Attorney: Jodi Arias will appeal life without parole sentence
Apr 13, 2015, 11:13 AM | Updated: 4:09 pm
On Monday, April 13 KTAR News 92.3 will air a special two-hour edition of “Legally Speaking: The Jodi Arias Trial” from 7-9 p.m. with Monica Lindstrom, Mike Russell and Martha Maurer. You can also listen on KTAR.com or on the KTAR app.
PHOENIX — Convicted killer Jodi Arias will appeal her sentence of life in prison without parole, an attorney said Monday.
Jennifer Willmott told media several attorneys are ready to step in and lead the appeal process. Both Willmott and lead attorney Kirk Nurmi — who immediately requested to withdraw from the case after the sentencing — are trial lawyers and do not handle appeals.
“Ms. Arias is not a monster,” she said. “For two minutes in her life, she did something reprehensible.”
The appeal process will begin in about three weeks should Arias carry through with it.
Arias, 34, was sentenced Monday by Judge Sherry Stephens. She addressed the courtroom prior to being sentenced. During her statement, for the first time, Arias said she remembered killing Travis Alexander in 2008.
“I do remember the moment when the knife went into Travis’ throat and he was still conscious,” she said, adding that Alexander continued to attack her despite being stabbed.
Arias rehashed her disbelief at her actions, saying she was “disgusted” and “repulsed” by what happened. She apologized to Alexander’s family.
“The most important thing I want to say is I’m sorry for the enormous amount of pain I caused to the people that knew Travis,” she said.
Arias was originally found guilty of murder in May 2013. Her life was narrowly spared after a second panel of jurors deliberated for more than 26 hours but failed to reach a unanimous verdict; it was an 11-1 vote in favor of the death penalty.
