Jodi Arias: Life in Prison, No Possibility of Parole

[PastTense]

Jodi Arias, who was convicted in 2013 for the 2008 murder of her lover, Travis Alexander, was sentenced Monday to natural life in prison after two juries could not reach an unanimous decision on whether to sentence her to death.

Monday’s ruling ended one of the more dramatic and notorious murder trials in recent history.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sherry Stephens, who imposed the sentence, had the option of giving Arias natural life or life in prison with the possibility of release after 25 years.

Jodi Arias sentenced to natural life in prison

I was surprised at how close this got to a death penalty sentence since it was a crime of passion. I would have sentenced to life with possibility of parole after 25 years.

[DummyGladHands]

Crime of passion?? Your definition of such is very different than mine.

[Kasper1014]

She deserves every minute of her life sentence.

[Morgenstern]

@PastTense

Jodi Arias sentenced to natural life in prison

I was surprised at how close this got to a death penalty sentence since it was a crime of passion. I would have sentenced to life with possibility of parole after 25 years.

This was far from a crime of passion. She drove over 500 miles with a gun planning to shoot him. She brought gas cans to avoid stopping for gas hoping that would throw off a possible investigation. It was as premeditated as they come.

[SaharaTea]

I don’t disagree with the punishment, but it does seem a little odd when you consider that Susan Smith will be eligible for parole after a 30-year sentence for murdering her two children. Of course Smith’s defense did claim she had mental issues, so maybe that was a factor in her sentencing.

[muldoonthief]

@SaharaTea

I don’t disagree with the punishment, but it does seem a little odd when you consider that Susan Smith will be eligible for parole after a 30-year sentence for murdering her two children. Of course Smith’s defense did claim she had mental issues, so maybe that was a factor in her sentencing.

Susan Smith didn’t get a 30 year sentence - she got a life sentence. And ISTR reading at the time that South Carolina did not have a “life without the possibility of parole” sentence on the books - she could have gotten the death penalty, or she could have gotten a life sentence, but the jury was not able to tack on a “no possibility of parole”.

[SaharaTea]

@muldoonthief

Susan Smith didn’t get a 30 year sentence - she got a life sentence. And ISTR reading at the time that South Carolina did not have a “life without the possibility of parole” sentence on the books - she could have gotten the death penalty, or she could have gotten a life sentence, but the jury was not able to tack on a “no possibility of parole”.

I know she got a life sentence, but it was a minimum 30 years.