Jodi Arias Lawyers Try to Push Retrial into Next Year - East Idaho News
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Jodi Arias Lawyers Try to Push Retrial into Next Year

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022813 JodiArias?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1371224399301ABC News(PHOENIX) — The trial of convicted murderer Jodi Arias could go on for possibly another year in Phoenix if a judge overseeing the convicted murderer’s case agrees to delay her sentencing hearing until January 2014.

Arias’ attorneys filed a motion this week in Superior Court in Maricopa County asking Judge Sherry Stephens to delay the proceedings, saying they needed to find witnesses to testify on Arias’ behalf and had scheduling conflicts with the current start date of July 18.

Arias was convicted of killing her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in May, but the jury that convicted her could not agree whether Arias deserved the death penalty.  Eight jurors voted to sentence her to death while four voted for life in prison.

The Maricopa County District Attorneys Office said this week it was moving forward with plans to retry the sentencing phase of the case and seek the death penalty again.  Arias’ guilt will not be retried, but a new jury will be seated to listen to evidence on whether her life should be spared.

The hearing could last weeks, as both attorneys will have to agree on seating impartial jurors, despite months of coverage of the trial in the news media.  Then, each side will present evidence from the trial to bring the new jury up to speed on the case.

Arias’ murder trial began in January of this year and ended last month with the hung jury.  She remains in Maricopa County jail while she awaits her sentence.

Meanwhile, the movie depicting Arias’ crime, Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Liar, will premiere on the Lifetime network next Saturday, June 22, at 8 p.m.  The film shows Arias’ relationship with Alexander and the aftermath of the murder, which occurred in June 2008.

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