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A third juror was excused from the Jodi Arias trial last week, immediately after prosecutors wrapped up their case against the alleged murderer.
Maricopa County Superior Court officials have not yet given a reason why Juror No. 8 was released, though he was apparently arrested by police in Gilbert, Arizona, last weekend, ABC News reports. Two other jurors have also been released, for showing bias and for health reasons.
The question remains whether any of the remaining 15 jurors will also be sent home before a verdict is reached.
When the Jodi Arias trial commenced, there was a pool of 18 jurors chosen to hear the case.
Many criminal courts begin hearing evidence with more than 12 jurors, as some are alternate jurors who can fill in if a regular juror has to be excused.
There have now been three jurors excused in the Arias case, leaving 15 jurors to hear the case. Ultimately, 12 jurors will be chosen at random to deliver a verdict.
There are several reasons why a juror may be asked to leave, including:
Courts prefer that biased and misbehaving jurors are excused during the voir dire process, but like in the Jodi Arias trial, sometimes problem jurors fall through the cracks. Closing arguments in Arias' trial are set to begin later this week.
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