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Jody Arias is facing questioning by the jurors in her trial charging her with murder. I have not followed the case , however I got into a discussion about her being subjected to jury questioning . Ms. Arias has undergone two days of questioning from the jurors. Most questions have focused on why she did not call for help.Here are some examples of questions that she was asked ;

"Why were you afraid of the consequences if you killed Travis in self-defense?" asked one juror in a question read aloud by the judge.

"I believed it was not OK … to take someone’s life even if you were defending yourself," Arias replied softly.

"Why didn’t you call 911 to help Travis?" read another juror question.

"I was scared to call anyone," Arias said.

"Would you decide to tell the truth if you never got arrested?" another juror asked.

Arias paused briefly, thinking.

"I honestly don’t know the answer to that question," she said.

Ms.Arias may not have been questioned by the jurors if she was on trial in Tennessee. Arizona is one of the few states where jurors have a right to ask questions during a trial. Under the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure , juror questioning is discretionary with the judge. Rule 24.01 of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure allows juror questioning in the discretion of the trial judge. Tennessee provides the questions must be reduced to writing  and shall be anonymous.The judge must then review the questions and shall consult with the parties on whether the questions should be asked.Based on my experience the use of juror questions is very limited in Tennessee. In Nashville , I am not aware of any criminal judge allowing jurors to ask questions due to a multitude of reasons. Just one look at the Arias trial and you know the Nashville judges are correct . Maybe it’s time to eliminate juror questioning in an effort for a fair trial.