Jodi Arias Trial: State Rests Its CasePosted: 01/17/2013 5:26 pm EST
The state rested its case in the murder trial of Jodi Arias Thursday, and the defense made an immediate plea for dismissal.
Prosecutors in the Phoenix courtroom rested after brief appearances by Mesa, Ariz., police detective Esteban Flores, Sprint representative Jeff Strohn, and an acquaintance of Arias, Leslie Udy.
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Once the jury was escorted out of the courtroom, Nurmi filed a motion asking for dismissal of the premeditation charge. According to Nurmi, prosecutors had failed to present evidence of premeditation and therefore a reasonable jury could not convict Arias on a charge of premeditation.
Martinez voiced his disapproval of the motion, arguing that Arias had gone to great lengths to plan Alexander's murder. Martinez said Arias staged a burglary of her own home, rented a car, and brought a gun and a knife to Alexander's home.
Judge Sherry Stephens said she would review the motion.
While there will likely be some criticism of the prosecution's decision to pull up stakes on day nine, without presenting additional evidence or witnesses, Seattle lawyer and legal analyst Anne Bremner said she feels the state did an excellent job presenting the case to the jury.
"I think that the state has done well," Bremner told The Huffington Post. "They built their case step by step. They showed Jodi's lies and depravity. They showed her obsession. They showed her lack of remorse. She confessed. They have a dead body."
Bremner added, "In the Casey Anthony and O.J. Simpson trials, the DAs took far too long. They overtried their cases trying to anticipate any criticism or defense. As a result of that, they bored the jurors, obfuscated the issues, diluted their own powerful evidence and ultimately lost."
If the defense motion for dismissal is denied,
Arias' lawyers will begin presenting their case at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 29, according to a Maricopa County Superior Court spokesperson. If convicted, Arias could face the death penalty.
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