Jodi Arias Retrial News Update: No More Media Circus in Retrial

There will be no media circus this time when convicted boyfriend-killer Jodi Arias, 34, undergoes retrial beginning on Sept. 29 to determine whether she should be sentenced to death, life in prison or life with a chance of release after serving 25 years.

The judge made sure of this when she ruled against a motion to allow less restrictive video coverage in Arias' retrial.

Judge Sherry Stephens of the Maricopa County Court in Arizona ruled out live video broadcasting and restricted video of the proceedings until after the retrial is over.

This will be in sharp contrast to Arias' first trial in May last year which turned into a media circus. Following that trial, Arias was found guilty of the first-degree murder of her former boyfriend Travis Alexander, who was killed in his Phoenix home in 2008.

Medical examiners noted that Arias mercilessly killed her ex-boyfriend, stabbing him 27 times, mainly in the back, torso and heart. The medical report said Arias also slit Alexander's throat from ear to ear, nearly beheading him. Not content, she shot him in the face and then dragged his bloodied body to the shower.

The jurors had little hesitation in convicting her of murder. However, they failed to reach a unanimous decision on her sentencing, necessitating a retrial which is set on Sept. 29.

A lawyer representing local television stations earlier asked the court to allow limited TV coverage 30 minutes after the end of a court session.

After considering the motion, Judge Stephens released her ruling on Sept. 22 stating that video will only be allowed after the verdict has been rendered.

"The Court is mindful of its obligation to allow public and media access to the trial. That access should not include live broadcast of the trial prior to a verdict for the reasons addressed in previous sealed proceedings," the judge said in defending her ruling.

As stipulated by the court, only one camera, photographs and live tweeting will be allowed inside the courtroom.

"The public and media may attend the penalty phase trial each day. The media will be permitted to videotape the trial each day using their own equipment. The videotaped recordings may be played after a verdict has been reached. During the trial, Court policy allows the media to 'tweet' from the courtroom. A still camera has been authorized to be in the courtroom during the trial. At the conclusion of the trial, the Court's FTR recordings will be available to the public following a public record request and payment of required fees," the court ruling states.

Meanwhile, Arias' counsel has disclosed that the murder convict won't represent herself in the penalty phase of her trial, contrary to her earlier statement.

Attorney Kirk Nurmi, who had sought court permission to leave the case, will again represent Arias.

Some experts believe that Arias stands a good chance of being spared the death verdict if she would represent herself in the trial. "If she can get just one juror to bond with her on some level, even if they hate her, they're getting to know her, and it's harder to kill someone you know," San Francisco defense attorney Daniel Horowitz he said.

In a related development, Arias was reported to be auctioning the eyeglasses she wore during her 2013 trial. "Get ready to own a one-of-a-kind piece of history," Arias' website says.

The starting bid for the spectacles begins at $500. The auction closed on Sept. 24. The website says 100 percent of the profits will go to a Phoenix-based non-profit, however it does not name the charity.

It's not the first time Arias has apparently tried to sell an item online from prison. In January 2013, shortly after her murder trial began, Arias' jailhouse art was listed for sale online.