Months after being convicted of first-degree murder in the grisly death of her former boyfriend Travis Alexander Jodi Arias is still waiting to find out if she will receive the death penalty. A motion by the defense to have the possibility of the death penalty thrown out was denied by a judge on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

Judge Sherry Stephens dismissed the defense attorneys' motion to have the death penalty taken off the table. The defense argued that the jury was unqualified to make the decision as to whether or not Alexander was murdered in an "especially cruel" way, the necessary circumstance for the death penalty to be applied in Arizona, according to CBS News.

"Given the apparent difficulties that judges faced (prior to the ruling) in applying the statute in a uniform, consistent manner, juries are understandably even less equipped to do so," defense attorney Kirk Nurmi wrote in the motion.

Alexander was stabbed over 25 times, had his throat slit and was shot in the head.

The lengthy murder trial caught the nation's attention in part because of the steamy details that were revealed. Days of testimony were devoted to playing a very explicit recording of phone sex between Arias and Alexander.

HLN reporter Jane Velez-Mitchell covered the trial and wrote a book about it entitled "Exposed: The Secret Life of Jodi Arias," according to USA Today.

"I wanted to write this book to get to the heart of how this intense sexual relationship turned so toxic and why Jodi Arias became murderously obsessed with the object of her desire, Travis Alexander," Velez-Mitchell said.

The case has also been the subject of a Lifetime made for TV movie called "Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret." While the case may have enthralled the American public the movie was panned.

"Outside of one relatively witty moment when Arias announces she's decided to convert to Mormonism and then goes down on Alexander in a hot tub before reemerging in a baptismal pool, the film finds no spark in its clumsy mix of religion, sex and death," Variety said about the movie.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Aug. 26. Judge Stephens has said in the past that she is hoping to start the sentencing retrial by September.