Arizona held elections for 80 superior court judgeships on November 8, Sixty-three of those seats were up for retention election. Three counties— Maricopa , Pima , and Pinal —use retention elections for their superior courts.
Stephens was retained with See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection. Stephens did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Stephens presided over the trial of Jodi Arias , who was found guilty of murdering her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander , a Mormon motivational speaker, in Alexander was shot in the head and stabbed 27 times. His throat was also slit.
Arias admitted to the murder prior to the trial but said that she acted in self-defense. Prosecutors argued that her actions were premeditated. She faced the death penalty after a motion by the defense to remove such a penalty was denied by Stephens.
Arizona is one of only a few states that allows jurors to ask witnesses questions. Arias was asked many questions during the trial.
Although details about her relationship with Alexander were revealed, no strong evidence emerged to support her claim of self-defense. On May 8, , the jury in the case found Arias guilty of first-degree murder. A mistrial was declared on May 22, , and the jury was dismissed after they failed to reach an agreement on Arias' sentence.
On December 2, , a date for a retrial of the sentencing phase was not set. Stephens granted a request to ban live television coverage of the trial. She also banned electronic devices, preventing reporters from tweeting and providing live updates during the trial.
Stephens denied other requests, such as moving the trial out of Maricopa County and a request to sequester the jury during the trial.
Following a closed hearing on January 13, , Stephens set a new trial for the penalty phase. Attorneys in the case were not allowed to call witnesses or present evidence during the proceeding.
Although jurors were unable to reach an agreement on the penalty to be imposed for Arias, her murder conviction stood. Parties in the Arias case returned to court for a closed hearing on May 16, , before Stephens. Allowing the disrespect shown to the prosecutor, and consequently herself, demonstrates her inability to control a courtroom and obtain justice. She is shamefully inadequate, incapable, and incompetent.
Jody Arias is very manipulative and I think she believes she is running this trial. Everytime another motion is filed by the defense I believe it comes from Jody Arias. The judge appears to favour the defense but this trial is about getting Justice for Travis Alexander and his murder not for the murderer. I watched the first trial from the beginning everyday watching the judge allowing the defense to run the courtroom instead of the judge.
She the judge ran her courtroom as though frightened what the defense planned. It is her court she needed to move things along not allowing the defense's opinion influence her thoughts and actions. Now we are into the sentencing phase. She the judge looks bored and tired as she holds her head in her hand and almost lays her head down as she allows the defense run her courtroom.
Delays and more delays too many. No respect for the Alexander family nor for the jurors who have all taken time from their lives to be there everyday. This judge needs to move this along please bring Justice to Travis. Comment : AZ Rating:Not Rated Comments: Why is the convicted killer permitted to laugh, sneer and roll her eyes at the prosecutor, why is she allowed to flip the bird so often or at all, why are the defence allowed to roll eyes, smirk, laugh etc. Why have the killer and her defence been free to drag this trial on for so long using nonsense reasons and why have they been free to slander an innocent man without proof or any evidence?
She allows the defense to have all these "tantrums" in a court of law, she allows defense witnesses to shake hands with the defendant, she does not control her courtroom, I think she is a disgrace as a judge. We've had other high profile cases, but the judges in those cases had control of the courtroom. Judge Stephens should be ashamed of her loss of control and her allowing a convicted murderer to run her courtroom! She's had NO control over this courtroom from day one. What a Mochary of our Justice system this is!
Endless sidebars, court never started on time, disrespectful witnesses , laughing in the courtroom, all due to this judge's inability to stand firm, take control. This trial has become a total travesty of justice with no end in sight. This is only suppose to be the Death penalty phase and she is letting the defense retry the case and bring in new stuff that shouldn't be allowed.
Get her off the Bench cause she isn't a Fair Judge. As I watched some of Judge Stephens rulings, it seemed at times she was very biased toward the defense which made me delve into the case further.
I had hoped to find that most of what was transpiring was simply because of in admissibility of evidence under the law and not bias.
Unfortunately, I don't feel that is what I found. Then much to my horror, and that of the general public, this case under her very poor direction and failure to rein defense counsel and their client, began a rapid decent into pure madness. Madness that only worsesens by the day. This trial is spiraling out of control for the stat of Arizona and sends messages to the rest of the country and its citizens I don't believe the legal system there really wants to send.
It appears Arizona will move heaven and earth to satisfy every morbid whim of brutal murderers and attorneys put of control, inexperienced, and writing their rules as they go along. Going against protocol set up long before and followed by everyone else. A system that is making it appear that all is fair game in Arizona. Only then to be allowed to bruta ize your victims family in "allocution" by taking parts of their victims impact statements about their loved one and using for twisted purpose to mock their feelings unchecked.
Allowing defense attorneys to fike inappropriate motoon after motion using state funds unecessarily and stalling victims family delaying end of trial for many more months. A judge. This travesty seemingly had no end due to Judge Sherry Stephens making a mockery of the AZ court system in her inability to control her cpurt room, defense council, defense witnesses, and the defendant. Mr Martinez doesseem quite passionate about his job anf if he had aome assistance from her to run things in the manner intended this teial would have proceeded to its end in the way this process is intended to work.
Is only Judge Stephens asleep at the bench and responsibke? How many hands are now complicite as well in this travesty? As a citkzen of these United States of America, in the spirit of our forefathers, I implore those in power in the great state of Arizona to intercede in this and bring this to its appropriate end.
Thank you. Boy was I wrong. Judge Stephens is clearly a member of the defense team. She does not care about the jurors or the victims family. Surely jurors will start dropping off because of the constant delays in the trial. Maybe that is the goal. How about some longer court days and weekends if needed to bring this case to a close. Get it done yesterday. This should of been over a long time ago.
She is a one sided judge, She let's the witnesses for the defense disrespect the proscuter. She is wasting the taxpayers money by keeping this trial going for so long. Taxpayers need not to vote her in to office anymore. Judge Stevens needs a Backbone and quit letting the defense delay the trial any longer. They are doing it on purpose so they can lose jurors and it causes a mistrial. Do your job you were hired for Judge Stephens or leave the Ben h if you cant.
May I remind you, Jodi Arias has been found guilty. This is the penalty phase. Please show some respect for the jurors, taxpayers and last but not least the victim Travis Alexander. Because just about everything that has been brought up is new and was never mentioned at the trial.
She can't even make the decisions on simple objections, she calls a sidebar on every objection, which ends up being half of the day is spent at the judges bench.
She is letting the criminal run this show and it is a travesty. Out of 3-months they have had 18 days of court. What is with all the delays?
She lost control of her courtroom long ago and never regained control! This trial has been a disgrace and travesty to our Justice System!!! Made me loose faith in our Justice system to see all the shenanigans she is letting go on and on and on and on!!!!! Worse Judge I have ever seen!!! It is absolutely unconscionable that she would close her court room and hide what's going on there. How and attorney gets to be a judge and doesn't know that is illegal is beyond me.
A real downer to see such unfair justice in the court room. That is how she acts. She has no authority, she does not control her own court room,she is a really, really poor excuse for a judge. She is in wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy over her head, and someone needs to take control of this trial. If I lived in Arizona, I would be outraged, absolutely outraged at this sham of a trial.
Not to mention the cost, at the taxpayers expense I might add. My heart goes out to the Alexander family, who has to keep reliving this nightmare because of an incompetent judge. There should be more outrage about this, it is unacceptable. That is absurd. What trial goes on for that long? She has said previously that there would be no more delays, then she gives the defense 6 months, or more, worth of delays!!
It is obvious that she allows the defense to control her court. It clearly has become more than being overly cautious to avoid appellate issues. To allow this convicted murderer to re-try her guilt phase during a retrial for the sentencing phase which has been going on for more than 3 months with no end in sight is beyond cruel to the victim's family.
I thought Florida's judicial system was an embarrassment to the U. But this judge has shown what truly an embarrassment is, not only to the Judicial system, but the State of AZ as well. She has allowed the DUHfense liars, sneaks and cheats to run her court room.
Everyone in the world has been watching this trial and seen what a joke the US Judicial system is. This judge has allowed a convicted murderer take control of her court room, all the lies and games the DUHfense is playing, the Mitigation Specialist AKA: Cougarlicious tweeting crap about the case, leaking information to the press and smuggling the killers forged art out to sell just a shame, then you have Kirt Nurmi who picks his nose in court, lies out of his arse and is playing the stall game to line his pockets, WillMount is just a complete moron and has showed her lock of knowledge of being an attorney asking a M.
There should be no delays for "porn" on a computer especially when the killer Einstein NOT played her own attorney and was caught making 3 way calls, hired a dirty PI etc Porn is not the reason she killed a good man, it was her obsession with having him or nobody would, I mean seriously first duhfense: I was not there. Second duhfense: the ninjas did it. Third Duhfense: it was self defense.
Fourth Duhfense: he watched porn. The judge said "no more delays" hours later delays were in place, Wormi Nurmi has stalled, stalled and stalled to line his pockets and filed frivilous motion after motion all for his paycheck. This is sick, there is a family whose loved one was vicious, brutally murdered and they want their justice, but I guess in AZ the killers are entitled to play the system, and there is no Justice for the murder victim or his family It is obvious that from the start you were over your head.
You are the only judge in history that has allowed the defense attorneys to take over a courtroom. The attorneys and their paid witnesses are clearly dishonest and underhanded.
WHy you allow them to trash a dead man and repeat theirself just to stall and steal tax payers money is beyond me. You have no clue how to force forward progress and keep control of a courtroom.
I hope to God the Alexanders sue you and every single lying scumbag on the defense for everything they have leaving you all penniless living, under a bridge as roommates eating out of trash cans for what you all have done to Travis and his family. You Judge Sherry Stephens are the second worst thing that could have happened to this victim and his family.
Shame on You.. Comment : AZ Rating:Not Rated Comments: This judge is completely biased to the defense and has allowed the defense to control her court. She is an embarrassment to our justice system. The victim, victim's family and the jury have all been forgotten while the defense continues to delay and stall. Time to stand up and be the boss! That make it look alike weak justice system and Idiot Judge!!! Tired of her kept Delay, Delay, Delay!!! No Justice--No Peace!!!
Don't let the murder go free or will kill, again!!! The way she is handling the Jodi Arias trial is deplorable! She and the defense team have delayed this trial to where the court has been out, more days than it has been in. Who is the victim here? I believe it was Travis Alexander, and now his entire family! What about the jury? They to have put their lives on hold for a trial they believed would last only 3 months. I would hope her superiors read these comments, soon, and have a nice long talk with Judge Stephens about the mockery she has made of this trial and our judicial system.
She gives the justice system a bad name. She is not being fair with how she is handling this Jodi Arias case. We the people have notice that she is favoring Jodi Arias. This case should be done with Did her father or some other relative have connections with the Governor in order to get her appointed to the bench? Someone had to lobby pretty hard on her behalf! She has continued to let the flow of the Jodi Arias trial become slogged down, murky, confusing and chaotic at the expense of the people of AZ.
Her leadership is nonexistent and she has appeared to be completely biased on the side of the defense. This cannot be allowed to continue. Comment : AZ Rating:Not Rated Comments: Also, judge sherry k stephens has NOT froze any of "arias," assets that "she" has earned from "her" fraudulent art sells and other sundry sells that "she" has been gaining behind bars.
Where that money that "she" has earned should be taken from "her" and paid back to the victims family and towards the state of Arizona for "her" court costs. To date "arias" has enjoyed "her" indigent status fully, and that this court costs has been and is being paid by the honest citizens of Arizonans by fraudulent means. Meaning this supposed judge has not done due diligence in freezing all of "arias,s" financial assets whilst in jail, to be properly paid back to the honest citizens of Arizona and to the victims family for there hardship in attending this trial.
Meaning the honorable judge sherry k stephens has fully allowed "arias" to steal from the honest tax payers there rightful funds back to them.
That is fully unlawful by stephens to do. And she is allowing "miss arias" to be fully fraudulent in this dealing. Stephens should of ordered ALL OF "jodi ann arias,s" sells confiscated and put back to the taxes payers. This is against the law, and stephens has fully endorsed "arias" making money behind bars, when she should of followed the law and stop it.
There for stephens has broken this law of Arizona personally herself, and grounds for her dismissal from this particular court case. For she has not frozen "arias,s" fraudulent art fund sales funds. For shame stephens, you broke the law your self She makes a mockery of the justice system. She is victimizing Travis and his family all over again. Why is she allowing all these stall tastics drag on. She has lost control of the courtroom.
Grow a pair; Regain your room and stop wasting tax payers money. Sherry is a disgrace, the only robe she should be wearing is a bath robe This case has gotten totally out of hand. There has been no thought given to the victims in this case,,Travis Alexander and his siblings. Judge Stephens must realize the Defense Attorney's in this case have taken control of it. It's disgusting the amount of hard earned tax payers dollars that have been spent on this case. This case should have been over years ago.
I guess when all else fails, blame the judge. Justice has been served for Travis Alexander, under the watchful, extremely intelligent eye of Judge Sherry K. Worry not about the jurors, the behaviors of the defense team, and all the legalities and processes in place for a capital murder trial. You need not worry because the judge is there to ensure due process is carried out, however long that takes.
Unless it is for yourself you are so eager for final sentencing, just to qualm your fears and concerns, however honorable or dishonorable they may be. Judge Sherry K. Stephens, carry on.
The majority does have faith in her jurisprudence and so have not felt it necessary to post comments all over the place. Calm yourselves people, for you know not of which you speak.
The secrecy, disrespect to the prosecutor, devil-may-care attitude toward the family of Travis Alexander and the jury, is something I have never witnessed in my lifetime of following trials!
Is anyone in authority over Judge Stephens even monitoring this fiasco or are they part of the shenanigans, too? I want Justice to prevail and there seems to be a lack of ethics and accountability in this trial. Secrets in our American Courtrooms need to be scrutinized before just shutting everything down for one defendant! Even these continuos motions filed by the defense would not merit most judge's effort to read them. This judge takes everyone of them under consideration for month's, or, never even rule on them.
I guess I could go on and on and on with my displeasure regarding the actions, or lack of, Judge Stevens, because I have been following it for years now. I appreciate the opportunity to vent my frustration regarding this judge. She needs to go. Never have I seen a Judge more unqualified. She does not have control of her Courtroom nor has she ever.
She has thumbed her nose at the Alexander's time and time again. Trashing their rights. Get her off the bench before more damage is done. And heaven help the AZ tax payers! I hope she is fired after this debacle. Assuming it will ever end.
She needs to go , this Trial of JA has got to end!!!!!!!! The defense team and Convicted killer are in total control. I concur with the opinions expressed herein, by so many. There is no reguard in Stephens' court for the US constitution, the dead victim or his surviving siblings. Not to mention the disreguard of the jurors! Please, please investigate this court, trial and remove Judge Stephens from this trial. As a person, I bet she is nice.. All of the secrecy, and secret testimony, ex parte meeting has given her the chance to become friends with the Defendant.
Some of the things she wouldn't allow in Trial for the State, are questionable.. She let's the witnesses talk to the State in horrible ways.. There is not enough time for all the things, for me to write. She should be let go. Elected or not.. Good day! You would think that she would know how to conduct a sentencing phase. She is allowing the defense to put on another criminal retrial. The sentencing phase should be about Jodi Arias. Good or Bad. Let the jury decide from there. Judge Stephens is not running her courtroom; the defense attorneys and their defendant are and Judge Stephens is allowing it.
She has demonstrated overwhelming bias towards the defense team, allowing them to file repeated frivolous motions, many of which have never been addressed. Judge Stephens has clearly demonstrated indecisiveness, time and time again. She can't seem to be able to make a ruling in a prompt manner, frequently taking matters under advisement. While it is clear that she has shown favoritism towards the defense; in the same vein, she has precluded vital evidence that the state needed to bring to the court.
There are numerous points about this trial that she is presiding over that is very disturbing, not which the least is the fact that the sentencing phase of the trial is in it's second year! When the jurors were selected, they were told by Judge Stephens to expect the trial to last until December 18, Due to the repeated defense motions, it is now expected to go well into February, , quite possibly even later.
I personally believe that the defense is deliberately stalling with the the objective of having jurors drop out, thereby causing a mistrial. Scheduling appears to be a major problem. Court never starts on time, Fridays are exempted from court time, and quite often court is abruptly adjourned due to some frivolous matter that Judge Stephens can't seem to be able to control without having to send the jurors home.
No consideration has been extended to the families of the victim. They live out of state and it is an extreme hardship for them to travel, leaving their jobs and children behind only to find out that there presence was unnecessary because of unpredictable delays postponing the trial for days at a time.
Furthermore, Judge Stephens does not admonish witnesses when they speak insolently towards the prosecutor, Mr. Juan Martinez. Quite often, there are unethical gestures and inappropriate laughter made by the defendant and other parties that have an interest in her. Judge Stephens is very well aware of this and does nothing to stop this kind of behavior in her courtroom. In short, Judge Stephens has made a mockery out of the judicial system. Any other judge would have seen to it that the sentencing phase commenced soon after the mistrial of the guilt phase, but there again, the defense pushed for postponements due to vacation plans, scheduling conflicts, etc.
The sentencing phase did not commence until October, , well over a year since the conviction! This could have and should have been avoided if Judge Stephens had demonstrated confidence and strength in her role as a judge. If there ever was a travesty of justice, this is it! I thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion regarding Judge Stephens, and it is my fervent hope that an investigation begin immediately and that proper action be taken accordingly.
Thank you for your time and consideration. My Uncle who is in his late 70s retired has never in his 30 plus yrs on the bench seen such a unprofessional Judge as Judge S. The minute she showed the court that the defendant and lawyers were causing undue delays.. She has shown to the jury favortism towards the defendant by her actions. As a Judge you are not to show any bias towards either side. Not Stevens. This is her first and they should never have allowed her on this big of a case, she clearly is not suited.
My Uncle said just by the delay of all the motions she is way over her head. Please dont allow this murdered to get less than she deserves because you all cant get it together and put other Judge on the case. What differense would it make considering the delays already? Why or Who ever put her in the Court room with the Arias case has lost their mind unless they put her in there to have a solid reason to debench her.
She doesn't have what it takes to handle a murder case. She's had other Murder cases and she didn't have it then either. Its very sad for the AZ taxpayers to be paying for the murder case when its a very clear cut case of her premeditated st degree. They could be using taxpayers money for more important things like schools, homeless, Vets. Seriously someone higher than her needs to get her off the bench and take over this case.
She lost control the 1st day of Court. Defense has control, and she let's witness' degrade the Prosecutor. Doesn't anyone see what she's doing to the Judicial System. This is making AZ look so bad and also looks like what other killers will see what they can try and get away with. AZ should be majority rules not all 12 has to rule on DP.
Please someone needs to take over this case. All of the delays and postponements are ridiculous. Judge Stephens has allowed the defense to run all over her and conduct the trial. Since when does a convicted killer get to call the shots during her trial? Why is she being allowed to bring in new witnesses at this point? It is apparent that the Judge is so afraid something she does will be grounds for appeal, that she is letting the defense run the show. This re-trial is costing the taxpayers as much or more than the initial trial did and is no where near close to being finished.
And why is Jodi allowed to wear street clothes? She has been convicted of murder! I feel sorry for the jurors! This trial is a prime example of why people do not want to serve on a jury. Judge stephens has allowed the defense to enter new evidence,trash the victim and the prosecutor. The monster needs to be treated like all other death penalty case monsters. She needs to be wearing her prison issued clothing and no make up should be allowed.
What this Judge is allowing to happen is extra extreme cruelty to Travis Alexanders family. I understand that monsters like the parasite arias try and slither through any legal loop holes they can find, but this is getting out of control and someone higher needs to step in and treat the parasite arias trial like it should be treated.
She is a monster that took an innocent man off the planet for selfish horrible jealous creepy girl stalker rage, and you people need to handle this circus a bit better. I higher Judge needs to get this under control because it is making me hate the Justice System more now than I ever had before. Parasite Arias is a monster, she needs to be treated like one. She should have to do all the same things all other death penalty monsters have to do, and she is convicted.
This needs to get handled by someone who can put a stop to the absolute ABUSE that the parasite arias is causing to the system that is supposed to protect us from monsters like the parasite arias. Get this circus under control so that family can move on, No one cares about th parasite arias get it over with already.
Since when does a convicted murderer call the shots?? This duh fense and Judge need to sanctioned and held accountable for this blatant miscarriage of Justice. Slimy defense is milking this cow dry!!! Her bias toward defense and defendant are blatantly evident as she has allowed them to seize power and control her court room. What an appalling lack of couth or respect to allow witnesses to behave as they did to the Prosecutor and not censure them.
She should be ashamed of the horrible, shameful, embarrassingly inadequate job she is doing. It is not a court room, it is a carnival of lunacy,insanity and mendacity all enabled and abetted by an inept judge.
She allows the defendant to dictate what the court does or doesn't do. The Arias trial has been delayed and delayed by a malingering defense and an incompetent judge, who seemingly refuses to conduct trial in the open even after being instructed to do so by a higher court.
This case should never have been assigned to a judge so lacking in experience outside of family court. Judge Stephens and the Arias case have made the AZ justice system a laughing stock, all around the world. This court has brought shame upon the state of Arizona and have been allowed to make a mockery of the system our forefathers died for!! He will not rest in peace until The State of Arizona metes out the only true justice: Death!!
Stephens is the most incompetent Judge I have ever seen. He had defense wounds and tried crawling away, but she stabbed him 27 times, slit his throat from ear to ear, almost decapitating him, then shot him in the face. This Judge is allowing the defense to bring in unfounded accusations against the Prosecutor, the Mesa police department and others.
Can't someone do something to get Judge Stephens off the bench?? The defense alone has cost the state almost 3 million dollars! This trial is a true circus. For one of the most brutal murders committed, the defendant has plead guilty and been convicted.
In this penalty phase only Sherry Stevens has pandered to defense and allowed motion after motion and delay after delay. She allows astounding disrespect to prosecutor by witnesses and defense team. All one needs to do is look at the actual days of trial she has had, and compare to amount of days she has closed trial, brought in jury only to send them back home, given into defenses frivolous motions.
She does not uphold the constitution of this country! Who is watching her? Who is her boss? She needs to be removed from bench and sanctions filed against her and defense attorneys! Stop her now!!!! She is a disgrace to your state and this country! A judge that says "no delays" and allows delay after delay after delay?
That is a judge? I don't think so. It is the worst judicial travesty in history. Judge Stevens needs to be removed from the bench, doubt she could preside fairly in traffic court. Comment : AZ Rating:Not Rated Comments: Very sad that the whole country even foreign countries are laughing about the injustice being done in this court room. I have never seen a judge dance to the defendant's tune like Judge Stephens.
He has delayed this trial with no consideration of the jury's time. Nurmi should be sanctioned for his repititious motions. To whomever is her supervising judge: please put her performance under review and remove her from the bench, if need be, to restore competence in the Maricopa courts.
She has no control of her court. She runs a schedule that is beyond lax holding jury hostage while she has 3 or 4 hour days with much of that time spent in 'bench conferences'. She schedules weeks off during trial so that she can attend to those motions but never seems to clear them. When she does give a ruling, it is scattered and incomplete causing still more litigation over the same matters.
A senior jurist needs to oversee her work on this, her first death-penalty case. Perhaps she does well in juvenile court as she does appear to coddle and hand-hold, but her methods are not working in a high-profile case. I have no idea why she resides over the St of AZ vs Arias! She has NO control over the courtroom, makes rulings that are basically illegal and always sides with the defense.
This murderer was convicted and should be in prison but Nurmi is just trying to delay the inevitable with all his motions. Why doesn't this non-judge put a stop to this? Remove her from the bench!!! This sentencing trial is an absolute joke and Judge Stephens is a laughable non-judge.
Why hasn't her superior stepped in to guide her in this trial in which she is clearly over her head? Stephens This judge is a joke to the judicial system. She let's the defense and convicted murder,make a joke of this system the victim and their families.
Please put a stop to the unfairness, cruelty that's going on,this is a penalty phase not a retrial,Jodie arai,was found guilty of 1st degree murder. Enough is enough or is it that our justice system is a joke on a days. Allows secret meetings. Violates the US Constitution. In over her head. Her handling of the Jodi Arias case is beyond shockingly incompetent.
Judge Stephens is allowing the defense to drag this penalty phase out indefinitely. This penalty phase needs to come to an end. Az citizens should march on the courthouse and demand she be terminated Shame on the Chief Justice She was found guilty of murder in after a trial packed with lurid details and graphic testimony. Prosecutors said she killed her former partner in a jealous rage, while Arias argued she acted in self-defense.
Shackled and clad in jail stripes, Arias told the court she had long wanted to be put to death for the crime. He was still trying to attack me.
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