Jodi Arias wasn’t sentenced to death per the jury’s deadlock during her sentencing trial last week. In an 11-to-one vote, the jury was deadlocked, forcing Judge Sherry Stephens to declare a mistrial. Arias was found guilty back in 2013 of murdering her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Travis Alexander.
This ultimately leaves the decision of whether Jodi Arias spends the rest of her life in prison or is eligible for parole after 25 years in this same judge’s hands.
A new issue has cropped up in the Jodi Arias case as well. The lone juror who voted to spare Jodi Arias from a death sentence requested a security detail after her name was released to the media. The juror’s name was leaked via Twitter. A pro-Jodi Arias site also published the names of all of the jurors online.
Aaron Nash is a spokesman for the clerk of Maricopa County Superior Court. He said no one approached their court clerk requesting the names of the jurors.
“The office’s primary concerns are the safety and privacy of these individuals who responded to this difficult and lengthy call to public service,” Nash said in a statement.
Authorities providing security for sole juror who voted to spare Jodi Arias' life: http://t.co/P07ezCwrry pic.twitter.com/fgI53deGMg
— ABC News (@ABC) March 7, 2015
Although many of the jurors discussed their decisions with the media on Thursday, the lone holdout whose decision ultimately spared the life of convicted murderer Jodi Arias didn’t address the press. USA Today reports that her phone isn’t in service. She didn’t return emails seeking comment. And no one answered the door when a reporter knocked on the door to her home Friday.
Juror Emily Cova said she was relieved to hear that authorities were looking into the leak.
“I was a little nervous last night. But I’m feeling better now,” said Cova, who agreed to be named.
While many believe Jodi Arias should have been sentenced to death, no one had the right to release the names of all the jurors–including the one responsible for the deadlock–with the public.
Hopefully the security detail assigned to that lone Jodi Arias juror can keep her safe.