An Appeal For Jodi Arias Is Already Underway, One Day After Sentencing
The Jodi Arias case has finally come to an end after seven years. Yesterday, Jodi was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. Arias was found guilty of murder in the first degree in May of 2013 after killing her boyfriend five years prior.Throughout her trial, she held that Travis Alexander was a remorseless abuser. Today, it was revealed in an interview with KTAR that a team of several lawyers are already collaborating to appeal Jodi’s sentence.
Jodi Arias’ original team of lawyers, Jennifer Wilmott, and Kirk Nurmi stepped down immediately after sentencing. They reportedly did so because they do not handle appeals cases. Still, they have expressed that Jodi should have another chance. Wilmott recently made a statement to the press.
“Ms. Arias is not a monster. For two minutes in her life, she did something reprehensible.”
An appeal for Jodi Arias can go either way as her case of Arias has been a long battle for the justice system. Her televised trial resulted in two hung jury verdicts. The final decision was left up to Judge Sherry Stephens at yesterday’s hearing. The ruling was not so cut and dry, as the judge’s decision was on whether to give Jodi Arias a natural life ruling or the possibility of parole after 25 years. After hearing the judgment, Jodi reportedly made a final plea for the judge to reconsider parole. In her plea, she suggested that she would have preferred the death penalty that the jury was leaning towards.
“It’s my firm belief that death would bring me untold peace and freedom. If I die today, I would be free and I would be at peace. I realize how selfish it would be if I escaped. To this day, I cannot believe I was capable of doing something that terrible,” Arias said. “I’m truly disgusted and I’m repulsed with myself. I wish there was some way I could take it back.”
Also in the courtroom yesterday, were Travis Alexander’s sisters, who cried after hearing the judge’s ruling. One of the victim’s sisters, Hillary Wilcox testified to the court.
“It hurts too much to remember him alive because if I remember him, I remember too much about how he was brutally taken from us and I can’t handle it. This is what I’ve had to do so I can cope.”
Wilcox continued her heartfelt testimony, explaining that she thought of her brother most often while she was taking her daily showers.
“I know that’s because that’s where she killed him, so I have to quickly shake it out of my head and get out of the shower.”
Jodi Arias’ plea today was the last of her long court case. It is a much due break, as Jodi took the stand 18 days in a row during the beginning of her trial. Jodi Arias’ story along with the brutal details of how she murdered her now deceased boyfriend, have been dramatized in the Lifetime Network film Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret. Perhaps, Jodi Arias’ next claim to fame will be on getting away with murder.
[Image via ABC News]
