Scott Peterson's parents hire appellate lawyers

AP ^ | 12/28/5

[SmithL]

MODESTO, Calif. - The parents of condemned murderer Scott Peterson hired two noted attorneys to begin his appeals.

"Since he is innocent, we don't want him sitting there any longer than he has to," Lee Peterson, the former fertilizer salesman's father, said Tuesday.

Peterson was convicted Nov. 12, 2004, in the murders of his pregnant wife, Laci, and the fetus she carried.

Death sentences are automatically appealed in California, but it can sometimes take several years for inmates to receive a state-appointed attorney.

Peterson's trial lawyer Mark Geragos could have handled the appeals but said he felt the case warrants "a fresh set of eyes."

The Petersons hired attorneys Cliff Gardner and Lawrence Gibbs, who represent the Menendez brothers, convicted of murdering their parents in Southern California in 1989.

[Canadian Outrage]

Thanks for that link DD!! I know where I'm headed tomorrow - Chapters Book Store!! Sharon has such a way with words. How sad that her talent has to be shown on a subject like this. CO

[MEG33]

Thank you Dave.. sad.

[Canadian Outrage]

LOL - That's the journalist that GW was heard to call " A Major League A$$hole"!! In short, the expression was just reduced to a "clymer".

[Canadian Outrage]

Thanks for the article Meg.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I haven't figured out (yet) where Lee Peterson gets this much money. I thought they mortgaged their house to hire Geragos? Who got the money for selling Laci's house?

[paul51]

Since he is innocent, we don't want him sitting there any longer than he has to

And the sooner he is out, the sooner he can help find the real killer

[Arizona Carolyn]

He called them and volunteered to relieve them of their life savings /sarcasm (he did contact them after trashing Scott something fierce on the LK show for weeks).

[OldFriend]

Requires a new set of liars. Gerragos is a piece of garbage whose client got just what he deserved.

[paul51]

"Peterson's trial lawyer Mark Geragos could have handled the appeals but said he felt the case warrants "a fresh set of eyes." Translation: I know he did it so I can't ethically argue that he is innocent (slight addition) Besides, the Petersons are broke...I squeezed their last dime out of them,.

Or I know he is innocent, but they don't have any money left. Oh well, next.

[freedumb2003]

Requires a new set of liars. Gerragos is a piece of garbage whose client got just what he deserved.

What is funny is that an appeal can only be done based on errors of Law, not fact.

You have to get a Judge to say, in writing, that another judge screwed up. Egregiously. Judges are the ultimate good-old-boys club. It is an unwritten rule that it Just Isn't Done.

Very, very few appeals actually win.

But let the Petersons p*ss out all their remaining pennies. They raised a murderer, they should suffer.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Thanks for the link. I want to read the whole book now... I specifically loved this excerpt -- it's why so many of us love this President, we see this GWBush:

He moved down the line, introducing himself.

'I'm George Dubya,' he said to me.

It wasn't Pres. Bush. Or George Bush. It was George Dubya. With that introduction, I felt completely at ease.

'I'm Sharon Rocha,' I said.

He smiled. 'I know who you are.'

I laughed and said something about how much the bill ('Laci and Conner's law,' which makes killing a fetus a distinct federal crime) meant to me. I added a bit about Laci and Conner.

'Now don't make me cry,' he said genuinely.

'Don't make me cry,' I replied.

'No, you don't understand,' he said. 'I cry very easily. I was in Iraq and I started talking to an Iraqi lady, and I just started bawling like a little baby.'

'Well, don't worry,' I said. 'I brought extra tissues just in case.'

He offered me his arm and I looped mine through his, and we walked out.

I heard Ron, a step or two behind, say, 'Uh, Mr. President, she's with me.'

[sissyjane]

Well , it's nice to see that some things don't change. The usual whining thread police complaining about this thread, that someone made them read.

[WasDougsLamb]

Peterson was convicted Nov. 12, 2004, in the murders of his pregnant wife, Laci, and the fetus she carried.

----The fetus had a name Scott, you murderous SOB. His name was Conner and YOU murdered him. Your parents are trash just like you if they condone you murdering their grandson. It is time they get their heads out of their a**es and face what YOU did and were PROVEN in court and CONVICTED of. Take responsibility for what YOU, Scott have done and face the repercussions . Just let it go.Lacy and Conner did NOT get a second chance because of YOU and YOU damn sure do NOT deserve one.

[Joe 6-pack]

"I hear that Tookie's lawyers don't have anything to do."

Scott has renounced fishing and has started working on several children's books.

[OldFriend]

The Peterson's could get an appeal on the grounds of ineffective counsel.

IMO, Gerragos ought to have been disbarred for is conduct during the trial but then the Judge would have hd to declare a mistrial.

[Hildy]

What do you want from them...it's their child. They've basically lost everything in defending him. His innocence is their quest now. It's very sad how many lives a murder ruins.

[rockabyebaby]

innocent

Scott Peterson INNOCENT???????

About as innocent as Robert Blake, Michael Wacko Jacko and of course the most innocent of them all, OJ.

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha - these people are delusional!

[Hildy]

They raised a murderer, they should suffer.

That is the most horrible thing I've heard from a Freeper. His parents had nothing to do with the murder. By all accounts they are good people. So all parents of murderers should suffer? You're sick...and I bet you call yourself a Christian as well.

[peyton randolph]

What do you want from them...it's their child. They've basically lost everything in defending him. His innocence is their quest now.

I understand being there for your child at trial. I understand being there for him in prison. I do not understand funding an appeal to prove his innocence under these circumstances. If he gets off on a technicality, they haven't proved his innocence. They've paid to exonerate the murderer of their daughter-in-law and grandchild.

[TKDietz]

"Translation: I know he did it so I can't ethically argue that he is innocent."

Mark Geragos spoke at a continuing legal education seminar I attended. I met him at the bar the night before he gave his presentation and he spoke at length about the Peterson case. He appeared genuinely convinced that Peterson did not kill his wife and was getting a raw deal by prosecutors and also jurors who were lining up trying to get on the case to fry Peterson before the trial ever even started. I suspect he won't take the appeal because appeals are hard to do and Peterson's family exhausted all of their finances paying for this case a long time ago. I know his firm put a tremendous amount of money and man hours into that case and although I don't know the particulars on the money end I doubt very seriously Geragos' firm will ever be paid all they are owed. He knew going into it that the case would get a lot of press, but I don't think he had any idea what a media circus it would turn into. He also talked a little about Michael Jackson and while he didn't say Michael was guilty, I don't recall him ever saying he thought Jackson was innocent either. He was adamant about Peterson though. Maybe he really does think Peterson is innocent.