Jodi Arias to Address Jury Next Week: Will She Ask for Life or Death?
Jodi Arias will take the stand in a last-chance attempt to save her own life. Those familiar with the case are interested to see whether she will plead for her life or ask the jury to grant her request for "ultimate freedom," the death penalty.
Arias was found guilty last week of the first-degree murder of Travis Alexander and is currently in the sentencing phase of the trial. Prosecutors allowed Alexander's family and friends to testify to the jury yesterday about the type of man Alexander was and how his death has impacted their lives.
"The nature of my brother's murder has had a major impact on me. It's even invaded my dreams," Travis' brother, Steven, said. "I've had nightmares about somebody coming after me with a knife, then going after my wife and my daughter. I don't want these nightmares anymore. I don't want to see my brother's murderer anymore."
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Next week, Arias will have the opportunity to address the jury directly, which she hasn't done since taking the stand in her own defense.
"Arias will have the opportunity to talk to you in a different way, not about what happened but who she is," defense attorney Kirk Nurmi said yesterday.
Arias has stated that she would rather die than remain in prison for the rest of her life, which she could be sentenced to. However, there are some who wonder whether Arias is trying to manipulate the jury into giving her a life sentence. Given the history of Arias' previous lies, the jury is sure to be skeptical about her words.
"People ask, 'How do you live with yourself after you've done something like that,'" attorney Mark Eiglarsh told Dr. Drew Pinsky. "She's trying to rationalize. She's got to find some way to live with herself for what she has done. You have to ask for forgiveness. You have to show remorse. She has not done that and I don't think it's going to happen on Monday."
Arias' own attorneys requested to be excused from the case, given that they want to keep her off of death row, while Arias wants to die. The judge did not allow them to be recused and they are now attempting to save her life, though the final decision will lie with the jury.
