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Jodi Arias Hepatitis C lawsuit fake, lawyer says

Jodi Arias' lawyer, Jennifer Willmott, says she doesn't know who filed lawsuit but it wasn't her client.

By Danielle Haynes
Jodi Arias (R) reacts as she hears the verdict of guilty of first degree murder after a four month trial in Phoenix, Arizona, May 8, 2013. Arias was convicted of murdering her lover Travis Alexander in Tempe, Arizona in June of 2008. UPI// Rob Schumacher/Arizona Republic/Pool
Jodi Arias (R) reacts as she hears the verdict of guilty of first degree murder after a four month trial in Phoenix, Arizona, May 8, 2013. Arias was convicted of murdering her lover Travis Alexander in Tempe, Arizona in June of 2008. UPI// Rob Schumacher/Arizona Republic/Pool | License Photo

PHOENIX, April 20 (UPI) -- Convicted killer Jodi Arias didn't file a lawsuit against Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio for contracting Hepatitis C while in his custody, her lawyer, Jennifer Willmott said.

TMZ reported Saturday that Arias filed the lawsuit -- without a lawyer -- saying she was given a Tuberculosis vaccine while in custody, but that the needle used on her was dirty.

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Willmott said the lawsuit was completely false and that she doesn't know who filed it.

Some things just didn't add up, she said. The return address listed for Arias, for example, was listed as the 4th Avenue jail in Phoenix, but she's currently being kept at Estrella Jail. The signature on the lawsuit also doesn't match the signature on Arias' driver's license.

The lawsuit -- legitimate or not -- also alleges Arias was denied medical care while incarcerated after her left silicone breast implant leaked and caused a fungal growth.

The lawsuit names Nancy Grace, saying Arpaio allegedly colluded with the television host. The lawsuit says Arpaio intercepted sexual letters between Arias and the cousin of her ex-boyfriend -- whom she was convicted of killing -- and leaked them to Grace.

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The lawsuit requests a restraining order against Grace and Arpaio to stop them from preventing her from getting a fair death penalty trial. Arpaio said the lawsuit's claims have no basis, but that he's not surprised by it.

"Nothing surprises me with her," he said. "She's just angry with me because, No. 1, I stopped all the media from going to the jail to interview her."

He said the supposed lawsuit is just Arias' way of trying to get media attention.

[TMZ] [AZ Central]

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