Jodi Arias has failed to convince an Arizona judge that she should be spared the death penalty for killing an ex-boyfriend, according to court documents.
The documents show that Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens dismissed claims by Arias’ attorneys that her defense was hurt when a member of the defense team was prevented from visiting the county jails, Reuters reported.
There was no evidence that Arias “suffered any prejudice” from the incident, Stephens said in a ruling filed Friday, Reuters reported.
A woman who helps gather information to fight death sentences was barred for a week from the county jails in March after she was accused of smuggling out a drawing by Arias, Reuters said.
Arias, 33, was convicted in 2013 of killing 30-year-old Travis Alexander in June 2008. The same jury found her eligible for the death penalty but couldn’t agree on an actual sentence.
A new jury for the penalty phase will be picked Sept. 8.
Alexander's body was found in the shower of his Mesa, Ariz., home, his throat slit, a gunshot in his head, and 27 stab wounds in his body.
Arias contended that she killed Alexander in self-defense and that the relationship was abusive.
The trial, along with lurid details about the former couple's sex life, played out live on TV and online.
