On Wednesday, Jodi Arias — who was convicted of first-degree murder exactly a week ago — may find out whether a jury of her peers thinks she murdered her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in a cruel manner.
The jurors in the Jodi Arias started to deliberate for a second time Wednesday starting at 3:07 p.m. ET.
Calling murder cruel may seem redundant to some, but Wednesday’s legal proceeding to determine if Arias was cruel is required by Arizona law, and it will determine whether Arias will face the death penalty.
This phase of Arias’ trial, known as the aggravation phase wrapped a few minutes past 3:00 p.m. ET Wednesday.
The jurors’ verdict form includes this language:
____ Proven
____ Not proven
If their verdict is “proven,” the case moves to the final phase: the penalty phase. At this juncture, the jury will deliberate a third time on whether Arias will receive the death penalty.
If their verdict is “not proven,” the case is over. Jurors will be excused. The judge will set a sentencing date within 30-60 days. Stephens will then decide if Arias gets life without parole or life with parole eligibility after 25 years.
Read more on this story at abcactionnews.com
