Jodi Arias Dismissed Juror: 'I Didn't Do Anything Wrong' (VIDEO)
Former Jodi Arias trial juror Meliha Omanovic, formerly Juror 5, has finally spoken out about her dismissal from the case. Omanovic was accused of speaking to other members of the jury when she should not have, but insists that she did nothing wrong.
"I'm really eager to talk to you and give you my side of the story, but I've decided to wait until the end of the trial because I think attention should be on the trial," Omanovic told 12 News' Chris Williams in an exclusive interview.
Omanovic made headlines when she showed up at the trial after being dismissed. Though she was forced to sit in the gallery, Williams reported, she only had eyes for Arias. She allegedly stared at Arias the entire time she was in the courtroom, and after the case concluded for the day, Omanovic was hounded by reporters wanting to get her take on the case.
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"After yesterday, so many reporters chasing, I don't know if I'll return [to the gallery]. I didn't come there for attention, certainly not for attention; I wanted to be part of the trial again and show people I did not do anything wrong. And I'm going to reveal what happened after the trial. It's related to a joke, and that's all I'm going to say now," Omanovic said.
Her actions, however, were enough to lead defense attorney Kirk Nurmi to request a mistrial.
"Statements Juror 5 made in front of her fellow jurors amounts to misconduct that inserted partiality in what is supposed to be an impartial body," Nurmi argued in a statement to the court. Judge Sherry Stephens decided to allow the case to continue but excused Omanovic from the jury.
"I don't really see myself in the center of attention, and I shouldn't be, in any case. But it's a good opportunity to be part of the jury duty, but in my case … I wish I had stayed on," Omanovic lamented.
Arias' trial is expected to head to deliberation soon, as the lawyers make their closing arguments. If found guilty, Arias could face the death penalty.
Watch Omanovic explain her actions here:
