Jodi Arias may consider a plea deal to avoid a death sentence in Travis Alexander case
Jodi Arias has suggested on Twitter that she may consider a plea deal to avoid a death sentence rather than appeal her guilty verdict in Travis Alexander case.
In a tweet posted this weekend, convicted murderer Jodi Arias suggested she had not yet made up her mind on which option to go for.
Jodi Arias’ Twitter account, managed on her behalf by friends, posted on Saturday the following two messages: “Let’s clear up any confusion. Anyone asking 4 donation$ right now on my behalf 4 my appeals is not legit.”
This was quickly followed by another stating: “I’m not currently accepting donations 4 appeals. Just don’t know yet if I will plea or appeal.”
Last week a jury failed to decide upon a sentence for Jodi Arias’ crimes; she will either receive a life sentence or she could be sentenced to death for the murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander.
An earlier trial heard how Jodi Arias, 32, sta**ed and sla**ed Travis Alexander nearly 30 times, and shot him in the forehead. She then left his body in his shower where friends found him about five days later.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said last month he would have an “ethical obligation” to consider a plea deal if the defense offered one, according to ABC News.
Appearing in court for the first time since the Arizona jury was unable to decide her sentence for murder, Jodi Arias last week swapped her prim, collared shirts and business-like attire that she sported throughout her lengthy murder trial for the standard issue stripes now that she is behind bars.
The procedural hearing lacked the sizzle of the five-month trial, which concluded in May, and attracted a global following and had spectators waiting in line in the middle of the night to get a coveted seat in the courtroom.
Last Thursday, the courtroom was about two-thirds full, the hearing was not televised, and there were no arguments in open court.
Jodi Arias may consider a plea deal to avoid a death sentence in Travis Alexander case
That verdict will come even later than previously expected, as the judge ruled today that the next hearing is scheduled for July 18.
Jury selection alone could take weeks, given the difficulty of seating an impartial panel in the high-profile case.
Prosecutors have the option of taking the death penalty off the table, and Stephens would then sentence Jodi Arias to one of two punishments: life in prison or the more unlikely life in prison with the possibility of release after 25 years.
If prosecutors do pursue death, a new panel must be seated to determine a sentence.
If another deadlock occurs, the death penalty would automatically be removed, leaving the judge to sentence Jodi Arias to one of the life-in-prison options.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said last week his office continues to prepare for a retrial aimed at securing a death sentence.
He had previously said he is confident an impartial jury can be seated to determine Jodi Arias’ punishment but added that he is open to input from defense lawyers and the victim’s family about possibly scrapping a new trial in favor of a life sentence for Arias.
Meanwhile, after losing motions for mistrials, appeals to higher courts and efforts to quit the case altogether, Jodi Arias’ attorneys tried a new tactic this month, appealing to the court of public opinion while hoping to influence Montgomery’s decision.
“It is solely for them to determine if continuing to pursue a death sentence upon Ms. Arias, who is already facing a mandatory life sentence, is a good and proper use of taxpayer resources,” defense attorneys Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott wrote in a statement provided to The Arizona Republic.
Taxpayers footed the bill for Jodi Arias’ court-appointed attorneys at a cost so far of nearly $1.7 million, a price tag that will only balloon if the case moves forward.
Jodi Arias admitted she killed Travis Alexander, but claimed it was self-defense after he attacked her.
Prosecutors argued it was premeditated murder carried out in a jealous rage after the victim wanted to end their affair and planned a trip to Mexico with another woman.
After murdering Travis Alexander, Jodi Arias left her ex-boyfriend’s body in his shower where friends found him about five days later.
Jodi Arias testified for 18 days during her five-month trial, describing for jurors an abusive childhood, cheating boyfriends, dead-end jobs, a shocking relationship with Travis Alexander, and her contention that he had grown physically abusive.
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