Jodi Arias Trial Still Not Rescheduled as Originally Planned Start Date Approaches

Jodi Arias Trial Still Not Rescheduled as Originally Planned Start Date Approaches
(AP Photo/Matt York, file)
Zachary Stieber
3/14/2014
Updated:
7/18/2015

The Jodi Arias trial sentencing phase has still not been rescheduled as the originally planned start date approaches.

Jury selection was supposed to start on March 17 but officials announced that it was postponed in February. 

It came to light several weeks ago that prosecutor Juan Martinez, who is in charge of the Arias trial for the county, has a case that is slated to start on May 12.

That case is for Bryan Hulsey, charged with murdering Glendale police officer Anthony Holly in 2007.

The Hulsey case has been repeatedly postponed, according to the Arizona Republic, and Martinez doesn’t want to see it postponed any further.

Martinez suggested that a different prosecutor be appointed to the Arias trial, but a supervisor who was in the courtroom declined the suggestion.

Maricopa County Superior Court Presiding Criminal Judge Joseph Welty decided that Judge Sherry Stephens, who is presiding over the Arias trial, will decide when to reschedule the Arias trial for. 

Stephens has still not after more than five weeks announced a new start date for the sentencing part of the trial.

Arias was convicted of murdering her boyfriend Travis Alexander in his Mesa home in 2008.

The jury in the case couldn’t come to a unanimous decision over sentencing. Under Arizona law, prosecutors have the option of re-starting the penalty phase with a new jury.

If a decision still isn’t unanimously reached, Stephens would decide whether to sentence Arias to life in prison without possibility of parole, or time in prison with possibility of parole after 25 years.

Stephens has come under criticism after banning journalists from some phases of the trial and curtailing access to other portions.