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Why doubt over Scott Peterson's guilt is seeming more


reasonable
-- Barely two months ago, bailiffs marched so-called "monster in chains" Scott Peterson
before a Modesto judge for arraignment on charges for the double murder of his wife,
Laci, and unborn son, Conner. In the court of public opinion, Scott Peterson's guilt was a
forgone conclusion.
The crowd outside the Stanislaus County Courthouse then was eerily reminiscent of a time
in our history when angry townspeople gathered in the village square to mete out justice
with stones and pitchforks. Piercing shouts of "Murderer!" could plainly be heard.
Last week, however, as defense attorneys and prosecutors headed back to court to argue
motions, the tide of public opinion seemed to shift. The "monster in chains" had
transformed into a clean-cut chap in a two-piece suit. And press reports concerning
information in the autopsy reports for Laci and her child had raised doubts in the minds of
many.
According to reports, the baby's body was found with a knotted piece of tape wrapped
tightly around its neck in a "noose-like" fashion. The terrible modus operandi seemed not
to fit Peterson -- who had been depicted as a cheating husband who might have wished his
wife would disappear, not a twisted killer capable of using perverse means to kill a
helpless unborn child.
Outside the courthouse were curious, quiet onlookers -- many of whom were slowly
starting to ponder not how Scott Peterson had committed such a heinous crime, but
rather, had he indeed committed it in the first place?
The doubt in the public mind made the outcome of the motions at issue -- one of which
sought to unseal the very autopsy reports that had apparently been partially leaked -- seem
all the more momentous.
So far, as I will explain, all the rulings have been favorable to the defense. That suggests
again -- just as the leaked autopsy evidence did -- that this would be a decidedly two-sided
trial, not the walkover prosecutors had envisioned.
Meanwhile, there have been some dramatic new developments: Famed attorney Gloria
Allred has appeared on behalf of Amber Frey. (Frey, as those who have followed the case
will know, is the woman with whom Scott was cheating on Laci, and who says he told her
he was single.) And members of Laci's family have reportedly moved her possessions out
of the house she shared with Scott. I will also explain the likely legal consequences, if any,
of these events.

The controversy over the sealing of the autopsy results


Originally, prosecution and defense had agreed that the autopsy reports should remain
sealed. But once the leak occurred, prosecutors -- who blamed the leak on the defense,
but did not provide evidence to support their suspicions -- changed their mind, and sought
to unseal the report on Conner Peterson.
Prosecutors argued that the leak had been a calculated defense tactic meant to bolster a
recent theory that a malevolent third-party -- perhaps affiliated with a "satanic cult" --
committed the killings. The defense continued to support the sealing order, however, and
Judge Girolami declined to lift it.
Autopsy findings are normally a matter of public record. However, a provision of
California's Evidence Code allows the judge to keep the autopsy reports private. The
provision states, in part, that disclosure of "official information" may be shielded from
public consumption if there is a "necessity for preserving the confidentiality of the
information that outweighs the necessity for disclosure in the interest of justice ..."
Defense counsel argued -- successfully so -- that disclosure of the autopsy findings could
affect the arrest of the "real killers" who, according to the defense, "are still out there."
If this argument sounds familiar, it should. Earlier in the week, co-defense counsel Matt
Dalton made the same argument before Judge Roger M. Beauchesne -- the jurist assigned
to handle requests by the media to unseal search warrants and related affidavits.
(Incidentally, the search warrant issue was not before the court on Friday morning.
Instead, a closed-door conference was conducted in Judge Beauchesne's chambers later in
the day. Although neither side offered comment following the meeting, the search warrants
and affidavits continue to remain sealed.)
Thus, for now, the status quo will continue. However, the public probably won't have to
wait long to hear the full contents of the reports. On July 16, the preliminary hearing in
this matter is set to occur. I am willing to bet the Modesto medical examiner will be one of
the first faces we see on the witness stand.
Remember, prosecutors will need to prove Laci's death resulted from a criminal act --
rather then being an accident. The cause of death for both victims reportedly remains
undetermined. However, the medical examiner has classified the manner of Laci's death as
a homicide -- giving prosecutors the crucial "criminal act" proof they need. (Reportedly,
no manner of death has been designated for baby Conner.)

The judge has declined to rule on the gag order request until a later time
Prosecutors have sought a gag order preventing the parties' attorneys from discussing the
Peterson case. The defense has opposed such an order. Neither party's position is a
surprise. After all, what good will it do Scott Peterson to have retained a media-savvy
lawyer like Mark Geragos if he isn't allowed to be, well, media savvy?
The prosecution says they have sought a "limited" gag order, but it's not clear exactly
what the limits would be. In any event, the judge has refused to put a lid on the leaks just
yet -- reserving his ruling on this issue for an undisclosed future date.
He was probably wise to do so. Gag orders in cases such as these tend to be
unenforceable anyway, and only underline the court's ineffectuality in this respect.
That is not -- as the prosecution has suggested -- because defense attorneys act in bad
faith. Rather, it's because the huge press appetite for information in notorious cases like
this one -- with tabloids paying big money for scoops -- creates strong incentives for
anyone who's seen the evidence to leak. And how many people, at different levels of
authority, likely had access to this autopsy report before it was sealed? It's a losing battle.

Wiretap evidence: The judge's ruling may turn out to be a bombshell


Thus, the defense achieved two of its goals, at least for now: to seal the autopsy report,
and to resist a gag order. The defense also had another goal: It sought evidence as to the
government's wiretaps of Scott Peterson's telephone calls. It achieved that one, too. The
court ordered all recordings, except those between Scott Peterson and journalists, to be
turned over to defense counsel.
Police investigators intercepted more than 3800 telephone calls to or from Scott Peterson.
Sixty-nine of them were calls between Peterson and his lawyers. Assuming that Peterson
was seeking legal advice in these conversations, as he almost certainly was, they were
protected by the attorney-client privilege.
If it is proven that police continued to listen in on these calls even when it was plain that
there were protected by the privilege, that would be very serious. A variety of possible
sanctions would then be available to the judge.
It goes without saying that prosecutors should not be able to use privileged conversations
as evidence in court. But the judge could also go further, to punish the misconduct.
He might for instance, suppress all of the wiretap evidence. Or he might prevent anyone
with knowledge of the privileged conversations -- or anyone involved in listening in --
from testifying.
Indeed, he might even go so far as to disqualify the district attorney from prosecuting the
case if the misconduct was grave. For instance, if there was an intentional -- rather than
merely mistaken or negligent -- decision to ignore the attorney-client privilege, and
especially if higher-ups approved that decision, a strong sanction could be appropriate.
The hearing on this issue will take place on June 26.

Gloria Allred has joined the fray


Just when you thought the most talked-about witness in this double-homicide, death
penalty case could use a makeover, in walks Gloria Allred, representing Amber Frey.
Frey's image was tainted when she was initially pegged as the "other woman." Then it was
purified when it became clear she probably did not know Scott was married when they
were involved. But then, in the eyes of some, it was tainted again, when news reports this
week mentioned her having posed -- sans either pants or taste -- in 1999 for a nudie
magazine.
Gloria Allred has professed her dedication to protecting the reputation and character of
this much-anticipated witness for the State. Under the circumstances, Allred may have the
toughest job of all.
Of course, Frey doesn't really need a lawyer -- the prosecution reportedly has ruled her
out as any kind of suspect. Nor does she have a right to have one appointed for her, since
she is not a defendant. But she does have the option to hire one, as she has done.
At Peterson's trial, Allred will be relegated to the cheap seats in the gallery like the rest of
the spectators, but may be permitted to sit adjacent to the witness stand while Frey is
testifying. Moreover, in the unlikely event that any questions to Frey did get into areas
implicating her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, Allred could counsel her
on whether to invoke that right.

The Rochas' decision to take property from Peterson home


Finally, one last legal issue has arisen -- though so far, it hasn't generally been seen as one.
One week prior to the hearing, Laci's family, together with a few friends, descended upon
the Modesto home Scott shared with Laci before her death. With neither permission nor
legal justification, they removed truckloads of property -- furniture, clothing, jewelry, even
the salt and pepper shakers -- and drove it away. Television cameras captured nearly the
entire event on tape.
The property apparently belonged to Scott Peterson, as his wife's heir. Thus, the Rochas'
and their friends' actions constituted both trespassing and theft. Indeed, this was
technically a textbook residential burglary -- which is a felony in California.
Sympathy aside, crime victims do not gain the right to break the law by virtue of their
misfortune. The Rochas had no more right to take items from the Peterson home than they
had, for example, to rob the local bank.
Far worse than the actions themselves, is their impact on the trial. It is virtually impossible
to determine to what extent the Rochas' actions may interfere with Scott Peterson's
defense. After all, the prosecution claims Laci's murder occurred inside the Modesto
home.
Police had their opportunity to investigate the so-called crime scene. But Mark Geragos
and his investigators have not fully completed their own investigation. Now, they may
never be able to.
The loss of that chance is all the more significant because police have seemingly focused
on Scott Peterson as their sole suspect. Yet they have come up with little, if any, forensic
evidence indicating his guilt. Might the house have contained evidence that someone else
was guilty?
Police do not seem to have focused on answering that question. And no wonder; it's a
tough one. Since numerous friends and acquaintances have no doubt been through the
Petersons' house, a hair or speck of blood belonging to a stranger would be extremely
hard to pick out. So if a stranger forced Laci to return to her house and killed her, in its
privacy, while Scott was fishing, we may never know.
Sadly, the Rochas' actions not only were illegal, but also may have seriously hurt the
defense case -- and hurt Scott's right to a fair trial in the process.
Of course, nobody wants to see the Rochas behind bars. They are victims and, as such,
deserve our compassion and respect. Accordingly, the best remedy may not be to punish
the Rochas, but rather to sanction the prosecutors and police who did not intervene to
stop them. Law enforcement had a duty to uphold the law. In this it failed -- willfully.
While Justice may indeed be blind, it does not mean prosecutors should turn a blind eye to
obvious wrongdoing. That's known as "willful blindness," and it's anything but just. Let us
not forget there is a man who has yet to be convicted who is sitting in a cell -- ostensibly
on his way to death row. He too, deserves justice.
The solution? The Stanislaus County District Attorney's office should be disqualified from
prosecuting the case against Scott Peterson. In accordance with the California Penal
Code, the defense may move to recuse the prosecutor when there is a conflict of interest
that is likely to prevent the defendant from receiving a fair trial.
As noted above, there may already good reason to disqualify this district attorney's office
based on its alleged misconduct in taping attorney-client privileged conversations. Perhaps
those allegations, along with the apparent decision not to preserve the integrity of the
alleged crime scene, will result in disqualification. It would certainly be fairer if these
prosecutors -- apparently out to get Peterson, come hell or high water -- did not try this
case.

Why the tide of public opinion is dramatically shifting in the Peterson


case
To what does Scott Peterson owe the changing tide of public opinion? One reason,
perhaps, is the fact that prosecutors have produced little evidence to support their theory
of the case.
If Scott had really killed Laci in their home, driven her body out to the Bay, rowed it out
to deep water, and dumped it there -- as the prosecution apparently is suggesting -- then
there would probably be a wealth of forensic evidence in their Modesto house and in his
truck. In fact, there seems to be little to none, although there are some unconfirmed
rumors.
That lack of evidence seems to suggest that Laci might have been kidnapped while
walking her dog, and killed elsewhere, by strangers -- with the evidence remaining, still
undiscovered, at another site. After all, why else was the dog wandering the neighborhood
with a muddy leash, to be discovered by a neighbor, about an hour after Laci was seen
walking it?
It seems much more likely that what the evidence suggests is true: Laci disappeared while
walking her dog. Her kidnapper was a stranger -- a husband wouldn't have to do the
misdeed in public, and wouldn't let the beloved dog run loose, only to attract neighbors to
back to the house, where they would find the couple suspiciously missing.
Mark Geragos, of course, is another reason for the shift in public opinion. He's turned a
case that was seen as a "slam dunk" for prosecutors into a far closer contest than anyone
might have imagined. For now, at least, Scott Peterson's defense strategy -- walk softly
and carry a big lawyer -- is proving successful.
Thursday, October 30, 2003 Posted: 9:35 AM EST (1435 GMT)
LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- Former "Lois and Clark" star Dean
Cain has been tapped to portray accused murderer Scott Peterson in USA Network's TV
movie "The Perfect Husband."
Peterson, charged with slaying his pregnant wife and their unborn son, is back in the news
this week as a hearing opened Wednesday to determine whether he must stand trial for the
murders.
"The Perfect Husband" will tell Peterson's story, beginning with the mysterious
disappearance of the eight-months-pregnant Laci Peterson on Christmas Eve last year. It
will chronicle the extensive search for the missing Modesto, California, woman and the
grim discovery of the remains of Laci and her baby along the San Francisco Bay and will
end with the arrest of a disguised Scott Peterson in April as he traveled to Mexico.
Filming is scheduled to begin early next month in San Diego.
" 'The Perfect Husband' is not just a movie about a specific crime, it's also a movie about
our culture -- how someone can gain and then betray the trust of a woman, a family, a
community," said Jeff Wachtel, USA executive VP original scripted programming. "Dean
is a perfect choice for the role -- he combines classic, all-American good looks with an
ability to convey the startling contradictions beneath the surface."

http://www.finddru.com/
Dru Sjodin disappeared on Nov 22nd, 2003 from Grand Forks
North Dakota
GRAND FORKS, North Dakota (CNN) -- Authorities investigating the kidnapping of 22-
year-old University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin said they will meet early Monday
to chart their next move in the case.
David Dusek, an attorney for Alphonso Rodriguez Jr., who has been arrested in
connection with the abduction of Sjodin, said he will meet again with his client Monday
and expects to decide by Tuesday whether to challenge the unsealing of the probable cause
affidavit for Rodriguez' arrest.
The affidavit is believed to contain an explanation of some of the evidence against the
convicted sex offender which authorities have said is "very strong."
Although police say they are confident Rodriguez, 50, kidnapped Sjodin, Grand Forks
Police Capt. Mike Kirby told CNN: "You don't want to put blinders on."
According to Kirby, authorities will continue to investigate the more than 1,400 leads that
have come in to police since Sjodin disappeared.
Sjodin was last seen November 22 when she left her job at a Victoria's Secret
Rodriguez appeared Thursday at a bond hearing and chose not to attempt to post a $5
million bond for felony kidnapping. He is being held in isolation at the Grand Forks
County Correctional Center.
Police are offering $140,000 for information leading to the student's recovery.

08/15/2005

Dru's Law
Her disappearance made headlines across the nation. Two years ago
North Dakota college student Dru Sjodin's body was found in a ravine in
Minnesota. A violent sex offender who just got out of prison was charged
with her murder. Now a South Dakota senator is co-sponsoring Dru's Law,
to create a national sex-offender database to track people who commit
such crimes, and to let the public know if their children are in danger.

Within a year, these pictures and information on sex offenders in


Minnehaha County and Sioux Falls could appear on a national database.
Anyone could access the information on the Internet.
Senator Tim Johnson says, "As a parent and grandparent myself. I want
to know if there's one of these individuals living in my neighborhood. I
want to know I want to give attention to where my child is playing, what
kind of supervision he or she has."

Johnson is one of the sponsors of Dru's Law, which unanimously passed


the Senate last month and goes to the House in September.

Local law officers say this would give South Dakota the tools it needs to
get a statewide list of offenders online.

Sioux Falls Police Chief Doug Barthel says, "This way they're always going
to be on the hot seat. People are going to be looking out for them,
watching things they do."

Dru's Law would make sure sex offenders had no place to hide.

Minnehaha County State's Attorney Dave Nelson says, "Sex offenders


don't like bright lights of publicity and don't want public to know who they
are and where they live. As a result of that in a jurisdiction has aggressive
level of registration and they'll go to places they can be hidden, go
underground, pursue opportunities more easily."

Since rehabilitation almost never works with violent sex offenders, a


national tracking system could give parents some peace of mind.

Nelson, "What we can do is make sure parents neighbors and people in


neighborhood, know who they are, know about past, know about risk so
this informed citizenry can take steps to protect themselves."

The law would also allow for civil commitments of violent sex offenders,
meaning once they're let out of prison, they could be committed to
psychiatric hospitals.

© 2005 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.

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