REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — In tearful testimony, Scott Peterson's (search) family and friends pleaded with jurors to spare his life, contending that he
was mistakenly convicted of killing his pregnant wife, Laci.Posted on 12/07/2004 6:15:31 AM PST by crushelits
Witnesses: Jury Wrongly Convicted Peterson
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — In tearful testimony, Scott Peterson's (search) family and friends pleaded with jurors to spare his life, contending that he was mistakenly convicted of killing his pregnant wife, Laci.
Defense witnesses have already testified that Peterson sang to seniors on Sundays, distributed food and clothes in Tijuana and that he was a good friend and loving son.
On the fifth day of the trial's penalty phase, Peterson's relatives questioned the jury's verdict.
"I don't believe he's guilty," said his uncle, John Lathamke to see him die. It would tear our family apart."
But jurors showed no expression, some even looking away or toward the ground as Latham spoke.
Testimony in the seven-month-old trial's penalty phase was set to continue Tuesday and run into the next day before closing arguments. Jurors were expected to begin deliberating Thursday whether to sentence Peterson to life without parole or the death penalty.
Peterson was convicted Nov. 12 of one count of first-degree murder in the death of his pregnant wife, Laci, and one count of second-degree murder for the killing of her fetus.
Prosecutors say he smothered or strangled Laci Peterson (search) in their Modesto home on or around Christmas Eve 2002, then dumped her body into San Francisco Bay. The remains of the victims were discovered about four months later a few miles from where Peterson claims to have been fishing alone the day his wife vanished.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
As i have said time and again on here, The Judge didnt allow the film of a Boat tipping over because of ONE reason--It would have put doubt into the Jury's mind. Can someone give me a better reason as to why he wouldnt allow that one piece of evidence?
Well, since I have been a court reporter since 1980, more than you do. I've picked up a few things about them along the way.
Your arguements are full of holes.
You did not follow the case or you
wouldn't post such nonsense.
He was removed because he would NOT deliberate.
Wow, that is a stretch! How do you know what the judge was thinkin'? His reasons? Rationale?
Miss Cleo, 'zat you?
Well, good. Then I asked the right person. Let him tell us.
Why would the judge allow evidence of a boat tipping, when the conditions of the bay at the time of the dumping can NOT be replicated?
How do you know the body was thrown off the side? Couldn't the body have been dumped out the back?
That would be a guess, wouldn't it?
Can someone give me a better reason as to why he wouldnt allow that one piece of evidence?
YES.
It is NOT evidence.
Were it evidence, Geragos would have included such testimony.
It is speculation!
I don't know exactly what kind of boat he was in, but instead of trying to throw something over the sides, why not the bow or the stern? Less tipping that way.
He's a Her.
Yer battin' a 1000!
I'm amazed at the people on this thread that are willing to smear this judge. Imagine a man spending his entire life on the bench building a steady reputation and then throwing it all away to convict Scott Peterson, an innocent man!
Of Course Scott Peterson Is Guilty - Court TV Channel Has Been Screaming The Verdict For Months
by: Dennis M. Becklin
Medford, Oregon - Off with his head, I guess. I don't personally know if Scott Peterson is guilty. I didn't personally hear any of the evidence. But, it's obvious that he's guilty because Nancy Grace of CourtTV, and Geraldo Rivera and Gloria Allred of FoxTV have all been screaming for his head on national TV for months. How could they possibly be wrong?
It's shades of the coliseum again. 82-percent of American TV watchers signaled with their thumbs down. The prisoner is a dead man. Off with his head.
This is what the American justice system has become in selected instances of court television for profit...an outside-the-court television drama expressing the personal opinions of celebrities who earn their livings entertaining America's TV blood-sport courtroom addicts.
Scott Peterson has been a dead man from the moment television crews began stalking him shortly after the disappearance of his wife, Laci, and their expectant child, Conner.
Regardless of the outcome of the trial, Scott has been a dead man since he was implicated in this heinous crime. If he had walked free on an innocent verdict, he may not have lived long given the mob hatred shown outside the courthouse today. If he is sentenced to life in prison, he may not live long there, either, given the propensity for some opportunistic convict to gain personal notoriety by killing him. If he is sentenced to death for his crimes, he may live for years as his appeals are heard, perhaps many years longer than for either of the other outcomes.
I am left wondering how many other capital murder cases have been prosecuted since the Scott and Laci tragedy first hit American TV sets...probably thousands...maybe tens of thousands. But none of them were subjected to the intense prejudice of 24-hour-per-day commentators like Nancy Grace, Geraldo Rivera, Gloria Allred, Jeffery Figer and Laura Ingle.
With a jury that was not sequestered during the course of this lengthy trial...and given the judge's removal of two jurors since deliberations began just two weeks ago...it is difficult to imagine that the convicting jurors were completely untainted by the shrill and personally vindictive opinions of commentators such as CourtTV's Nancy Grace, a woman who appears to have had a personal axe to grind after the murder of her fiance...or Geraldo Rivera, who called Scott Peterson every name in the four-letter book...or Gloria Allred, who represented one of the prosecution's primary witnesses against Peterson.
Every accused person in America has the right to a fair trial before his/her peers. I don't believe that any television-celebrated trial can possibly remain fair or untainted...unless jurors are totally sequestered, totally isolated from everyone and every form of communication during the pendancy of the trial. There are simply too many ways that the voices of the media can infect the process to the detriment of the American system of justice.
Scott Peterson has been found guilty of first degree murder for the death of his wife, Laci, and second degree murder for the death of his unborn son, Conner. He is a dead man. May God rest his soul.
May God also deny the gladiatorial coliseum media's loudmouths any measure of piety when Scott Peterson is laid to rest.
http://www.theconservativerepublican.com/scottpeterson.html
You have to look at it as if someone had framed him, not how it looks to you outside viewing in. If someone framed him, they would make it look - as best they could - like nothing other than Peterson did it was possible.
What I find bizarre is that from waaaayyyy over here in Georgia, it looked to us like the judge was going out of his way to give the Peterson defense all kinds of freebies and leeway.
But when Scott is convicted, the judge must be biased. How about, like the election on November 2nd, the truth prevailed, in spite of all the smoke and mirrors?
Please reference the proof that the judge disallowed it, I must have missed that.
The Judge didnt allow the film of a Boat tipping over because of ONE reason--It would have put doubt into the Jury's mind.
Is this a conspiracy? The Judge was trying to have Scotty boy convicted? LOL
Must be a friend of Judge Eto and detective Furlong.
I thoroughly agree. I may be one of very few but I think he was convicted on the fact he cheated on his wife and was a liar. He looked guilty because of trying to cover up his affair. There is no actual physical evidence to tie him to the murders.
OK then----
WHY would someone kill Laci to frame Scott? What would they gain? What was their motive? Revenge, money? To frame someone, it is up close and personal.
So who had the most potential to benefit from Laci's death other than Scott?
It's bad form for Newbies to tout their own websites on FR. I think you will find it in the posting guidelines as well.
They have convicted an innocent murderer and one who was also nice to his mother
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