Jodi Arias trial continues as first jury deadlocks.
Jodi Arias has been convicted of murdering Travis Alexander. Reuters

An Arizona judge has denied Jodi Arias' request to fire her lead attorney ahead of her next death penalty hearing. Arias filed a motion a few weeks ago requesting that a judge allow her to release Kirk Nurmi as her defense attorney. Attached to her motion Arias wrote a letter to the judge explain why she felt Nurmi was not representing her best interests. Arias also claimed she had not seen her lawyer since May 23 when a jury could not decide if she should be sentenced to life in prison or death.

During a closed door hearing on Friday Nov. 1 Judge Sherry Stephens told Arias why she was refusing her motion. Arias had written the judge a 12-page letter saying she Nurmi had an "utter poverty of people skills" and "has little to no tolerance for my emotional and psychological shortcomings." On May 8, Arias was found guilty of the first degree murder of her former boyfriend Travis Alexander. After weeks of testimony the jury found Arias guilty. Later that month the jury was charged with sentencing Arias to life or death but could not make a unanimous decision.

Travis Alexander was killed in 2008, he was stabbed over 20 times, his throat was cut and he was then shot in the head. When friends and family of Alexander were first interviewed in the early stages of the murder investigation, all pointed the finger at Jodi. Arias was described by Alexander's friends in interviews as being a jealous and controlling girlfriend. Police went to talk to talk to Jodi who strongly denied having anything to do with Alexander's death.

After evidence came to light suggesting Arias was in fact in the house when Travis died she concocted a story about masked intruders killing Alexander. When the police were able to discredit Arias' story, she finally admitted to killing Alexander in self-defense. Arias said Alexander was abusive and had beat her the night of the murder. During her trial, Arias took the stand and spoke about how horrible Alexander was to her and how he hit her that night for damaging his new camera. Arias said that sent Alexander into a rage that resulted in her having to kill him.

On May 8, 2013, five years after Alexander was killed, the jury made it clear that they did not buy Arias' claim of self-defense. Since May 23, when the jury was unable to decide on Arias' fate, she has been in a limbo state. Hearing after hearing has been postponed and rescheduled. While Arias has been in court for a number of small matters her sentencing retrial has not been rescheduled. For now, Arias is stuck with her defense attorney. This was the second time since June Arias requested to fire Nurmi and was denied.

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