Jodi Arias apparently refused to testify in open court back in October out of fear of received death threats.

On Oct. 30, Judge Sherry Stephens kicked the media and public out of the Maricopa County Superior Court without explanation just before a "mystery" witness -- later confirmed to actually be Arias -- took the stand, AZ Central reports.

In response, a media coalition filed an appeal to re-open the public courtroom. The attorney representing the media argued that conducting a trial behind closed doors and shrouded in secrecy would set a new precedent in the U.S. legal system. The Arizona Court of Appeals agreed and overruled Judge Stephens' decision to block the media and public from hearing the testimony.

On Tuesday, it was revealed why the convicted boyfriend killer chose to testify in secret.

According to the opinion, part of the reason was because she feared for her safety after she received death threats. As a result, her lawyers argued that media coverage would affect her ability to think and answer questions in a manner "she truly means."

The opinion also said Arias did not feel she would be "able to fully communicate what she wants to say, communicate her remorse and go through all the mitigating factors and get them out there in front of the jury with the public here," her lawyers told the judge, according to the Associated Press.

Arias also shot down the judge's suggestion to move the public and press to an overflow room, CBS 5 reports. She objected "because of the pressure that I would feel because of these threats," states the opinion.

Court papers show that Judge Stephens agreed to the request from Arias' legal team despite feeling manipulated by the 34-year-old former California waitress.

However, the appeals court said the defense team failed to prove there was a "clear and present danger" to justify her reasons for giving a testimony behind closed doors, reports Reuters. The appeals court also noted that the convicted murder testified on the witness stand for several weeks during her original trial and agreed to be interviewed by a number of high profile media outlets like "48 Hours" and "Inside Edition."

"A defendant who testified in open court during the guilt phase of the trial cannot decide she will only testify in the penalty phase if the press and public are excluded and her testimony is sealed until after any verdict," the appeals court wrote.

The court ordered transcripts from Arias' secret testimony to be released to the public

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