Jodi Arias Trial Update: Jury Selection Resumes After Dozens Admit They Could Not be Impartial
Jury selection in the penalty phase of the Jodi Arias trial resumed on Wednesday as prosecutors continue to fight to sentence the convicted killer to death.
Arias was convicted of the first-degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in May 2013. According to medical examiners, Arias stabbed him 27 times, primarily in the back, torso and heart in his Phoenix home in 2008. She also slit Alexander's throat from ear to ear, nearly decapitating him, and shot him in the face before she dragged his bloodied corpse to the shower.
Although the aspiring photographer was found guilty in the case, the jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision on her sentencing. As a result, she began a retrial on Monday to determine whether she should be sentenced to death, life in prison or life with a chance of release after serving 25 years.
On Monday, Arias' legal reps started the jury selection process by serving 300 potential jurors with a questionnaire about their beliefs and availability. However, about one third of the prospective jurors were dismissed after admitting that they watched media coverage during her first trial, and therefore, they could not be impartial in deciding her sentence, according to the Arizona Republic.
Others were dismissed after they stated that they had work conflicts or were reluctant to stop consuming the news for the duration of the trial. A few also told the judge that they didn't speak English.
By the end of the day, only 133 remained, reports the AZ Central.
One hundred more people from the jury pool will be questioned on Wednesday.
By Oct. 20, 12 jurors and four or six alternates will have been selected.
The jury selection is expected to take about three weeks, while the actual trial may last from six to eight weeks, reports USA Today.
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