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 ...
It boggles the mind, doesn't it? What IS Geragos thinking?
I still can't understand what Scott being a good golfer has to do with anything; he didn't even get offered a scholarship anywhere.......how good could he have been?
This juror had 19 spiral bound notebooks of ALL the notes he had taken during the trial -- those notes are NOT evidence and they are taken for the personal use of EACH juror, not for group discussion afterwards.
Each juror, if they wanted to, took their own notes; they are not, under any circumstances, required to go over every note this guy made.
Also, this guy told the judge that HE was having problems reaching a decision and deciding what HIS own motives were; quite simply put, he had MAJOR issues with himself and demanded that the 11 other jurors do it HIS way or he wanted off the jury.
He ASKED the judge to remove him after the 11 other jurors complained that he wouldn't move one foot forward unless they reread all 19 of his notebooks.
>>As for OJ......his son did it<<
Actually, that would explain a heck of a lot.
Ever consider he could have cut her up in the shallow water near the shore in the dark hours of early morning, just before taking her out in the boat and dumping her and the baby?
Oh, geez, what a whiney retort; you have not been able to state the facts in this case so YOU claim personal attacks.............ROFLMAO.
I don't feel "seething hatred". I only want justice to be served. Part of closure is seeing the criminal receive his sentence. In my brother's case, it is still unsolved after all these years.
For me, it would have been walking into the kitchen seeing the telephone book opened to DEFENSE ATTORNEYS in the Yellow Pages.
Is there just a pure list of all the bits of evidence? I keep reading more and more and more....it is mind boggling!
There's a lot of cool, calm collected, lying, sneaks around who commit murders.....and everyone says..."I can't imagine him doing that. It's not like him. He was always so nice and polite."
She wasn't cut up.
It is not that difficult to ease someone over the back of the boat. Laci would not have weighed more than an 20-25 horsepower Johnson. I've landed a 65 pound yellow cat on a trotline and he did not want to board my flatbottom boat. But I got him in the boat. Laci was not fighting. He may have used some of his concrete as a balast. It is not that difficult. Scott Peterson is as guilty as original sin and the inmates at San Quinton are going to finish what the state will not.
I'm sure she feels that the jury does not know her son and if they did they would not invoke the death penalty. She also wants to let everyone who will listen know that Scott claims innocence and the verdict was wrong.
It can't hurt, the guy comes out of prison in a box either way. He likely would prefer to die than be imprisoned for life, but in California, a death sentence is meaningless anyway.
I don't know about the appeals process. It may well be better to be appealing a life sentence than from death row, but I really have no clue if it is. My gut feeling is that it would make a difference as far as visitation privileges and the like.
There is not ONE shred of evidence that she was dismembered. None.
You are absolutely correct there; every killer should be found, prosecuted and, IMO, executed. In an unsolved case, letting go usually isn't an option. I hope your brother's killer is brought to justice. If he isn't in this life, I promise you he will be in the next.
All that notwithstanding, I feel no particular hatred toward Scott Peterson. I only hope that if he's guilty, and I believe he is, that either the needle or circumstances in prison quickly send him to begin serving his true, eternal sentence.
This is reason for appeal? I say don't mess around then. Let's allow for the fact that Scott played golf and took vacations be good for an appeal.
Well, he WAS convicted on circumstantial evidence.
Such as:
-A tracking dog detected the victim's scent on a bay boat launch used by Peterson.
-Peterson said his angling excursion was impromptu, but he purchased a two-day fishing license four days before the trip.
How's that?
Believe what you want; there's no proof of that.
I think the word of the day is "diversion."
It boggles the mind, doesn't it? What IS Geragos thinking?
"Thinking?" Is that an attribute of the mega money lawyers? Window dressing comes to mind, as they advertise their supposed excellence. I think Geragos took this case to troll for bigger clients. I doubt he gives a rip for Peterson.
Gosh, you really ARE clueless; it drives me nuts when people who obviously don't know what they're talking about make statements that are out and out lies.
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