PHOENIX — Maricopa Superior Court officials have announced that next Wednesday will be “Jodi Arias Bobblehead Day,” where the first 150 gallery spectators to the ongoing trial of Arizona v. Arias will receive a bobblehead of the alleged murderess, courtesy of the HLN Network.
Arias, who stands accused of slitting the throat of her boyfriend Travis Alexander, stabbing him almost thirty times, then shooting him in the head, became a media sensation after her arrest for the crime in 2008. Since then, a steady flock of spectators and media have converged on the courthouse to follow the emotionally charged proceedings. At first irritated by all the attention, Justice Sherry Stephens has warmed to the spotlight. “Sure, I’ve had to dismiss three jurors for improper conduct, but on the flip side we’ve been able to give millions of viewers a front row seat to how the justice process works. Not to mention the exposure has allowed me to sign an endorsement deal with Reliant Gavel. If it’s not a Reliant Gavel, court’s not in session” she said, echoing the little known gavel maker’s motto.
“Oh.. and um.. someone’s life hangs in the balance and all that. That’s important too” added Stephens. Arias faces the death penalty.
Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of HLN After Dark: The Jodi Arias Trial, which broadcasts on the daily proceedings of the case, says the bobblehead is a special thank you to fans of the trial. “Many of them have left their jobs, homes, and loved ones to follow what’s going on here. Some of them I haven’t seen since the Casey Anthony trial.”
Not everyone is fond of the growing popularity of the case. Kathy Henn, of Frankenmuth, MI, has expressed disdain for those she and others see as bandwagon jumpers. “I’ve been here since the arraignment, when it was like just fifteen of us sitting front row in the courtroom, reading the poetry that Jodi has been selling to pay for her defense. Now they have some cheesy cardboard cutout where you can stick your face into Jodi’s mug shot, people selling replica evidence examples A though F. Yesterday I even saw a clown on stilts walking around waving at people.”
“They’re not true Jodi Roadies” she added, referring to the nickname by which Arias Trial fans refer to themselves.
The victim’s family is also upset at the “carnival atmosphere” of the trial. Family spokesman Frank Shaw noted there was some boorish behavior on display. “I was totally shoved out of the way when the bailiffs fired the t-shirt gun into the crowd in the parking lot by the tailgaters” said Shaw. “I totally could have had it”
Though she will not be compensated for the use of her likeness, Arias said she is fine with that because she has already “made a killing.”
