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Peterson trial date set
February 23, 2010
<snipped>
The date is set for the murder trial of Drew Peterson. Jury selection will begin Monday, June 14th.

The decision comes after a month long pre-trial hearing, on whether hearsay evidence will be allowed at his trial.


Video: Peterson Trial Date Revealed Today 2:19
http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/?watchId=0c58b261-e51e-4f3b-b931-efb18b6ef8f3

Video: Peterson Trial Date Revealed Today 0:23
http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/?watchId=e7154f96-ddd0-4c26-8e01-e2d4e44cf929

Article:
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-peterson-trial-date-revealed-feb23,0,626989.story
 
June 14 trial date set for Drew Peterson in Savio death
Jury selection to start then in ex-Bolingbrook cop's murder case

February 23, 2010
<snipped>
Drew Peterson will stand trial beginning June 14 for murder in the 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, a Will County judge ordered today.

Judge Stephen White ordered jury selection to begin that day for the 56-year-old former Bolingbrook cop, who's charged with drowning Savio in her bathtub during their bitter divorce.

Still to be decided: whether the judge will allow the jury to hear that hearsay evidence &#8212; statements that other witnesses say were made by Savio and Stacy Peterson.


Article:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/peterson/2065446,drew-peterson-trial-date-set-022310.article
 
Date set in Peterson murder trial
Updated at 04:16 PM today
<snipped>
Tuesday morning, a Will County judge announced the trial will start on Monday, June 14.

Peterson and his attorneys are happy with the trial date and say it gives them time to get ready.

"We look forward to the case proceeding to trial. We're gonna present a vigorous defense, and we look forward to a verdict in our favor," said George Lenard, Peterson's defense attorney.


Article:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=7292991
 
Missing 4th wife may be big part of Peterson trial
Tuesday, February 23, 2010; 4:13 PM
<snipped>
As Drew Peterson heads to trial in the death of his third wife, it's clear that prosecutors hope to make their case by trying to prove he also killed his missing fourth wife, even though he has never been charged in her disappearance.

Will County Judge Stephen White still must rule on whether he'll allow such hearsay - or secondhand - evidence at Peterson's upcoming trial on charges of killing Savio, whose body was found in a bathtub in 2004. On Tuesday, White said jury selection will begin June 14. Prosecutors have not said how much they would tell jurors about Stacy Peterson, but an extraordinary pretrial hearing revealed just how closely the circumstantial evidence against Drew Peterson in Savio's slaying is tied to Stacy Peterson's disappearance.

Stacy Peterson's disappearance also figures in another cornerstone of the prosecutors' case: that Drew Peterson had the ability to kill Savio, not leave any evidence, and even make her death look like an accident. "This is not somebody who just watched CSI," Assistant State's Attorney John Connor told White on the last day of the hearing in which prosecutors detailed Peterson's law enforcement career, including his experience as an evidence technician. "This is somebody who's been CSI."

Even if the judge does not initially allow anyone to testify about Stacy Peterson's disappearance, the cases are so intertwined that there is always a chance a single question by one of Peterson's attorneys could change that. "When you're doing cross examination you've got to be damn sure you don't do something that trips into the other case," said Erickson. "If there's one phrase trial judges love it's, 'Counsel, you opened the door.'"


Article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/23/AR2010022303596.html
 
Peterson trial date set, but no decision yet on hearsay
When judge rules on whether to allow hearsay statements, decision will be sealed until after jury selection

6:47 p.m. CST, February 23, 2010
<snipped>
Judge Stephen White said jury selection would begin June 14. In August, he brought in the pool of some 240 jurors, who filled out questionnaires and were admonished to shun media coverage of the case. White's decision on whether any of 13 remaining hearsay statements prosecutors want admitted at trial under a new state law can be heard will be filed under seal. It will become public after jury selection is over, White said last week.

During closing arguments in the hearsay hearing last week, prosecutors revealed the importance they place on what they say was an accidentally answered four-minute phone call from Stacy's cell phone to Peterson's cell phone the night Stacy was reported missing. "This is a miracle, judge," Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow said of the alleged mistake during closing arguments last week. "We probably wouldn't be standing here if it didn't happen."

Peterson's stepbrother Thomas Morphey testified that Peterson dropped him off at Remington Lakes park in Bolingbrook that night, handing Morphey Drew Peterson's cell phone and telling him not to answer it. Glasgow said two calls rang unanswered, but a 9:07 p.m. call was accidentally picked up by Morphey, who by then had placed the phone in his coat pocket. Prosecutors allege Peterson, who was trying to frame a Shorewood man, was then forced to concoct a story about what his wife said.

Defense attorney Joel Brodsky said the call only bolsters his client's version of what happened. He said there was no evidence presented that Morphey, who only remembered the phone ringing twice, accidentally answered the call. "It's almost like an admission that they don't have a case to me," said Brodsky, who said White's ruling could push back the trial date. "If it goes very strongly towards the defense we may not have a jury trial in June (as prosecutors appeal)." If the four-minute call from Peterson's wife is real, "their whole case about Stacy falls apart," Brodsky said. "They have to come up with this nutty pocket dial to keep their case."


Article:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-drew-peterson-0224-20100223,0,7782561.story
 
*Added for easy reference for everyone!

Witnesses and hearsay statements that a judge is considering whether to allow in Drew Peterson&#8217;s trial
7:53 p.m. CST, February 23, 2010
<snipped>
1. Kathleen Savio's letter to then-Will County Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Fragale complaining of Drew Peterson's abuse, including an alleged July 2002 attack when he put a knife to her throat.

2. Kristin Anderson testified that Savio told of her fears that Peterson would kill her while her family briefly rented Savio's basement in 2003.

3. Mary Parks, Savio's Joliet Junior College classmate, testified she saw red marks on Savio's neck that Savio attributed to Peterson in 2003.

4. Issam Karam, a Savio co-worker, testified Savio told him Peterson came into her home and held a knife to her throat.

5. Susan Doman, Savio's sister, gave lengthy testimony about her sister's fears that Peterson would kill her.

6. Savio's sister Anna Doman testified that shortly before she died, Savio asked Doman to care for her children if she died, saying Peterson wanted to kill her.

7. Savio's handwritten statement attached to a Bolingbrook police report on the July 2002 incident.

8. Six audio excerpts from a June 13, 2003, taped conversation Savio had with an insurance company over a claim she put in for allegedly stolen jewelry.

9. Savio's Aug. 6, 2003, statement to the insurance company

10. Harry Smith, Savio's divorce attorney, testified Stacy contacted him about divorcing Peterson shortly before she vanished.

11. Scott Rossetto, Stacy's friend, testified she told him Peterson coached her as an alibi witness in Savio's death.

12. The Rev. Neil Schori, pastor, testified Stacy told him Peterson returned home dressed completely in black and carrying a bag of women's clothing in the late morning on the day Savio's body was found. Stacy also told him Peterson coached her to provide his alibi.

13. Michael Miles, Stacy's Joliet Junior College classmate, testified Stacy told him before Savio's 2004 death that Peterson wanted to kill his ex-wife but that Stacy talked him out of it.


Article:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-drew-peterson-box-0224-20100223,0,6711015.story
 
High profile trials of Blago and Peterson will overlap
2/24/10
<snipped>
Two major criminal cases are set for trial in the Chicago area at the same time later this year. Both will be making headlines this June. One is for former Governor Rod Blagojevich set to begin June 3, the other is for accused killer Drew Peterson whose trial date was set Tuesday for June 14.

So, what happens when two high profile cases occur at the same time? Former Assistant U-S Attorney Patrick Collins says two mini-circuses will be happening all at once.

He says both Peterson and Blagojevich have been painted in a sinister fashion, and both have been presumed guilty to a degree because of the extensive publicity they've already received.

Blagojevich faces corruption charges including trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama. Peterson goes on trial for the drowning murder of his third wife Kathleen Savio, and is a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife Stacy Peterson.

Collins also sees a potential problem especially when it comes to protecting the jury and what they should know in their own case. He says a juror in the Blagojevich case could see how a judge in the Peterson case treats a similar matter and makes an analogy that may or may not be appropriate.


Video: Peterson And Blagojevich Trials Share Similarities 2:55
http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/?watchId=cb613efa-de6d-478b-b4c7-2dbf8fa53c12

Video: Terry Sullivan: Peterson And Blagojevich Trials 2:47
http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/?watchId=8d056a82-a62c-410f-889a-29cf752fdb46

Article:
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-blago-peterson-trials-feb23,0,3357516.story
 
Attorney: Drew Peterson Faces 'A Lynch Mob' with Hearsay Testimony
Lawyer says new state law allowing hearsay to be admitted in murder trial is unfair to Drew Peterson.

February 23, 2010
<snipped>
The attorney representing accused killer and former Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson calls his client a victim of "a lynch mob."

"Everybody wants to jump on the bandwagon," Joel Brodsky told ABC's 'Nightline.' He said recent hearsay statements from the family of Peterson's deceased third wife, Kathleen Savio, do not afford his client a fair trial.

"It's being built on the unproven words of a dead person being conveyed through her family," said Brodsky, who argues hearsay should not be used as evidence in a murder trial.

The trial is set to begin mid June.


Drew Peterson on Nightline - Joel Brodsky on Drew's Law - Hearsay Law - Stacy Peterson
ABC's Nightline interviews accused killer Drew Peterson and his attorney, Joel Brodsky. Aired Feb. 22, 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-agYVK-HP34

Article:
http://www.prnewschannel.com/absolutenm/templates/?z=0&a=2285
 
Did state police bungle the Peterson case?
Testimony shows cops may have mishandled much of murder investigation

February 28, 2010
<snipped>
Prosecutors spent a month tarring Drew Peterson with hours of testimony about how he supposedly killed his last two wives. But after all the witnesses and all the arguing, in the end, it was the state police who may have looked the guiltiest of all. The revelations about how the state police allegedly mishandled the death investigation for Peterson's third wife, Kathleen Savio, emerged during the hearsay hearing as a prelude to Peterson's murder trial.

Police: No sign of foul play
Based on testimony from witnesses, closely is not a word one would use to describe the way the state police looked at the death of Savio. But dismissing the concerns of those who reached out to them was only half the problem with the state police's method of gathering witness information in the Savio case. The law's long arm did not reach out very far to find anyone else; a state police "canvass" of the residents around Savio's home stopped short of her ex-husband Drew Peterson's street, less than a quarter mile away.

Possibly worse, the state police did not interview a single member of Savio's family during their investigation, including two sisters who said Savio predicted Peterson would kill her and make her death appear accidental.


Belief unchanged
While the state police did not talk to too many people about the circumstances surrounding Savio's death, others, including Lisa Mordente, who was once Savio's boss at a Romeoville sign company, did not go out of their way to seek out the law either.

No demerit?
And if anyone else in the state police -- aside from Falat -- cared about the circumstances of Kathleen Savio's life and death, they must not have looked into it deeply; the state police determined she died accidentally, just as Deel and Collins figured from the start. But less than three and a half years later, Stacy Peterson, the wife Collins allowed to be held and coached by Drew Peterson during her basement interview, mysteriously disappeared. Suddenly, the Kathleen Savio backstory became a much more compelling subject to the state police.

Another murder case
Whether Deel can operate in the county or not, the damage to the Savio investigation has already been done. And questions about his performance may be raised in at least one other high-profile murder case as well.

Critical of the cops
Anderson, who briefly lived with her family in Savio's basement, told much the same story as Smith. "They never followed up with me," she said. "I called. I made a couple of phone calls." Three-and-a-half years later, when the state police got a second chance to solve the mystery of what happened to one of Drew Peterson's wives, they again proved less than adept at returning telephone calls.

*Much More At Link!

Article:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/2074488,police_bungle_peterson_jo022810.article
 
From hearsay to testimony
Lisa Stebic's husband is the only suspect is her disappearance. Could his alleged threats be used against him?

March 7, 2010
<snipped>
People said a lot of bad things about Drew Peterson after his fourth wife went missing. The same thing happened to Craig Stebic, whose wife Lisa vanished in April 2007.

While seeking visitation rights to their grandchildren in 2008, Lisa's parents asked Stebic to confirm whether he said he could "cut Lisa Stebic into pieces and no one would ever find her," according to court documents. They also alleged he may have said Lisa's face "would be on the back of a milk carton someday."

Previously inadmissible in court, some hearsay statements may make it into Peterson's trial, thanks to a new state law passed in 2008 that allows hearsay evidence from witnesses determined to have been murdered to keep them from testifying.

Could Craig Stebic face hearsay testimony in court one day? The Stebics were in the midst of a divorce when Lisa disappeared, and the hearsay law applies to both civil and criminal cases.

The day she disappeared Lisa sent her attorney a petition to temporarily evict Craig from their house while the case was pending.


Dangerous law?
Stebic's attorney, George Lenard, is part of the team representing Drew Peterson. Lenard declined to comment on the Peterson hearsay hearing because the judge has not issued his ruling.

No new leads
At this point, Plainfield police say they have no immediate plan to apply the law to the Stebic case, but are watching to see what happens with the hearsay law in Peterson's case. "It's something that's so relatively new that it's my understanding that the state's attorney is not looking at that angle in the Stebic investigation," said Plainfield police Detective Sgt. Troy Kivisto.

Charles B. Pelkie, spokesman for Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow, declined to comment on whether the hearsay law could apply to the Stebic case. Perhaps new information will come up in the future, or Lisa will be found, to complete the puzzle of her disappearance, he said. But he did not rule out the option of the hearsay law, "should it become necessary."

"I imagine they continue to look only at Craig Stebic. That's the way it's always going to be. That's a real problem," Lenard said. "They refuse to look anywhere else."

Lenard declined to comment on whether he or Stebic have information that points to another culprit in Lisa's disappearance.

*Much More At Link!

Photos: Search for Lisa 2007
http://preview.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/photos/379382,gallery_JO12_STEBIC.photogallery

Photos: Remembering Lisa 2008
http:// http//preview.suburbanchica...hotos/918999,gallery_jo28_stebic.photogallery

Article:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/plainfieldsun/news/2088196,4_1_JO07_STEBIC_S1-100307.article
 
Death of pathologist affects region
March 13, 2010
<snipped>
As a forensic pathologist, the people Bryan Mitchell knew most intimately were in no position to appreciate his dedication and precision. So after Mitchell died Thursday, it was left to co-workers and acquaintances to explain the unique impact of Mitchell's life.

Mitchell was known as a low-key, consummate professional. Among thousands of autopsies, he handled the 2008 shootings at Northern Illinois University, the 2004 Utica tornado and the 1999 Bourbonnais train crash. He correctly identified Kathleen Savio -- the former wife of ex-Bolingbrook police officer Drew Peterson -- as a drowning victim. He traveled to Croatia to examine victims of torture.

Mitchell's death could cause complications for cases where cause of death is at issue. Both the defense and prosecutors might agree to accept Mitchell's report, but in contentious cases another expert may have to be brought in.


Article:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/genevasun/news/2099440,2_1_AU13_MITCHELL_S1-100313.article
 
Savio pathologist dies
March 19, 2010
<snipped>
Dr. Bryan Mitchell, the pathologist who performed autopsies in the death of Kathleen Savio of Bolingbrook and many other notable cases, has died, Will County authorities have announced.

Mitchell has been the chief pathologist for the Will County coroner's office for the past 12 years, said Coroner Patrick K. O'Neil.

Glasgow added: "With regard to pending cases in Will County, Illinois statute clearly provides prosecutors with the ability to enter an autopsy protocol at trial in the event of a pathologist's death."

Mitchell identified Kathleen Savio -- the former wife of ex-Bolingbrook police officer Drew Peterson -- as a drowning victim. Both forensic pathologist Dr. Larry Blum and medical examiner Michael Baden determined Savio was the victim of a homicide.


Article:
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/bolingbrooksun/news/2110197,6_1_NA19_SAVIO_S1-100319.article
 
Susan Murphy Milano hosts a special on Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence perpetrated by police officers in the home. Susan Murphy Milano's guest's for the entire hour are:

Joseph Hosey author of the acclaimed book "Fatal Vows The Tragic Wives of Sergeant Drew Peterson." Hosey has been a reporter for the Chicago-area's Herald News since 1999 and has been on the cusp of every major development in the Drew Peterson case. He is the only member of the media to cover Kathleen Savio's inquest, and he broke the stories of her death as well as Stacy Peterson's disappearance.

Steph Watts producer, blogger and has done investigative work with Mark Fuhrman for OTR at FOX News on the disappearance of Stacy Peterson was seminal. She was the fourth wife of Bolingbrook Police Officer Drew Peterson, and prime suspect in her disappearance. This work led to the reclassification of the death of Peterson&#8217;s third wife Kathleen Savio, from an accident to a homicide.

And Pastor Neil Schori from the Naperville Christian Church will be with us for the entire hour. Pastor Schori is also a national advocate for victim's of abuse and stalking.

The show is on BlogTalk Radio at 8pm Eastern, 7pm Central, and the direct link is HERE

You can sign up and join the chat room with questions or comments or the call in number is: (347) 326-9337

You may also email any questions or comments to murphymilano@gmail.com


Susan's latest book is now available........

Time&#8217;s Up for Victims of Domestic Abuse

With the proliferation of deaths due to domestic violence, something has to be done, something different, and something effective. Susan Murphy-Milano, a 20 year veteran of family violence will be releasing her newest book, &#8220;Time&#8217;s Up&#8221; A Guide on How to Leave and Survive Abusive and Stalking Relationships, on April 12, 2010.

&#8220;Time&#8217;s Up&#8221; guides the victim towards safety by showing them the unseen pitfalls of leaving a violent relationship and how to navigate around them. &#8220;Time&#8217;s Up&#8221; also has explicit details and instructions how to fill out an &#8220;Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit&#8221;, one of the unique things that Murphy-Milano has created and used through the years in high danger cases which has saved the lives of many.

Imagine if Stacy Peterson, Lisa Stebic, Renee Pagel, Mary Jane Zich, Kelly Currin Morris, Mary Badaracco, Peggy Dianovsky, Kelliesue Ackernecht,Sandra Travis, Rachel Conger,Theresa Parker, or Renee Pernice had the opportunity to complete the Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit.....the offenders would be arrested and these cases would be resolved.

Susan Murphy-Milano is a specialist in family violence and works nationally with domestic violence programs, law enforcement and prosecutors providing technical and consulting services in &#8220;high risk&#8221; domestic violence and stalking related cases. Her principal objective is to intervene before a victim is seriously injured or killed.

Author of &#8220;Defending Our Lives&#8221; published by Doubleday, and &#8220;Moving Out Moving On: When a Relationship Goes Wrong,&#8221; Susan is the host of The Susan Murphy Milano Show and is also a contributor to &#8220;Time&#8217;s Up!&#8221; and &#8220;Women In Crime Ink&#8221; online. With co-stars, Dennis Griffin and Vito Colucci, Susan will be participating in the new television show, &#8220;Crime Wire&#8221; which will examine cases in which the investigations have left questions unanswered and possible criminal activity unexposed.

Order now from Amazon.com

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For more information: www.susanmurphymilano.com
 
Very Interesting!!!

Two Peterson attorneys withdraw

April 14, 2010

*snip*

Two of Peterson's attorneys — George Lenard of Joliet and Andrew Abood of East Lansing, Mich. — filed motions to withdraw from Peterson's murder case.

The motions for both men cited "irreconcilable differences with co-counsel Joel Brodsky" and stated that "to go forth and proceed to trial would violate our firm's ethical duty to zealously represent the best interests of our client."

*snip*

Abood said Peterson is aware of his and Lenard's decision to pull out of the case.

"We've done our due diligence," he said, adding that "We left on good terms."

Abood declined to discuss Peterson's reaction to losing two-thirds of his defense team.

*snip*



http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2158696,Peterson-attorneys-withdraw_JO041410.article
 
Shakeup of Drew Peterson's defense team as 2 attorneys file motion to be removed from case

12:09 PM CDT, April 14, 2010

There's been a shakeup on the defense team representing Drew Peterson, just two months before the former Bolingbrook police officer is scheduled to stand trial in the slaying of his former wife.

But lead attorney Joel Brodsky says Peterson's trial will begin in June as scheduled.

Attorney Andrew Abood says the motion he and attorney George Lenard filed Wednesday cites "irreconcilable differences." Neither he nor Brodsky would elaborate.

Brodsky says attorney Joseph Lopez will join the defense team. Lopez represented one of several reputed mobsters convicted in 2007 in a major racketeering conspiracy.

*snip*

http://www.fox2now.com/news/sns-ap-il--drewpeterson-attorneys,0,3597993.story
 
2 of Peterson's attorneys leaving the case

Wednesday, 14 April 2010 1:56PM

*snip*

Brodsky says there were irreconcilable differences on defense strategy.

He says attorney Joseph Lopez is joining Peterson's defense.

"Joe and I have already discussed defense strategy and we're in agreement, so I think that Joe Lopez and I perhaps another lawyer - we're talking to another couple of people - will be prepared to try this case starting on June 14."

Lopez, known for his flamboyant style and often flashy clothes, represented convicted mobster Frank Calabrese Sr.

"I think the defense does need some help and I think they've recognized it. I'm no stranger to murder cases. So they've asked me to come aboard," Lopez tells Newsradio 780.

http://www.wbbm780.com/2-of-Peterson-s-attorneys-leaving-the-case/6803898
 
Noted defense attorney joins Drew Peterson's legal team

April 14, 2010

Drew Peterson, going to trial in June for allegedly killing his wife, now has a “Shark” in his corner.

Well known criminal defense attorney Joseph “The Shark” Lopez, who once represented a mob hitman who killed 13 people, is joining Peterson’s legal defense team.

Moments before filing his appearance in the case Wednesday, Lopez said he’s getting involved to see justice done.

Peterson “is being blamed for some kind of accident,” Lopez said.
“It’s not justice. Justice never rests, and I want to help.”

*snip*

Lopez, practicing law since the early 1980s, has represented clients in dozens of murder trials over the years. Most recently, he represented Outfit killer Frank Calabrese Sr. in the historic Family Secrets mob case in federal court, one of several well known mobsters Lopez has worked with over the years. Lopez, known for his colorful courtroom attire and quick wit, also represented Peterson in a mock trial for a local radio station.

*snip*

http://www.suntimes.com/news/peterson/2159252,drew-peterson-shark-lopez-041410.article
 
Shake-up on Peterson defense team Two out, new high-profile attorney in

Published: 4/14/2010 12:36 PM | Updated: 4/14/2010 7:02 PM

*snip*

Andrew Abood and George Lenard withdrew Wednesday, citing "irreconcilable differences" with co-counsel Brodsky.

The attorneys sparred over key trial issues, sources close to the case said, such as whether Kathleen Savio's 2004 bathtub drowning in her Bolingbrook home was a suicide. Brodsky opposes the suicide defense and plans to argue Savio slipped in the bathtub, consistent with the original autopsy findings suggesting an accidental drowning, the sources said.

*snip*

Another point of contention dealt with how to present evidence of Peterson's alibi at the time the 40-year-old Savio died. The three lawyers recently met with Peterson in the Will County jail. Peterson sided with Brodsky - his original attorney and with whom he feels most comfortable, the sources said.

"We did everything we could under the circumstances," Abood said, declining to divulge specifics. "We've done our due diligence. There comes a point in time when you have to step aside. Certainly all the theories we intended to pursue would have been based on the evidence."

*snip*

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=373145
 

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