Jurors in Jodi Arias' murder trial have submitted about 100 questions they want put to the accused killer on their behalf, the judge said Tuesday.
"I just received some additional questions from the jurors," Judge Sherry Stephens said in court as the questioning of Arias by her defense lawyers and the prosecutor finished. "It looks like we have probably a hundred questions."
Arizona is one of three states that allow jurors to pose questions to witnesses after prosecution and defense lawyers have finished their questioning. Arias' attorney, Kurt Nurmi, wrapped up his redirect examination of Arias Tuesday, giving the 12 jurors and six alternates -- seven women and 11 men –- their first opportunity to put questions to the defendant.
Stephens instructed defense lawyers to be prepared to begin reviewing jurors' questions Wednesday morning. "My concern is you believe you need a substantial amount of time to review these," Stephens told Nurmi and co-counsel Jennifer Willmott.
Prosecutor Juan Martinez said he will also be in court early to discuss testimony from victim Travis Alexander's next of kin.
Arias, 32, is accused of the June 4, 2008, slaying of Alexander inside his Mesa, Ariz., apartment. She faces the death penalty if convicted. The prosecution contends Arias stabbed Alexander 27 times, shot him twice in the face and slashed his throat in a jealous rage. Arias told jurors she killed Alexander in self-defense during an argument over a dropped camera that followed his escalating sexual demands.
Nurmi, wrapping up his questioning of Arias on Tuesday after two lengthy days, went into great detail about Arias' sex life with Alexander -- a persistent defense theme. The lawyer's questions dwelled on anal sex, including Arias' introduction of K-Y personal lubricant to Alexander.
"There were several reasons," Arias said. "The main reason being that some of the activities that he wanted to do were painful without it and he was not willing to go to the store and buy it."
"Anal sex was not a passion of yours, is that correct?" Nurmi asked.
"It had never been a regular part of" my sex life, Arias replied.
Nurmi also touched on Arias' inability to remember answers to some prosecution questions, which the defense lawyer called a "condition."
"The events of June 4, 2008 -- Do you want to remember those?" Nurmi asked Arias.
"There is a part of me that does not want to remember it ... [but] I feel like I am the person who deserves to sit with those memories that I don't have right now," Arias replied.
The trial is scheduled to resume at about 3 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, when jurors' questions will be presented to Arias. TUESDAY'S LIVE BLOG:
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