Judge sends jury home in Jodi Arias sentencing retrial

The Jodi Arias sentencing retrial was supposed to get underway after a two-week holiday break, but it didn't happen.

The proceedings ground to a halt amid wrangling over a trial transcript and allegations by the Arias defense team that prosecutors destroyed evidence of porn on Travis Alexander's computer.

To call this sentencing retrial a hot mess would be a charitable description of what is going on inside courtroom 5C in downtown Phoenix.

It's the place where Jodi Arias testified in secret, where Judge Sherry Stephens kicked out the media and the general public while Jodi talked to the jurors.

We would like to be able to share with you what she said, but the Arias defense team has filed a petition with the State Supreme Court to seal her testimony, and keep it out of public view.

Jurors showed up today ready to get back to work after a two-week break, but the judge dismissed them late in the morning. Judge Stephens scheduled a hearing for Thursday morning to talk about releasing Arias' testimony in the sentencing retrial.

Jodi Arias was already convicted of the first degree murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander in 2008, but the jury the first time around couldn't decide on life in prison or the death penalty.

There is also the issue of accusations made by the defense team that prosecutors destroyed key evidence showing Travis Alexander had a keen interest in pornography and had a lot of it on his laptop.

In the first trial, prosecutors had branded Arias a liar for claiming she saw Travis looking at child porn on his computer.

Eventually we will get around to a cross-examination of Dr. Robert Geffner, an expert witness for the defense. Geffner claims Arias was a victim of emotional abuse at the hands of Travis Alexander.

Expected a pitched battle when prosecutor Juan Martinez tangles with the affable Dr. Geffner.