Former Attorney Says Defense Is 'Strong'Kirk McAllister Is Protecting Key Witnesses

NBC11 ^ | May 1, 2003 | Karen Brown

[runningbear]

Former Attorney Says Defense Is 'Strong'
Kirk McAllister Is Protecting Key Witnesses

Attorney McAllister

Former Attorney Says Defense Is 'Strong'
Kirk McAllister Is Protecting Key Witnesses

Karen Brown

POSTED: 10:25 p.m. PDT May 1, 2003
UPDATED: 10:58 p.m. PDT May 1, 2003

MODESTO, Calif. -- Scott Peterson's former attorney says he has some powerful evidence that will help defend Peterson against charges that he murdered his wife, Laci, and his unborn son.

Scott Peterson's original attorney, Kirk McAllister (pictured left) said his office has uncovered evidence that will exonerate Peterson -- evidence that will be turned over to his new attorney. Defense sources say the new attorney will be Mark Garagos, NBC11's Karen Brown reported.

To send condolences Laci Case(my insert)

Condolences:
1508 Coffee Road
Suite H
Modesto, CA 95355

McAllister told NBC11 that the defense's case is "strong."

When asked why, he said, "because we investigated it instead of calling press conferences like the police did."

The key to Peterson's defense will be the testimony of witnesses uncovered by McAllister, witnesses he says need to be protected, Brown reported.

"I'm protecting witnesses, because I have concerns for them if I go public," he said.

According to defense sources, Los Angeles attorney Mark Garagos -- who has represented high-profile clients like Winona Ryder -- will take over the case Friday morning.

The current public defender says getting Garagos will only strengthen Peterson's defense.

"I think he's going to do a great job," said Kent Faulkner, the deputy public defender. "He's got the resources. He's got the knowledge. He's got the connections. I think it'll change the landscape of the way the case is tried."

Meanwhile, the District Attorney's office issued a statement saying, "We treat all cases as the case needs to be treated. Who the defense attorney is, is not going to change what we do."

In the meantime, Laci Peterson's family is busy preparing for the memorial that will take place Sunday at the First Baptist Church in Modesto.

Scott Peterson has not made an official request to attend that memorial, but the sheriff here says if that request is made, he'll deny it, Brown reported. Sign-up For Breaking News E-mail Alerts Copyright 2003 by NBC11.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,

Public defender says he believes Geragos will assist Peterson

EXCERPTED:

Public defender says he believes Geragos will assist Peterson

By JOHN COTÉ
BEE STAFF WRITER

Published: May 2, 2003, 05:11:14 AM PDT

Stanislaus County Public Defender Tim Bazar said he expects Los Angeles attorney Mark Geragos to step in today to defend Scott Peterson, who is charged with murdering his wife and unborn son.

"I do anticipate that he is going to come in on the case,"

Bazar said Thursday afternoon. "But I've got to hear it from the judge."

Peterson, 30, is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner.

Superior Court Judge Nancy Ashley appointed the public defender to the case last week. A hearing scheduled for 8:30 a.m. today before Judge Al Girolami is designated for substitution of counsel.

If Geragos steps in, the public defender's office would turn over the case completely

Bazar said.

"It's just not appropriate for a county agency to take a secondary role," Bazar said. "We wouldn't be in a position to actually control the course of the case."

Bazar said his office has canceled one contract extended to a potential expert, and ceased efforts to retain other experts and investigators.

"I don't think it'd be prudent to spend county money on a case where it appears we would be off the case in a matter of hours," Bazar said.

Geragos said Wednesday on the CNN program "Larry King Live" that he would make a decision on the case Thursday. But Geragos did not return calls Thursday.

In Modesto on Tuesday, Geragos met with Peterson and representatives of the public defender's office.

LA lawyer expected to take case

Laci Peterson

LA lawyer expected to take case

By JOHN COTÉ
BEE STAFF WRITER

Published: May 2, 2003, 05:11:44 AM PDT

About 3,000 people are ex-pected to attend a Sunday afternoon memorial service for Laci Peterson, the Modesto woman whose remains were found last month along the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay.

That turnout would be more than double the estimated 1,200 people who nearly a year ago paid their respects to Chandra Levy, a Modesto woman whose disappearance, like Peterson's, gripped the nation.

The 24-year-old Levy was the subject of a major search and intense media coverage after she disappeared in 2001 in Washington, D.C., where she had just completed a federal internship. Her remains were found almost 13 months later in a District of Columbia park.

The body of Peterson's unborn son, Conner, washed ashore about a mile from his mother's body. Scott Peterson, 30, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder in the slayings of his wife and son. He faces the death penalty.

The memorial service is set to take place on what would have been Laci Peterson's 28th birthday.

"The family wanted it to be on her birthday," spokeswoman Kim Petersen said.

Family and friends are slated to speak at the memorial service, which will include a video tribute, choir performance and other music.

"There will be songs that were some of Laci's favorites and ones that had a lot of meaning to the family," Petersen said.

The memorial service is set to start at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church, and is expected to last an hour.

Streets near the large church generally are closed for Sunday services, but there will be more closures this week, and they will be longer, police said.

The city will have 17 officers on duty around the church Sunday, Lt. Gary Watts said. Four will be working overtime, and another four will be reserves.

The extra police were required because several scheduled officers already are assigned to other events on the Cinco de Mayo weekend, he said. The city will absorb the approximately $1,200 extra cost, Watts said.

[runningbear]

When he came to the mics, all of a sudden the troops let out the cheers. GW looked at first glance, like what?, ..then he realized it was for him and GW was so touched by it, you saw him weeping some... So heart touching and I was laughing with joy as I was watching it on MSNBC. Proud to have him as our Prez...

[RGSpincich]

Court and other Documents

It's PDF for the court stuff but not much there that we don't already have from the time around the arrest. Rb, it loaded ok for me. I didn't save to disk.

[RGSpincich]

Didn't she win the Boston Marathon, too?

Wait, that was another one that just showed up from nowhere, Rose Ruiz. I'm sure they both spotted Laci, though.

[RGSpincich]

Ted Rowlands said Geragos took command of the courtroom. SP will be dressed in street clothes at future hearings, May 19th conference is still on, for now. Bail hearing vacated for May 6th (old). Don't know if it got rescheduled.

[pbear8]

Yeah, she won when she ran down the grassy knoll first.

[Valpal1]

My theory on defense plan for SP

Geragos will single out one or two MPD officers to crucify/scapegoat ala Mark Fuhrman in the OJ trial.

SP's behavior/demanor will be explained as a normal response to the attempts of these officers to railroad him due to *personal* dislike of poor SP.

MPD never really looked for Laci or a possible perpetrator because they assumed from the outset that SP did it and this colored their observations and destroyed their objectivity and SP is a victim of the jack booted LE thugs.

And by getting the trial moved, delayed for a year or two and handpicking the jury for the lowest common denominator, this has a strong chance of working.

Lots of grisly expert testimony on Connor's fetal development, trying to show that he was murdered at a much later gestational age than when he and Laci disappeared on Dec. 24th.

See, the real killer kidnapped her for the baby, but when the hue and cry became too great, they killed her and framed SP based on his well publicized alibi in late January.

And I wonder how much the judge will limit the defense's questioning of Amber Frey about her past history of "homewrecking"?

The media will feast a long time on this tabloid trial.

[melodie]

I have posted some of the original article in Elmer Fudd speak. Kirk Mcallister's rants are much more believable in this dialect...LOL

Fowmew Attowney Says Defense Is 'Stwong'
Kiwk McAwwistew Is Pwotecting Key Witnesses
Kawen Bwown
POSTED: 10:25 p.m. PDT May 1, 2003
UPDATED: 10:58 p.m. PDT May 1, 2003


MODESTO, Cawif. -- Scott Petewson's fowmew attowney says he has some powewfuw evidence that wiww hewp defend Petewson against chawges that he muwdewed his wife, Waci, and his unbown son, uh-hah-hah-hah.

Scott Petewson's owiginaw attowney, Kiwk McAwwistew (pictuwed weft) said his office has uncovewed evidence that wiww exonewate Petewson -- evidence that wiww be tuwned ovew to his new attowney. Defense souwces say the new attowney wiww be Mawk Gawagos, NBC11's Kawen Bwown wepowted.






Can Petewson Get Faiw Twiaw?


McAwwistew towd NBC11 that the defense's case is "stwong."


When asked why, he said, "because we investigated it instead of cawwing pwess confewences wike the powice did."

De key to Petewson's defense wiww be the testimony of witnesses uncovewed by McAwwistew, witnesses he says need to be pwotected, Bwown wepowted.

"I'm pwotecting witnesses, because I have concewns fow them if I go pubwic," he said.

Accowding to defense souwces, Wos Angewes attowney Mawk Gawagos -- who has wepwesented high-pwofiwe cwients wike Winona Wydew -- wiww take ovew the case Fwiday mowning.

De cuwwent pubwic defendew says getting Gawagos wiww onwy stwengthen Petewson's defense.

"I think he's going to do a gweat job," said Kent Fauwknew, the deputy pubwic defendew. "He's got the wesouwces. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! He's got the knowwedge. He's got the connections. Oh, dat scwewy wabbit! I think it'ww change the wandscape of the way the case is twied."

Meanwhiwe, the Distwict Attowney's office issued a statement saying, "We tweat aww cases as the case needs to be tweated. Who the defense attowney is, is not going to change what we do."

In the meantime, Waci Petewson's famiwy is busy pwepawing fow the memowiaw that wiww take pwace Sunday at the Fiwst Baptist Chuwch in Modesto.

Scott Petewson has not made an officiaw weqwest to attend that memowiaw, but the shewiff hewe says if that weqwest is made, he'ww deny it, Bwown wepowted.
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Copywight 2003 by NBC11.com. Aww wights wesewved. Dis matewiaw may not be pubwished, bwoadcast, wewwitten ow wedistwibuted.





Emaiw Dis Stowy | Pwint Dis Stowy

[Jackie-O]

That's where his rediculous claims belong...in the Elmer Fudd Forum for cartoon characters.

[Canadian Outrage]

Who is Roza Lopez???? I'm dying to know. In any event, this crapola coming from McAllister is just the usual Defense Attorney bluster and bullsheet!!

[runningbear]

LOL.... oh my..>TGIF...

[runningbear]

okay.... brb... have a few work errands to do ....

[brneyedgirl]

Fyi-amber will not attend the Memorial service

Thank goodness! I don't know what in the world she was thinking anyway.

[justshe]

I'm not sure I've ever thanked your for your 'pings'. I lurk daily and appreciate the work you and others have done on these threads.

[runningbear]

RG: and all:... After reading about Rick's postings on Purgatory, I bought the NE... WOW! Can you say, MOTIVE TO BE PENDING FOR MURDER? Amber and Scott, smiling away in those pics. SP BIG ol smile for the photos taken. Scaught is got a big ol grinning smile with a Santa Claus hat on and Amber sitting on his lap. Amber is in a red sequence strapless gown. She was smitten by SP... The few dollars for this issue was well worth the shock of how a 30 affair, was "hot"....

I almost bought the Globe, but will wait until I get home... This NE edition is good..

[runningbear]

30=30 day affair....lol...

[pbear8]

Think back to the OJ case...remember the hapless maid from next door who threated to flee the country and whose testimony consisted of 'no me recuerdo' repeated ad naseum? She was the 'dream team's' exculpatory witness.

[BunnySlippers]

OK, you've sold me. Looks like I'll soon be the proud owner of a National Enquirer. Hope I can sell these used tabs on eBay when this is over. :)

[Velveeta]

OMG!! Have you guys SEEN THIS???

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/904716/posts

[RGSpincich]

I hope Fox and the others are willing to ante up to show those pics while Geragos attempts his spin.

[Canadian Outrage]

OKAY!! I remember now. What a putz she was.