Witnesses hurt Scott Peterson's defense, experts say

Oakland Tribune ^ | 9/20/4 | Jason Dearen

[runningbear]

Witnesses hurt Scott Peterson's defense, experts say

REDWOOD CITY -- Prosecutors seeking the death penalty against Scott Peterson have endured ridicule and scorn from legal pundits for missteps throughout the double-murder trial, but a string of successful witnesses last week has brought them back, legal experts say....

[runningbear]

More for Monday's start-up:

Prosecution case against Peterson enters 17th week, more than 150 witnesses

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Scott Peterson's double-murder trial entered it 17th week Monday after more than 150 witnesses as prosecutors prepared to close their case.

Judge Alfred A. Delucchi has indicated prosecutors would wrap up by the end of the month. Defense attorneys are expected to take two to three weeks for their case. The jury could begin deliberations by mid-October.

Last week, jurors heard some of the prosecution's.........

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Pathologist: Baby was protected by uterus
Tiny body was more intact than mother's

A pathologist who conducted autopsies on Laci Peterson and her baby son testified Thursday that although the two bodies washed ashore within days of each other, the baby's body was far more intact than his mother's.

That's most likely because the baby was protected from the elements of the San Francisco Bay by his mother's uterus, forensic pathologist Dr. Brian Peterson said during Scott Peterson's double-murder trial in Redwood City.

"If he had spent substantial time in the water like Laci did, he would have been eaten," said the pathologist, who is not related to either the defendant or the victim. "My conclusion was that (the baby) had been protected by the uterus."

Laci Peterson's corpse was missing its head, arms, most of the legs and all the internal organs except for the uterus. The baby, although decomposing, had all of its internal organs and extremities.

Prosecutors say Scott Peterson murdered his eight-months-pregnant wife just before Christmas, 2002, and dumped her body in the San ........

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DA's case bolstered by powerful images, testimony

REDWOOD CITY -- Prosecutors seeking the death penalty against Scott Peterson have endured ridicule and scorn from legal pundits for missteps throughout the double-murder trial, but a string of successful witnesses last week has brought them back, legal experts say.

As prosecutors stumbled through the trial, Peterson's defense has been lauded for raising doubts about the district attorney's murder theory at every turn.

Some experts speculated last week that defense attorney Mark Geragos had done so well that he might not need to put on a case as he promised during opening statements.

But last week, a forensic pathologist and an expert on concrete raised doubts about two of Geragos' key claims: that the Petersons' child could have been born alive, and that missing concrete mix that prosecutors say was used to make weights with which to sink Laci's body in San Francisco Bay was actually poured in Peterson's........

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The Peterson Trial Week in Review

"Laci Peterson’s body had been submerged three to six months, Galloway said."

[runningbear]

PINGING........

[runningbear]

PINGING........

[runningbear]

PINGING........

[Tijeras_Slim]

"After a series of prosecutorial blunders, the magnitude of which were breathtaking, they have recovered lost ground in light of the amazingly poor defense witnesses." < /Cosell>

[N. Beaujon]

Geragos has Henry Lee and Micheal Baden waiting in the wings to testify on the forensics. I dont think a jury is going to hang this murderer on his own words (that he told Brent Rocha that the concrete was mixed into the driveway.) Geragos could easily say Peterson was mistaken, caught off guard or just said it without even thinking. Peterson will never have to testify to the contrary.

The prosecution blew it. First by being totally incompetent (I'm willing to bet Geragos's change of venue motion was targeted at Modesto because he probably knew just how bad these DA's were. That's just a guess but I cant believe it's a coincidence they got stuck with these bozos.)

The OTHER problem is that they prosecuted too fast. They should have let this guy stew for a year, years if they had to. Let him run as a fugitive, disappear into Mexico. Let America's Most Wanted have to find him.

Any self respecting prosecutor had to know there was not enough evidence to go forward on this case, not in such a high profile trial. They gave up their ONE shot at this murderer and threw caution and common sense to the wind in a bow to public pressure and media frenzy. That is always a mistake.

We all want to believe that justice will be served for Laci and Conner, this story is tragic from beginning to end but Scott Peterson is going to go free and the articles posted today just reek, imo, of desperately wishful thinking. (Something I gave up on even AFTER I heard their forensics case because these were facts that were already known.)

The final nail in the DA's case was that they locked themselves into the theory of him putting Laci into that boat and throwing her over the side. In reality there were so many other ways that he probably did dispose of the body that wouldn't have involved CAPSIZING THE VESSEL. The DA blew it, imo, and the only "justice" that will be meted out to this murderer will have to come from a higher authority.

[Jackie-O]

Morning bear! Hope you and hubby had a nice getaway.
Pathologist back on this AM...I'll look around for more scoop.

[Constitution Day]

Spanning the 'Net to bring you the constant variety of crime...
The thrill of justice and Scotty's agony at his defeat...
The human drama of legal competition...
This is Free Republic's Wide World of Crime.

< / McKay>

[Rambler7]

Hello, thanks for pinging again. I wanted to ask about the images from the boat that was looking for Laci. I saw the pictures a long time ago, like a body lying on a flat surface under water. I didn't think they were real. I think it was a tabloid that had them. IS that what everyone is talking about showing next?
thanks

[runningbear]

no, the weather sucked! It was crappy overcast on Sat...then switching cell phones from digital to GMS with AT&T took hours to get the deal I wanted.. Mortorola V505... then by the time we knew it, it was already afternoon Sat. And Sunday, rain!!!!

Winter coming in early? ;o) SNOW! well, at least in elevation levels at over 6500ft.

[Jackie-O]

Sorry your weekend went in the crapper bear! Mine too...was sick with a bug all weekend, flat out in bed!
I'm reading a thread about a sealed witness that is scheduled for today...only on the second page.
http://board2.courttv.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=162522

[Renegade]

Does anyone know how Scott Peterson is affording all these high powered attorneys???? By looking at the boat he went " fishing " in he doesn't have deep pockets .

[Jackie-O]

Ma & Pa Peterson, other family members have taken second mortgages out on their homes to foot the 1 million dollar retainer for Geragos. Since then, MG has petitioned the State for additional funds, claiming SP is indigent. He has been denied in his first attempt...I understand they are trying again.

[kkindt]

Fortunately there will be at least one juror who will not care how poorly the prosecutors prosecuted and will know Peterson is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. What gets me is when I hear a dumb juror vote for acquital because it was not proven beyond a "shadow of a doubt." Ignorant of what "reasonable doubt" means they are permitted to cast their votes for acquital based on their own theory that the constitution requires NO DOUBT AT ALL.

Reasonable doubt means using your reason but apparently many jurors today have such poorly educated minds that they can't reason well and hence our justice system is corrupted by liberal school teachers who teach everything but how to think and reason, read and write.

[Devil_Anse]

Beth Karas says the doctor (presumably Dr. Peterson) made the point during his testimony that there are certain poisons which do not distribute well to muscle and bone. So they might not have been detectable in what was left of the body.

Beth then reminded us that pretty much all that was left of poor Laci was... muscle and bone. (The wall of the uterus is made of muscle.)

I could see this monster having poisoned her, fastened anchors to her (I'm thinking now he may have used "cement shoes" by putting her small feet in some of those buckets), and dumped her in the water unconscious. If that's what happened, I pray that she never woke up.

[Rambler7]

But? you don't need just one juror in that direction, you need all of them. It's one juror with a reasonable doubt of his guilt that is trouble.

[Rambler7]

No! That's a terrible scenario!

Do you know if there are pictures of a body on the bottom of the channell like in the tabloids a long timem ago?

[Rambler7]

Can someone tell me if my posts are showing up to someone else even if you don't know the answer to my questions? testing.. .testing..

[Canadian Outrage]

Your posts show up to everyone that is ON the thread Rambler.

[Rambler7]

Haha, I see, noone else is here! That makes me feel better Thanks, Canadian.