GUILTY CA - Laci Peterson, 27, pregnant, Modesto, 24 Dec 2002

[WillsSTL208]

So ridiculous. So the burglars killed Laci and held on to the body until they heard Scott went fishing and decided to frame him. They could have dropped a body anywhere but random burglars wanted to frame the husband. Good luck with that one.

I just happened to watch the recent 20/20 on this and I agree. Beyond ridiculous. I feel sorry for his family. They are obviously still in denial.

 

[BeachSky]

I feel sorry for Sharon Rocha every time Janey Peterson opens her mouth. JMO

 

[nyvictoria]

I feel sorry for Sharon Rocha every time Janey Peterson opens her mouth. JMO

Me too. Sharon Rocha has been a class act all the way.

 

[MsBetsy]

I feel sorry for Sharon Rocha every time Janey Peterson opens her mouth. JMO

At least Scott's half sister Anne Bird believes he's guilty. I doubt she's convinced there's any new evidence at all.

 

[Emi]

There was a hearing yesterday

 

[BUF]

https://www.modbee.com/news/local/crime/scott-peterson-case/article252209798.html


District attorney wants Scott Peterson sentenced and off death row, she tells court

 

[Niner]

Just to keep my notes & this thread current - I'll go ahead & post this. Also I can shorten it up a bit too.

Friday, June 18th:
*Case Management Hearing via Zoom (San Mateo & Stanislaus County) (@ am PT) – CA – Laci Denise Peterson (27) & Connor (unborn) (missing Dec. 24, 2002, Modesto; found April 13, 2003 in the San Francisco Bay) - *Scott Lee Peterson (30 @ time of crime/now 47) convicted & found guilty (11/12/04) of 1st degree murder (Laci) & 2nd degree murder(son) & sentenced (3/16/05) to the death penalty.
He was found guilty on 11/12/04 of the 1st degree murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, & the second-degree murder of their unborn son, Conner, & in 2005, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. His case is currently on automatic appeal to the Supreme Court of California. Sits on San Quentin's death row. Calif. Supreme Court denied a new trial in the guilt phase but reversed the death penalty sentence for Stanislaus County. Also the San Mateo Superior Court will now consider whether there was jury misconduct. Stanislaus County district attorney’s office said it won’t seek the death penalty if there is a new trial.
Court info from 5/14/20 thru 11/13/20 reference post #76 here:
CA - District Attorney to retry Scott Peterson's Penalty Phase in Laci Peterson case, 2021 *Guilty*
1/21/21 Update: San Francisco Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo on Thursday continued until April a status hearing in the renewed penalty phase of the 2004 murder trial of Peterson. Appearing by Zoom from San Quentin State Prison, where he has been imprisoned for 16 *years, Peterson waived his right to proceed at this time with a new trial of his sentence. At Thursday's case management hearing, Massullo questioned Peterson directly to be sure he voluntarily waived his right to a speedy trial of the penalty phase. Peterson said that he did, and while he did not explain his rationale, in an earlier hearing his lawyers told the court that Peterson wanted the hearings on the habeas petition to go forward before the penalty phase retrial, because if the habeas proceedings were successful the entire case would be retried. The judge approved Peterson's waiver & set another case management conference for April 27.
Peterson filed (November, 2015) Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus - related to automatic appeal (#S132449) to San Mateo County Superior Court-Honorable Alfred Judge Delucchi to get a new trial. See post #68 here:
CA - District Attorney to retry Scott Peterson's Penalty Phase in Laci Peterson case, 2021 *Guilty*
4/27/21 Update: Stanislaus County: Last year, the California Supreme Court ordered a second look at the case after the original trial judge excluded jurors from the juror pool after they expressed they were personally opposed to the death penalty. The ruling upheld the conviction but struck the death penalty case, prompting a retrial of the penalty phase. The judge Tuesday agreed with a motion allowing 60 days of discovery and ordered the sides to reconvene in court on June 21. San Mateo County: Peterson’s defense team on Tuesday was granted more time to investigate a juror who is accused of going rogue & committing juror misconduct during Peterson’s 2004 murder trial. The judge gave Peterson’s investigators more time to look into domestic violence committed against Nice in the early 2000’s while she was pregnant. Peterson will have two new hearings in June which will help move a slow legal process forward. The judge said she wants an evidentiary hearing — which would include new witnesses — to happen before the end of this year. He is guaranteed a new trial for the penalty phase because his death penalty was thrown out by the California Supreme Court. But what he really wants is a new trial for the criminal phase, which if found not guilty, would mean he could one day walk free out of prison. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo approved a continuance to June 28 for a further status report & also calendared that date for a hearing on expected discovery issues. In addition, she agreed to rule promptly on the appointment of attorney Pat Harris as Peterson’s counsel in the matter.
5/18/21 Update: Pat Harris, who served as second chair during the first trial, has been acting as Peterson’s attorney since his case was sent back to San Mateo Superior Court last year. Peterson is indigent & has a right to be appointed an attorney. Harris filed a motion May 10, 2021 to be appointed as Peterson’s attorney, which, if approved, would mean his services would be paid for by Stanislaus County at a rate of at least $125 an hour. Assistant County Counsel Rob Taro filed an opposition to the motion on Monday, saying Harris hasn’t given adequate showing that Peterson is entitled to appoint counsel as opposed to an attorney from the public defender’s office or a conflict attorney that contracts with the county. Taro asked that the motion be denied & the Public Defender appointed. “To allow Mr. Harris to represent the defendant at the public’s expense would be contrary to the law & has the potential to open the floodgates for such requests at tremendous costs to the taxpayers of Stanislaus County,” Taro wrote. In contrast to the fee schedule for appointed attorney, a topped out deputy public defender is paid $73.87 an hour & the office’s expenses are already factored into the county budget each year. Both matters were remanded back to San Mateo Superior Court, where the original trial was held due to the enormous pretrial publicity in Stanislaus County.
5/28/21 Update: Stanislaus County DA office said it won’t seek a new death sentence against Peterson. They said it would drop efforts to restore the penalty thrown out last year by the state Supreme Court. The Defendant petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, asking that Court to find his conviction invalid & that Court denied his petition,” prosecutors wrote on Friday while recapping the litigation. “In this appeal, the highest courts of this State & the U.S. have now settled the question of the defendant’s guilt, leaving only the question of his punishment”. The California Supreme Court indicated the People may retry the penalty phase if they so choose.
6/18/21 Update: Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager said during a hearing on 6/18/21 for Peterson in San Mateo Superior Court that Peterson should be sentenced so that Laci's family can make victim impact statements & he can be taken off death row. The family has indicated that they likely will make statements. Chief Deputy DA Dave Harris originally said the office would retry the penalty phase, but in late May Fladager filed notice saying she no longer will pursue the death penalty. But there remains the matter of his petition for habeas corpus, which is part of Peterson's appeal & could get him a new trial. His attorney Pat Harris said Peterson shouldn't be sentenced until there is a ruling in that matter. Judge Anne Christine Massuno said she would instruct the San Mateo County Probation Dept. to begin preparing a report for Peterson's sentencing but set a hearing for 8/25/21 to revisit the issue. She said by then, based on deadlines established for the habeas, she will have a better idea of whether Peterson will get a new trial.

 

[Niner]

I'm going to guess that the Stanislaus County hearing on 6/21 & the one for San Mateo County on 6/28 have been cancelled.

If anyone here can access both sites - I can't - maybe it says something to that effect.

Stanislaus County (can't get past the 1st page)
Case Index Lookup | stanislaus court

San Mateo County
Smart Search - Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo

TIA!

Either one should have the 8/25/21 hearing date the Judge mentioned.

edited to add -

San Mateo County Case #SC055500A / Stanislaus County Case #1056770

 

[BeachSky]

Just to keep my notes & this thread current - I'll go ahead & post this. Also I can shorten it up a bit too.

Friday, June 18th:
*Case Management Hearing via Zoom (San Mateo County) (@ am PT) – CA – Laci Denise Peterson (27) & Connor (unborn) (missing Dec. 24, 2002, Modesto; found April 13, 2003 in the San Francisco Bay) - *Scott Lee Peterson (30 @ time of crime/now 47) convicted & found guilty (11/12/04) of 1st degree murder (Laci) & 2nd degree murder(son) & sentenced (3/16/05) to the death penalty.
He was found guilty on 11/12/04 of the 1st degree murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, & the second-degree murder of their unborn son, Conner, & in 2005, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. His case is currently on automatic appeal to the Supreme Court of California. Sits on San Quentin's death row. Calif. Supreme Court denied a new trial in the guilt phase but reversed the death penalty sentence for Stanislaus County. Also the San Mateo Superior Court will now consider whether there was jury misconduct. Stanislaus County district attorney’s office said it won’t seek the death penalty if there is a new trial.
Court info from 5/14/20 thru 11/13/20 reference post #76 here:
CA - District Attorney to retry Scott Peterson's Penalty Phase in Laci Peterson case, 2021 *Guilty*
1/21/21 Update: San Francisco Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo on Thursday continued until April a status hearing in the renewed penalty phase of the 2004 murder trial of Peterson. Appearing by Zoom from San Quentin State Prison, where he has been imprisoned for 16 *years, Peterson waived his right to proceed at this time with a new trial of his sentence. At Thursday's case management hearing, Massullo questioned Peterson directly to be sure he voluntarily waived his right to a speedy trial of the penalty phase. Peterson said that he did, and while he did not explain his rationale, in an earlier hearing his lawyers told the court that Peterson wanted the hearings on the habeas petition to go forward before the penalty phase retrial, because if the habeas proceedings were successful the entire case would be retried. The judge approved Peterson's waiver & set another case management conference for April 27.
Peterson filed (November, 2015) Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus - related to automatic appeal (#S132449) to San Mateo County Superior Court-Honorable Alfred Judge Delucchi to get a new trial. See post #68 here:
CA - District Attorney to retry Scott Peterson's Penalty Phase in Laci Peterson case, 2021 *Guilty*
4/27/21 Update: Stanislaus County: Last year, the California Supreme Court ordered a second look at the case after the original trial judge excluded jurors from the juror pool after they expressed they were personally opposed to the death penalty. The ruling upheld the conviction but struck the death penalty case, prompting a retrial of the penalty phase. The judge Tuesday agreed with a motion allowing 60 days of discovery and ordered the sides to reconvene in court on June 21. San Mateo County: Peterson’s defense team on Tuesday was granted more time to investigate a juror who is accused of going rogue & committing juror misconduct during Peterson’s 2004 murder trial. The judge gave Peterson’s investigators more time to look into domestic violence committed against Nice in the early 2000’s while she was pregnant. Peterson will have two new hearings in June which will help move a slow legal process forward. The judge said she wants an evidentiary hearing — which would include new witnesses — to happen before the end of this year. He is guaranteed a new trial for the penalty phase because his death penalty was thrown out by the California Supreme Court. But what he really wants is a new trial for the criminal phase, which if found not guilty, would mean he could one day walk free out of prison. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo approved a continuance to June 28 for a further status report & also calendared that date for a hearing on expected discovery issues. In addition, she agreed to rule promptly on the appointment of attorney Pat Harris as Peterson’s counsel in the matter.
5/18/21 Update: Pat Harris, who served as second chair during the first trial, has been acting as Peterson’s attorney since his case was sent back to San Mateo Superior Court last year. Peterson is indigent & has a right to be appointed an attorney. Harris filed a motion May 10, 2021 to be appointed as Peterson’s attorney, which, if approved, would mean his services would be paid for by Stanislaus County at a rate of at least $125 an hour. Assistant County Counsel Rob Taro filed an opposition to the motion on Monday, saying Harris hasn’t given adequate showing that Peterson is entitled to appoint counsel as opposed to an attorney from the public defender’s office or a conflict attorney that contracts with the county. Taro asked that the motion be denied & the Public Defender appointed. “To allow Mr. Harris to represent the defendant at the public’s expense would be contrary to the law & has the potential to open the floodgates for such requests at tremendous costs to the taxpayers of Stanislaus County,” Taro wrote. In contrast to the fee schedule for appointed attorney, a topped out deputy public defender is paid $73.87 an hour & the office’s expenses are already factored into the county budget each year. Both matters were remanded back to San Mateo Superior Court, where the original trial was held due to the enormous pretrial publicity in Stanislaus County.
5/28/21 Update: Stanislaus County DA office said it won’t seek a new death sentence against Peterson. They said it would drop efforts to restore the penalty thrown out last year by the state Supreme Court. The Defendant petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, asking that Court to find his conviction invalid & that Court denied his petition,” prosecutors wrote on Friday while recapping the litigation. “In this appeal, the highest courts of this State & the U.S. have now settled the question of the defendant’s guilt, leaving only the question of his punishment”. The California Supreme Court indicated the People may retry the penalty phase if they so choose.
6/18/21 Update: Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager said during a hearing on 6/18/21 for Peterson in San Mateo Superior Court that Peterson should be sentenced so that Laci's family can make victim impact statements & he can be taken off death row. The family has indicated that they likely will make statements. Chief Deputy DA Dave Harris originally said the office would retry the penalty phase, but in late May Fladager filed notice saying she no longer will pursue the death penalty. But there remains the matter of his petition for habeas corpus, which is part of Peterson's appeal & could get him a new trial. His attorney Pat Harris said Peterson shouldn't be sentenced until there is a ruling in that matter. Judge Anne Christine Massuno said she would instruct the San Mateo County Probation Dept. to begin preparing a report for Peterson's sentencing but set a hearing for 8/25/21 to revisit the issue. She said by then, based on deadlines established for the habeas, she will have a better idea of whether Peterson will get a new trial.

.

From your link:
6/18/21 Update: Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager said during a hearing on 6/18/21 for Peterson in San Mateo Superior Court that Peterson should be sentenced so that Laci's family can make victim impact statements & he can be taken off death row. The family has indicated that they likely will make statements.

Laci & Connor’s poor family being put through this again.
I do hope it brings them some satisfaction that Scott is sitting there
in the courtroom a locked up murderer this time ....
as they speak for Laci and Conner.
I still will never understand the killing of a spouse verses divorce.
But to kill your own child(ren) for a new life...it’s just beyond EVIL.
Chris Watts, Lori Daybell ...May they all rot with Scott & rot some more.

MOO

 

[Niner]

@Emi - can you access the court sites I mentioned in post #174?

 

[Emi]

@Emi - can you access the court sites I mentioned in post #174?

yes but there should be new case numbers because on these both it says case closed

 

[Quiet Time]

Is the only reason he may get a new trial is if they can prove Nice was involved in a domestic situation in the 2000s?

I'm kinda surprised that Laci's mom and family are willing to speak. I thought they wanted all this to just go away, but I can understand at this point.

Thx for the updates.

 

[Niner]

yes but there should be new case numbers because on these both it says case closed

Okay - thanks for checking it out.

 

[watergirl62]

I'm going to guess that the Stanislaus County hearing on 6/21 & the one for San Mateo County on 6/28 have been cancelled.

If anyone here can access both sites - I can't - maybe it says something to that effect.

Stanislaus County (can't get past the 1st page)
Case Index Lookup | stanislaus court

San Mateo County
Smart Search - Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo

TIA!

Either one should have the 8/25/21 hearing date the Judge mentioned.

edited to add -

San Mateo County Case #SC055500A / Stanislaus County Case #1056770

Under San Mateo County Case #SC055500A:



Stanislaus County:

 

[watergirl62]

During Friday’s hearing at the San Mateo County courthouse, Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo said, if Peterson’s habeas corpus petition is strong enough to merit a retrial, she will announce her decision on August 25. If she’s not convinced based on the court filings, she will request an evidentiary hearing that will include new witnesses testifying.

Scott Peterson feeling anxious waiting for retrial decision | KRON4

 

[Deleted member 39678]

Juror in Scott Peterson trial didn’t disclose being a victim

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman who eagerly sought to be a juror in the murder trial of Scott Peterson and who voted to sentence him to death committed misconduct by not disclosing she had been a crime victim, defense attorneys said Friday in their bid for a new trial.

Juror in Scott Peterson trial didn't disclose being a victim

 

[MsBetsy]

Is the only reason he may get a new trial is if they can prove Nice was involved in a domestic situation in the 2000s?

I'm kinda surprised that Laci's mom and family are willing to speak. I thought they wanted all this to just go away, but I can understand at this point.

Thx for the updates.

They already know she had a restraining order when she was pregnant (after being beaten by her ex.)

They need to prove that she deliberately kept that information from the court in order to be selected as a juror. They are claiming that she was biased and determined to put Peterson in prison.

I'm pretty sure that is the main reason they are claiming juror misconduct. They also have letters written by the juror to Peterson while he was in prison that they intend to produce as evidence. Also, comments from a 'potential' juror on SM that she was trying to fool the lawyers and wanted to see Peterson fry. (Not the same person) Imo

 

[Niner]

I got an alert - but can't read it as you have to sign in at the Modesto Bee.

'Facts in dispute': Hearing ordered for juror misconduct claim in Scott Peterson case
Modesto Bee
The judge in Scott Peterson's case has ordered an evidentiary hearing to determine if juror misconduct occurred during his 2004 trial, saying “material ...


It looks like the judge has ordered an evidentiary hearing, but I can not access either the Stanislaus or San Mateo Counties court site - and I don't have a name next to my notes on "who" I go to.

Anyone??

I know he has a Case management hearing on 8/25.

TIA if someone can find out "when" this evidentiary hearing might be held.

 

[watergirl62]

@Niner
A non-linkable source (a DP news blog) says that Judge Massullo expects to set the date for the evidentiary hearing during the 8/25 status hearing.

 

[Niner]

@Niner
A non-linkable source (a DP news blog) says that Judge Massullo expects to set the date for the evidentiary hearing during the 8/25 status hearing.

Okay - thanks a bunch!

edited to add - I have her name as Massuno - ??