The defense in the Scott Peterson murder trial begins its case Tuesday.
Mark Geragos will try to turn the tables to show the jury Scott Peterson shouldn't be put to death for the murder of his pregnant wife Laci and their unborn son Conner. The defense doesn't have to prove anything, but it will try to create doubt in the jurors' minds that Scott is the killer.
"The way you show reasonable doubt is throwing up enough things for the jury to think about so they say, 'Wait a minute. There's this, and this, and this,'" said CBS 5 legal analyst Judge LaDoris Cordell.
One way for Geragos to do that is to call his own expert witnesses to refute the prosecution's experts. For example, an obstetrician called by the prosecution testified Conner died on December 23rd or 24th, 2002. Geragos could call a different expert to say Conner lived longer. If Conner lived after December 24th, that would rule out Scott as the killer, because from December 25th on, Scott was under constant.......
MORE FOR TODAY'S HEARING:
SCOTT'S PARENTS MAY TESTIFY
October 10, 2004 -- REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Scott Peterson's parents, who already came to his rescue by hiring a high-profile defense lawyer, will try to rescue their son again by taking the stand when the defense puts on its case starting Tuesday, sources say.
Legal experts say Peterson's lawyer, Mark Geragos, will have to rely on the accused killer's parents — and perhaps his half-sister — to avoid calling Peterson himself to testify about his odd behavior after his wife, Laci, disappeared Dec. 24, 2002.
According to legal experts, this would all be part of an overall defense strategy of amplifying the flaws in the prosecutors' case and contradicting their witnesses — without themselves offering a theory of who killed Laci.
Here are the main areas that Geragos is expected to cover during the defense's case:
* Geragos has portrayed Modesto detectives as .......
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Peterson attorney to begin his case
Geragos must attack forensic evidence in client's murder trial, legal experts say.
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- With no shortage of bravado, Scott Peterson's vaunted defense lawyer has already deflated damaging evidence, raised serious credibility issues about a key police detective, and offered alternate theories as to how Laci Peterson and her unborn child washed ashore dead at the San Francisco Bay.
And he did it all during the prosecution's case.
Starting today, Mark Geragos will finally get the chance to put defense witnesses on the stand.
Peterson is accused of murdering his wife, Laci, and their unborn son -- first-degree murder charges that could result in the death penalty. With so much on the line, how will Geragos proceed over these next two to three weeks? And will he risk the ultimate gamble: letting Peterson take the stand.
Geragos is expected to exploit the spots in the prosecution case that give him most room to create reasonable doubt, analysts said.
One spot is forensic evidence.
Geragos almost certainly will bring in an expert to say that the Petersons' fetus was older than 33 weeks -- the age according to one prosecution expert -- said Loyola law Professor Stan Goldman, a trial commentator.
Thirty-three weeks coincides with the time police believe Laci Peterson was killed. If the fetus was older than 33 weeks, someone other than Scott Peterson must be the killer. After all, once his wife disappeared, Scott Peterson was under police and media surveillance.
"There was no one in the country who was more watched, other than George Bush," Goldman said............
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Experts: Defense must prove fetus was full-term
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - Scott Peterson's fate appears to have been sealed when the bodies of his pregnant wife and fetus washed up separately not far from where he says he was on a solo fishing trip in San Francisco Bay.
That alibi has been the most damning evidence against him in his murder trial.
Some legal experts say the defense could still win by proving one single fact: that the fetus was born alive long after Laci died. That would mean Peterson couldn't have killed them because his every move was being watched by police in the weeks after she disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002.
Evidence about the age of the fetus could either set the 31-year-old former fertilizer salesman free - or send him to his death.
But given how decomposed the bodies were after months in the water, that's going to be extremely difficult to prove. Authorities could not determine a cause or time of death for either victim, and prosecution experts also couldn't agree on how the fetus was separated from its mother's body. They also couldn't exactly .......
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Peterson Defense Goes On Offensive
Prosecution Rested Case Last Week, Called 174 Witnesses
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Scott Peterson's defense team goes on the offensive Tuesday, presenting their case that Peterson is innocent of killing his pregnant wife in 2002.
Proximity has been Peterson's enemy in the case so far.
The bodies of his pregnant wife and fetus washed up separately not far from where he says he was on a solo fishing trip in San Francisco Bay.
Some legal experts say the defense could still win by proving one single fact: that the fetus was born alive long after Laci Peterson died.
That would mean Peterson couldn't have killed them because his every move was being watched by police in the weeks after she disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002.
Prosecutors rested their case last week after......
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Analysts advise caution for defense
Trying to show who 'real' killer is called possible fatal error
This to Scott Peterson's lawyers from legal analysts: stick to what you can prove.
There's a delicate balance between giving the jury reasonable alternatives to who killed Laci Peterson versus offering elaborate fantasies. So on Tuesday, when attorneys Mark Geragos and Pat Harris begin presenting their defense to the panel expected to decide whether Peterson is guilty of murdering his pregnant wife and their unborn child, strategy is crucial.
When the trial started in June, Geragos made a promise to the jurors. He said, "The evidence is going to show clearly, beyond any doubt, that not only is Scott Peterson not guilty but Scott Peterson is stone-cold innocent."
Legal experts say that, to keep his vow, Geragos may be tempted to prove his client's innocence by serving up the real killers to the jury -- and that could be a fatal mistake........
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Peterson's fate could hang on the age of Laci's child
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Scott Peterson's fate appears to have been sealed when the bodies of his pregnant wife and baby washed up separately not far from where he says he was on a solo fishing trip in San Francisco Bay.
That alibi has been the most damning evidence against him in his murder trial.
Some legal experts say the defense could still win by proving one single fact: that the baby was born alive long after Laci disappeared. That would mean Peterson most likely couldn't have killed them because police ......
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Peterson Defense Faces Emotional Hurdle
Defense's Greatest Obstacle to Acquittal May Be Scott Peterson Himself
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Defense to Begin Case in Peterson Trial
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - Scott Peterson's fate appears to have been sealed when the bodies of his pregnant wife and fetus washed up separately not far from where he says he was on a solo fishing trip in San Francisco Bay.
That alibi has been the most damning evidence against him in his murder trial.
Some legal experts say the defense could still win by proving one single fact: that the fetus was born alive long after Laci was reported missing. That would mean Peterson most likely couldn't have killed them because police watched his every move in the weeks after Laci disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002. The defense was to begin its case Tuesday.
Evidence about the age of the fetus could either set the 31-year-old former fertilizer salesman free - or send him to his death.
But given how decomposed the bodies were after months in the water, that's going to be extremely difficult to prove. Authorities could not determine a cause or time of death for either victim, and prosecution experts also couldn't agree on how the fetus was separated from its mother's body. They also couldn't exactly pinpoint the age of the fetus.........
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Experts: Defense must prove Laci gave birth
REDWOOD CITY — Scott Peterson’s fate appears to have been sealed when the bodies of his pregnant wife and fetus washed up separately not far from where he says he was on a solo fishing trip in San Francisco Bay.
That alibi has been the most damning evidence against him in his murder trial.
Some legal experts say the defense could still win by proving one single fact: that the fetus was born alive long after Laci was reported missing. That would mean Peterson most likely couldn’t have killed them because police watched his every move in the weeks after Laci disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002.
Evidence about the age of the fetus could either set the 31-year-old former fertilizer salesman free — or send him to his death........
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