fodder, including a recorded phone sex call between Arias and the victim, nude photos, bloody crime-scene pictures and a defendant who described her life story in intimate detail over 18 days on the witness stand.

Arias told jurors of an abusive childhood, cheating boyfriends, dead-end jobs, her sexual relationship with Alexander and her contention that he had grown physically violent.

"They thought she was a liar. She was narcissistic. She was arrogant, and it made it easy to convict her," Horowitz said. "But that's a lot different than killing somebody."

Phoenix defense lawyer Mel McDonald, a former Maricopa County judge and federal prosecutor, agreed that Arias doesn't have much to lose.

"I think generally that anybody that represents themselves has a fool for a client, but it also gives her a way, if she's out there making a fool of herself, to maybe invoke some sympathy from a juror," McDonald said.

Arias' feud with her attorneys has been ongoing since early in the case and intensified after she gave a series of media interviews following her conviction in May 2013. Her lawyers have tried to withdraw several times, but the judge has rebuffed their requests.

If the new jury fails to reach a unanimous decision, the death penalty will be removed from consideration. The judge would then sentence Arias to spend her life behind bars or to be eligible for release after 25 years.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/04/jodi-arias-to-represent-herself-at-penalty-phase-murder-trial/

Irrefutable Questions Disproving Premeditation

http://www.justice4jodiarias.com/irrefutable-premeditation-questions/

In Response Of - Irrefutable Questions Disproving Premeditation , Jodi Arias

http://www.chathousenews.com/2014/08/in-response-of-irrefutable-questions.html

JODI ARIAS SEEKS DELAY OF PENALTY PHASE RETRIAL

By BRIAN SKOLOFF
— Aug. 13, 2014 3:56 PM EDT

PHOENIX (AP) — Jodi Arias asked a judge Wednesday to postpone the second penalty phase of her murder trial, explaining she would no longer represent herself if one of her two attorneys is allowed to quit the case.

Arias, 34, was convicted of murder last year in the 2008 killing of her ex-boyfriend, but jurors couldn't reach a decision on sentencing, setting the stage for a Sept. 8 retrial to determine her punishment.

Judge Sherry Stephens previously granted Arias' motion to represent herself while her two court-appointed attorneys stay on as advisers.

However, one of those attorneys asked the judge on Wednesday to let him quit the case. Lawyer Kirk Nurmi explained in a motion filed last week that "a completely fractured relationship between counsel (and client) now exists."

Arias has acknowledged killing Travis Alexander at his suburban Phoenix home but said it was self-defense. He was stabbed nearly 30 times, had his throat slit and was shot in the head.

Prosecutors argued it was premeditated murder carried out in a jealous rage when Alexander wanted to end their affair.

The hearing on Wednesday marked the first time Arias had argued her own motions. She spoke softly while seated at a defense table alongside the two lawyers, one of whom occasionally whispered in her ear.

Arias asked for the delay to give her time to interview an expert witness she plans to call to testify and to review evidence.

Prosecutor Juan Martinez vehemently objected, noting the case has dragged on long enough. He said the ruling that allowed Arias to represent herself also said there would be no delays.

"She agreed to those terms," Martinez told the judge.

Arias has tried to fire Nurmi several times, and he has sought to get off the case in the past after frequent clashes with Arias over strategy.

In response to his latest request, Arias told the judge that she would no longer serve as her own attorney and would allow her other lawyer, Jennifer Willmott, to argue the case if Nurmi was permitted to quit.

"As far as I know, he has not done anything" lately to assist in the defense, Arias told the judge.

Arguments were then closed to the media and public, and it was not immediately clear if the judge issued a ruling.

The prosecutor and defense attorneys left court without comment.

A hearing is set for Aug. 22 on Arias' motion to postpone the retrial.

Under Arizona law, Arias' murder conviction stands and prosecutors have the option of putting on a second penalty phase with a new jury in an effort to secure the death penalty.

If a new jury fails to reach a unanimous decision, the death penalty will be removed from consideration. The judge would then sentence Arias to spend her life behind bars or to be eligible for release after 25 years.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/jodi-arias-seeks-delay-penalty-phase-retrial

Retrial delayed: Judge gives Jodi Arias more time

http://www.hlntv.com/article/2014/08/20/jodi-arias-retrial-delayed-jury-selection-september-29

Jodi Arias Trial and Verdict Update : Arias Granted Access to Home Where She Killed Travis Alexander

http://www.latinpost.com/articles/20359/20140830/jodi-arias-trial-verdict-update-granted-access-home-where-killed.htm

Juan wants sanctions against Jodi Arias



http://www.courtchatter.com/2014/08/juan-wants-sanctions-against-jodi-arias.html

Jodi Arias objects to limited TV coverage of her retrial

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/jodi-arias/2014/09/02/jodi-arias-objects-limited-tv-coverage-retrial/14977281/

Jodi Arias Trial: Investigator Going Back to Murder Scene?

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/928696-jodi-arias-trial-investigator-going-back-to-murder-scene/

Operatic Arpaio denies Arias access to media



http://www.azcentral.com/story/ejmontini/2014/09/23/sheriff-joe-arpaio-jodi-arias-cameras-courtroom/16101107/

Dozens of possible jurors rejected in Arias case

by Brian Skoloff, Associated Press
Posted on September 29, 2014 at 10:44 AM
Updated Wednesday, Oct 1 at 12:09 PM

PHOENIX (AP) -- Roughly a third of 300 potential jurors were dismissed Monday in the penalty retrial of convicted murderer Jodi Arias after telling a judge they had seen too much media coverage of her first trial to be impartial or had already made up their minds about her punishment.

"Today was a long day in jury selection," says courtroom blogger Jen Wood. "There was a lot of going through who would be fair in this trial."

Other jurors were let go due to work conflicts or language barriers, among other reasons, as jury selection began in the second attempt by prosecutors to secure a death sentence in the Arizona case that became a tabloid TV sensation.

Arias, 34, has acknowledged killing ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in 2008 at his suburban Phoenix home but claimed it was self-defense. He suffered nearly 30 knife wounds, had his throat slit and was shot in the head.
Prosecutors argued it was premeditated murder carried out in a jealous rage when Alexander wanted to end their affair.

Arias, a former waitress, was found guilty last year, and the murder conviction will stand as lawyers spar again over whether she should die for the crime.

Arias was previously found unable to pay for her own attorneys and the cost to taxpayers for her defense so far has topped $2.5 million, Maricopa County spokeswoman Cari Gerchick said. The cost will keep rising during the penalty phase retrial, which is expected to last into December.

Another 100 prospective jurors were set to be brought in Wednesday. No proceeding were set Tuesday in the case.

Arias glanced back at the media at one point on Monday and smiled just before jurors started arriving. The victim's sister and her husband also sat in the courtroom watching the proceedings.

Some of the prospective jurors who were dismissed said they had already seen so much media coverage of the first trial that they couldn't put it out of their minds and would not be able to make a decision based only on information presented at the penalty retrial.

The upcoming proceedings will not be televised live after the judge ruled that no video footage can be broadcast until after the verdict.

"Jodi had a ponyatil in, which makes her look very young," Jen Wood described. "She was wearing a baggy tan sweater of some kind. And she was doing what she does best: watching jurors walking through the door and giving every one of them a little bit of a smile."

If the new jury fails to reach a unanimous decision, the death penalty will be removed as an option and the judge will sentence Arias to spend her life behind bars or to be eligible for release after 25 years.

Arias' five-month trial began in January 2013 and was broadcast live, providing endless cable TV and tabloid fodder, including a recorded phone sex call between Arias and the victim, nude photos, bloody crime-scene pictures and a defendant who described her life story in intimate detail over 18 days on the witness stand.

Alexander's family sat in the front row of the courtroom throughout the trial, often sobbing, looking away from horrific photographs, and wincing as Arias described the victim as an abusive boyfriend who wanted nothing but sex.

It was a far cry from the man Alexander presented himself to be publicly - a devout Mormon in search of his soul mate.

Trial watchers say the lack of live television coverage this time around will likely lead to less public interest in the case.

"It wasn't really until Jodi took the stand last time that it turned into a circus and built into a frenzy," said Phoenix criminal defense lawyer Dwane Cates.

Cates said the biggest problem prosecutors now face will be weeding out prospective jurors with an agenda, those "who want their 15 minutes of fame" and could potentially cause another mistrial.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/Selecting-jurors-to-choose-life-or-death-for-Arias-277471611.html

Jodi Arias penalty retrial opening shifted to Tuesday

10:26 p.m. MST October 16, 2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/10/16/jodi-arias-retrial-thursday-death-penalty/17376953/

New jury revisits horrors of the first Jodi Arias trial

October 22, 2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/10/21/jodi-arias-death-penalty-trial-juan-martinez/17673253/

Jodi Arias trial jurors: 2 days, 2 gone

October 23, 2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/10/01/prospective-jurors-vent-arias/16570903/

Detective grilled on change of story in Jodi Arias trial

10/23/2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/10/23/jodi-arias-detective-flores-arizona-juan-martinez/17800011/

New Jodi Arias jury hears same damning evidence

10/27/2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/10/27/jodi-arias-sentencing-jury-hears-murder-trial-evidence/18037947/

Jodi Arias sentencing trial: X-rated evidence concludes facts phase

10/29/2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/10/28/jodi-arias-sentencing-trial-rated-evidence-concludes-facts-phase/18092397/

Media seek transcript of shuttered Jodi Arias hearing

10/31/2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/10/30/media-seek-transcript-shuttered-jodi-arias-hearing/18211717/

Judge refuses to stop blocking access to Jodi Arias trial

11/1/2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/10/31/judge-refuses-stop-blocking-access-arias-trial/18271065/

Court: Judge can't shut out media from Jodi Arias trial

11/4/2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa/2014/11/03/jodi-arias-sealed-trial-appeals-court/18423413/