Crime

Lawyer: Jury at impasse on Arias sentence; judge says keep going

/ AP

PHOENIX - A lawyer for Jodi Arias says jurors at her sentencing retrial are at an impasse over whether to send the convicted murderer to life in prison or to death for the 2008 killing of her lover, Travis Alexander.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens denied a request Tuesday by Arias' attorneys for a mistrial and instead read additional jury instructions and told the panel to resume deliberations.

Jodi Arias close up 12 photos

Jurors have deliberated about 17 hours over four days.

Arias attorney Kirk Nurmi said in court that jurors were at an impasse, though the judge and prosecutor Juan Martinez never said in open court that jurors had reached an impasse.

Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in 2013, but that jury deadlocked on her punishment, leading to a second penalty trial.

AP

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