Jodi Arias Trial: Jury Expected to be Finalized by Monday in Sentencing Phase

The jury for the Jodi Arias resentencing phase is expected to be chosen by next week.

A pool of 400 potential jurors has gradually been narrowed down.

Jury selection is expected to wrap up on Thursday with opening statements set to start next week, reported KPHO.

Video coverage of the trial won’t be allowed–video can be recorded but not shown until after the trial is over–making Twitter and other social media websites a prime source of information during the trial. 

“I think when people follow different reporters’ accounts of what’s going on, they’ll get a really good picture of everything,” Jen Wood, an expert on the case, told the broadcaster.

“Somebody might pick up on one thing, while another person might pick up on something else.”

Wood also said that interest in the case is still high despite the mandate against live TV coverage. 

“It’s appealing because it has religion, and the sex, and the fact he’s a young man and she’s a young woman that is very pretty,” said Wood. “It just has this cast of people that the public is really intrigued by.”

Arias was convicted last year of killing former boyfriend Travis Alexander in 2008.

The jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict, so prosecutors utilized state law that enables them to have a new jury to try to get the death sentence.

If the new jury can’t reach a unanimous verdict, Judge Sherry Stephens will decide between life in prison with the possibility of parole, or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Meanwhile, court reporter Monica Lindstrom has shared some of the “craziest” things she’s overhears so far in the new sentencing phase. 

Check out a few of the quotes below. 

— “Not to be pejorative, but why are you carrying the Book of Mormon around?” (Prosecutor Juan Martinez to potential juror who walked into the courtroom with it in his hand.)

— “Have you heard any testimony in this case?” (This was a trick question Kirk Nurmi asked a potential juror. The correct answer was no, since no evidence had been presented in this trial as of yet. The juror answered it correctly.

— “I barely know how to use the Internet.” (A potential juror in her 30s)

— “The only appropriate verdict is death.” (Potential juror)

— “Does anyone here not understand English?” (Stephens to potential jurors)