Judge Denies Access to Jurors' Twitter Accounts in Arias Sentencing Phase

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Maricopa County (Ariz.) Superior Court Judge Sherry K. Stephens this week denied a request by attorneys for convicted killer Jody Arias to compel jurors to divulge their Twitter account information, Phoenix-based ABC15.com reported.

Arias was convicted last May for the 2008 murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander, but the jury was unable to agree on sentencing, prompting a retrial on the sentencing phase in the case in which the state is seeking the death penalty.

Defense counsel asked Judge Stephens for the jurors' Twitter account information so that their tweets could be monitored to ensure no discussion of the case outside of the courtroom. The prosecution opposed the move as invasive of the jurors' right to privacy.

Judge Stephens ruled there was no basis to order the data revealed absent a credible allegation of juror misconduct.

Fraying Cable News Audience

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The Huffington Post reported today that all three major cable news outlets, Fox News, CNN and MSNBC, continue to suffer lower ratings than in Election Year 2012, with a notable loss among the age 25 to 54 demographic group that advertisers crave.

Fox sustained a 33 percent drop-off in its viewership, followed by CNN's 28 percent plunge and MSNBC's more modest 4 percent loss, according to the Huffington Post article. Fox News, still in first place among cable news viewers for its 11th straight year, may take note that bloviator Bill O'Reilly's demographic ratings sank 26 percent. Look for his next best-selling historical tome to be entitled: "Who Killed My Show?"

Lest one think the cable audience is smartening up, CNN's sister network, HLN, enjoyed a skyrocketing 17 percent increase in its audience (and a 23 percent boost among age 25-54 viewers) owing to its around the clock coverage of the Jodi Arias murder trial.