Posted on 08/05/2014 9:55:47 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The 34-year-old was convicted of first-degree murder last year in Travis Alexander's grisly 2008 slaying, but the Arizona jury deadlocked on whether she should get life behind bars or death.
Arias had admitted to slaying Alexander after a day of sex in his Phoenix home on June 4, 2008, but argued that it was in self-defense.
Her victim 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.
Arias will be assisted by her current attorneys, who will act in an advisory capacity.
Experts say the move might not be such a bad idea given the gruesome nature of the crime.
"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."
Arias had admitted to slaying Alexander after a day of sex in his Phoenix home on June 4, 2008, but argued that it was in self-defense.
Her victim 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.
Arias will be assisted by her current attorneys, who will act in an advisory capacity.
Experts say the move might not be such a bad idea given the gruesome nature of the crime.
"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.
I’m not so sure about that in her case.
Didn’t they give the death penalty to Charlie Manson? I thought he represented himself.
Ted Bundy too.
I hope this is going to be televised. I want to this smug, arrogant woman’s reaction when the jury sends her to the chair or whatever Arizona uses.
Did she suffer any wounds while she was fighting him off her? Thirty stab wounds and he kept coming at her so she got a gun and shot him in the head?
She is an Obama voter. How could she have possibly committed a crime?
This needs to be wrapped up quickly. Jodi is a fairly good actress, and master manipulator of people’s emotions. She knows how easily certain kinds of people can be fooled. Jodi is wringing every drop of personal attention and infamy out of this. Is she still selling watercolor paintings online ‘to finance her defense and court expenses?”
I bet she’s out before she’s 50.
Talk about overkill
She attacked him from behind while he was taking a shower.
Let me guess: Immediately after the sentence she appeals on grounds of inadequate counsel.
She really should be a psychiatric case study. What kind of sociopath kills a man in such a horrific way, then drives on to a new Mormon boy in Utah the next day. And the lies! I haven’t seen anyone lie that much since Casey Anthony. What is wrong with these young women?
Preemptive self defense?
Yeah, and he actually put up a good fight (mostly because of his background). Can’t wait to watch her flounder around and spew nonsense about t-shirts. She claimed she wanted the death penalty. But of course, the wimp changed her tune when that threat became legitimized.
Me too. Her defense was a joke. I laughed at the terrible job her lawyers did. Some specialist claimed that the crime scene was the sloppiest attempt to cover up a crime she’d ever seen.
This needs to be wrapped up quickly. Jodi is a fairly good actress, and master manipulator of people’s emotions. She knows how easily certain kinds of people can be fooled. Jodi is wringing every drop of personal attention and infamy out of this. Is she still selling watercolor paintings online ‘to finance her defense and court expenses?”
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you overestimate her. a jury found her guilty of murder 1.
She’s going to throw the trial on purpose. A mistrial will take the death penalty off the table and transfer the decision to the judge for life with or without parole.
But before she throws the trial she’ll get the victim’s family members on the stand so she can torture them.
Jody Arias—an outlier on the hot/crazy chart.
That is the first thing any judge will order a psychiatric 30 day exam. She has to be deemed fit to represent herself, and sane to boot.
What is wrong, she is a narcissistic sociopath. You do not have to be a medical professional to realize that. Since we are on the subject of the Death Penalty and most of us support it. I ask for your HELP to get a child rapist/killer the justice 2 juries have handed down. Can you imagine if Nikki were your little girl or niece, or cousin what pain you would be going through. I’ve watched her mom have a nervous break down. And is about to have a second. TN Gov is a stinking spineless RINO! ALL State and Fed appeals have run OUT, yet he won’t set a date or carry out his duty as governor. This is a election year for him in TN.
Ashley Nichole ‘Nikki’ Read, age 8, RAPED and KILLED by david keen. 24 yrs ago. He has been on TN Death Row for 20 yrs. ALL State and Federal Appeals are run out. Yet TN Gov Bill Halsam (RINO) refuses to set an execution date or sign the exectution warrant.
Nickki was raped, strangled with her own Shoelaces, and thrown in the river still alive, where she finally drown to death. 24 Yrs of waiting for Justisce, is obscene.
Tell TN Governor to do his Constitutional Duty, that 2 juries decided was the right course of action. Death Penalty.
615) 741-2001
http://murderpedia.org/male.K/k/keen-david.htm
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