Jodi Arias Sentencing Trial Latest News: 3 Witnesses Refuse to Testify in Open Court
Three witnesses on behalf of Jodi Arias refused to testify in open court, and Arias' lawyers asked the judge to take the death penalty off the table. The lawyers say that the refusal means that Arias can't get a complete defense as a jury hears evidence over whether to sentence her to life in prison or death for the killing of her former boyfriend, Travis Alexander.
The lawyers said in court filings last week that the witnesses fear that they'll be harassed or threatened if they testify. The three witnesses have not been publicly identified, but Arias' defense attorneys have described them as a longtime boyfriend of Arias, one of her former co-workers, and a person who was a friend of Alexander before he met Arias.
Meanwhile, a psychologist testifying on behalf of Arias fielded questions from the jury last Tuesday as she said that Arias and Alexander had a "toxic" relationship.
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Psychologist L.C. Miccio-Fonseca said that Alexander used Arias for sexual gratification while she suffered in silence. State prosecutor Juan Martinez cross examined the witness and aimed to demonstrate that Arias was not a victim, but a willing participant in the relationship.
According to AZCentral, the jury was particularly interested on an instant messaging rant that Alexander unleashed on Arias, wherein he called her a "solid form of evil." A juror also asked whether the dynamics between Alexander and Arias were similar to those in Alexander's previous relationships.
Miccio-Fonseca said that she was unsure what triggered Alexander's rant, and also revealed that Alexander's previous relationships were not as "sexually charged" as was his with Arias.
At the end of a break on Tuesday afternoon, Judge Sherry Stephens announced that juror no. 3 had been permanently excused, but did not say why.
Jodi Arias' sentencing retrial will continue on Monday.
