Kirk Nurmi, Jodi Arias’ lawyer, stands to make extra $200,000, paid for by taxpayer, because his bid to stop defending her was denied.
Jodi Arias, 32, killed Travis Alexander, her on-again off-again boyfriend in 2008 by sta**ing him nearly 30 times, s****ing his throat, and finally shooting him.
She is represented by Kirk Nurmi who asked to be taken off the case, but his request was denied.
Kirk Nurmi already earns $225 an hour defending the convicted murderer, but will now earn extra $100 representing her due to his request being refused.
The County Board of Supervisor’s decided to front the money in anticipation of his impending bill for his defense of Jodi Arias, Maricopa County spokesperson Cari Gerchick told The Huffington Post.
Kirk Nurmi asked a second time on Monday after his request for a mistrial was denied by Judge Sherry Stephens – it was also denied.
His claimed that Jodi Arias has not received a fair trial because the jury was not sequestered and cameras were allowed in the courtroom.
The county has spent about $1.7 million to date on Jodi Arias’ defense, Cari Gerchick said.
Meanwhile jurors in the murder trial resumed deliberations today after they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on whether she should be sentenced to life in prison or death for killing her one-time boyfriend, prompting the judge to instruct them to keep trying.
The panel reported its impasse Wednesday after only about two and a half hours of deliberations. Judge Sherry Stephens told jurors to try to identify areas of agreement and disagreement as they work toward a decision.
The jury then continued deliberating until late afternoon, when it adjourned for the day without a decision.
Under Arizona law, a hung jury in the death penalty phase of a trial 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 Jodi Arias to spend her entire life in prison or be eligible for release after 25 years.
In the event of a hung jury in the Jodi Arias trial, the case could drag on for several more months, said former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley.
“If that happens, this jury would be dismissed and a second jury would be impaneled, and you’d literally have to go through the whole case again,” Rick Romley said, adding the murder conviction would stand and the new panel would be considering only the sentence.
However, the new jury would have to review evidence and hear opening statements, closing arguments and witness testimony in a “Cliffs Notes” version of the trial, Rick Romley said.
Rick Romley also noted that if the current jury deadlocks, the prosecutor could decide to take the death penalty off the table. If that happens, the judge would determine whether Jodi Arias spends her entire life in prison or is eligible for release after 25 years.
The judge cannot sentence Jodi Arias to death.
The panel heard emotional comments last week from Travis Alexander’s family as the prosecutor argued Jodi Arias should be executed for his gruesome killing.
Jodi Arias responded Tuesday by pleading for mercy, saying she can become a model prisoner by teaching inmates how to read and speak Spanish and helping the prison launch recycling programs.
She also wants to be an advocate for domestic violence victims.
The same jury of eight men and four women convicted Jodi Arias of first-degree murder two weeks ago. Jodi Arias sta**ed and sla**ed Travis Alexander about 30 times, shot him in the forehead and s**t his throat in what authorities said was a jealous rage.
Jodi Arias claimed it was self-defense.
She spoke to media outlets in jailhouse interviews Tuesday night just hours after the jury began deliberations.
Jodi Arias talked out about her murder trial, her many fights with her legal team and her belief that she “deserves a second chance at freedom someday”.
She said her lawyers let her down by not calling more witnesses who could have bolstered her claims that she was a victim of domestic violence at Travis Alexander’s hands.
Following her conviction last week, Jodi Arias told a local TV station that she preferred the death penalty.
However, Jodi Arias said Tuesday night that she changed her mind after a tearful meeting with family members, realizing her death would only cause them more pain.
“I felt like by asking for death, it’s like asking for assisted suicide, and I didn’t want to do that to my family,” Jodi Arias told the AP.
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