Jodi Arias, who was convicted of murdering her boyfriend Travis Alexander, will represent herself in the upcoming sentencing retrial in which she stands to face the death penalty.

Jodi Arias To Represent Herself

On Monday, Arias appeared in the Maricopa County Superior Court, where she told Judge Sherry Stephens that she wished to represent herself, acting as her own attorney for the retrial, reported The Arizona Republic. While Stephens granted the motion, she cautioned Arias that her decision might not be in her best interests.

"I do not believe it is in your best interests,” Stephens said. “I strongly urge you to reconsider."

Stephens was forced to declare a mistrial in May 2013 when the jury panel failed to reach a unanimous decision on whether or not Arias should face the death penalty for her first-degree murder of Alexander in 2008. The jury, comprised of eight men and four women, sat through three days of the penalty phase of the trial before deliberating for more than 13 hours and reaching a “non-unanimous agreement.”

According to Arizona law, a new jury had to be selected to hear testimony at a later date and subsequently deliberate. If the second jury is unable to reach a verdict, the death penalty will be thrown out. Stephens will then determine whether Arias should be sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole or a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years in prison.

Though Arias will take the lead in her defense, her attorneys Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott will stay on as advisory legal counsel. At any point, Arias will be able to have professional representation provided for her.

Arias will be back in court Aug. 13. The sentencing retrial will commence Sept. 8.