Retired judge chosen to preside over Scott Peterson murder trial

The San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Wednesday, January 21, 2004 | Kim Curtis

[Canadian Outrage]

I don't know about THIS particular relationship Julie. It seems that these two people were on completely different wave lengths. From the testimony of Laci's family, I get the impression that she really didn't KNOW the guy she was married to. Laci, by all account, was happy. Also, both her Mom and her girlfriends said she was strong willed and that she wasn't the type to allow herself to be abused. I really believe Snotty was able to function with his double life because of his employment (travelling salesman). You can hide a lot of activities while "travelling"!! Appears it was the "perfect" job for him. Also it appears to me that Scott was maladaptive in ALL his relationships!! He's sick imo.

[drjulie]

"Also, both her Mom and her girlfriends said she was strong willed and that she wasn't the type to allow herself to be abused."

You could be right in your assessment of the situation. I tend to think that she did have some idea of what was going on - she might not have known about Amber but I bet she knew about past affairs, reckless spending and neglect (e.g., not attending her shower). All of this is abuse and, for some reason, she tolerated it. I honestly don't mean to disparage her Lynn - my heart breaks everytime I see her picture. I've just worked with so many women who are in these situations who believe that as long as their husbands aren't hitting them they aren't being abused. Did this guy have a double life? You bet. Did everyone around him know the extent of this double life? No - but I bet alot of people (Laci included) saw the tip of the iceberg from time to time. JMO :-)

[drjulie]

"Also it appears to me that Scott was maladaptive in ALL his relationships!! He's sick imo."

I think the interesting question is...if he was married to a different kind of person would he have murdered? Would there have been a different outcome? I'm not arguing that he doesn't have issues! (I wouldn't get very far with that kind of argument! LOL)

[Canadian Outrage]

I guess we'll never really know Julie. Perhaps Laci did see things through rose colored glasses. I just don't know. I do recall her girlfriends saying they didn't believe that He had told her about Amber because Laci was NOT the type to take that. I still believe this guy used his employment and travel as a cover. He likely had a separte cell phone # for Laci. The only person on the Rocha side of the family who seemed to have any clue about who Scott was is her Dad. I do believe he is a Sociopath and I don't believe he has "normal" feelings. His feelings are all about how HE feels regardless of who he is with.

[drjulie]

"His feelings are all about how HE feels regardless of who he is with."

I think we share the same opinion on that point! I have Fox News on as I work. They just had a little panel on discussing the Peterson case. The defense attorney (the one who was supposed to argue Scott's case) said when you put it all together it looks bad for him. Good to hear!
:-)

[Lucy Lake]

the interesting question is...if he was married to a different kind of person would he have murdered?

IMO, eventually Scott would feel trapped being married to any woman, freedom seemingly his goal after a few years of marriage.

And his having to present a perfect image to the world have precluded a divorce in any marriage, JMO.

Something influencing my personal opinion are the two missing women in the general vicinity of Scott when they disappeared.

[Canadian Outrage]

That's good to hear!! And I believe it - put it all together and there is just TOO much to be coincidence.

[Canadian Outrage]

Those incidents of girls missing when he was in college is a "mystery" isn't it? Remember how he SUDDENLY left Arizona. He had been called in for an interview but never went in. Perhaps, with Laci, he thought he was proficient enough to pull it off. I doubt he banked on the fact the whole City LOVED Laci.

[Devil_Anse]

Overconfident? You are too kind!!!

It's called COLD-BLOODED!!

[Devil_Anse]

Some women will back off, some will be stubborn and keep asking, some will enlist family, yes, I see what you're saying. I know one of those women who backed off--until it was too late. However, she doesn't seem to be obsessed with the finality of it, thank heaven.

And there's another thing some women might do... they might go ahead and let it happen, then half-heartedly pass it off to the husband as a failure of birth control. Maybe she did that. Maybe she figured, "I'll just wait it out, when that little darling who looks like both of us is out, smiling at him, he will accept it." And you know, drjulie, I think most men WOULD accept it. They might be resentful towards the wife, but they would also get to like the kid--usually. (I've even known criminals who were proud of their adorable kids.)

You know, though, if we are correct in assuming that Scott really, really didn't want to be a father, then I don't see why he didn't have a vasectomy. But then, we have already been asking ourselves why he didn't just get a divorce... and there seems to be no reasonable answer to that question.

I am very intrigued by your info about interaction of personalities leading to maladaptive behavior in one person, which behavior he doesn't show when he's interacting with OTHER personalities. Hey--that may explain my son and me, lol! Maybe it's my imagination, but he seems to be such a solid citizen... except when he's dealing with me! LOL.

[Devil_Anse]

I love to observe STRANGE people! That is, foreigners will do; even better are crazy people. Needless to say, you can't look at crazy people with TOO much interest, or they will do something you might not like!

[Devil_Anse]

Another thing you said... I see you were bending over backwards to emphasize that you were not blaming the victim. I have felt that way, too, when I contemplated whether maybe Laci was nagging Scott, or whether they were engaged in power struggles. I mean, nobody is a saint. She may have picked up a few of the bad traits a wife can pick up. It may have made him feel angry and dominated.

But these little flaws, if she had them, would be very, very small in the overall scheme of things. A decent man, when he got to seeing red over them, would step back, take a deep breath, and remind himself that "this too shall pass." But a man who's NOT decent... no telling!

[Devil_Anse]

when you put it all together it looks bad for him

Exactly what Geragos used to say about Scott on TV.

[Canadian Outrage]

YIKES! I KNOW he's COLD-BLOODED but I also think because he has been able to get away with everything all his life, he was OVER CONFIDENT and became careless. He's not stupid, he's over confident in his abilities.

[Canadian Outrage]

I suppose we could all analyze this till the cows come home but the main thing is this guy gets convicted. I am anxious to see what the Prosecution has NOT shown. I'm sure you agree Dev but MOST Prosecutors offices would NEVER go for a Death Penalty unless they thought they had a very good chance of getting a conviction. When Distaso let fly last time in Court and actually pointed at Peterson and said "then this man killed Laci Peterson"!! Distaso not only rattled Snotty somewhat but he rattled Geragos. Geragos was up on his feet and gave away the defense's strategy. I'll bet Jackie P. was not pleased either!! If ONLY something could still be found in the Bay that ABSOLUTELY ties Snott to Laci. (Perhaps there is - maybe a fingerprint on duct tape)!

[Devil_Anse]

No doubt he was just beginning to hit his stride as a salesman: the first step to that is believing one's own b.s.!

[Lucy Lake]

You know, though, if we are correct in assuming that Scott really, really didn't want to be a father, then I don't see why he didn't have a vasectomy.

Wonder if Scott was afraid a vasectomy would diminish his sex drive and somehow tarnish his perfect image?

[Devil_Anse]

Who else could have done this, but Scott?

That's not a valid argument for a courtroom, but it sure is a valid argument for just plain common sense. Who else had the motive, means, and opportunity, all coming together at once?

And what other killer would have taken such great pains to remove the body from SCOTT'S house? Why would they bother, when they could remove THEMSELVES from the scene and the crime far more easily?

[Devil_Anse]

One of those reasons is probably why he didn't get one--though both those reasons are, as we know, spurious. A vasectomy has nothing to do with sex drive, that I've ever heard, but you're right, in Scott's male mind, maybe it did.

The perfect image thing is food for thought, too. A narcissistic type would be obsessed with keeping his body "perfect". Guess that would exclude even minor snipping--or whatever they do for vasectomies nowadays.

[Velveeta]

Did you notice if you rearrange the letters in "TUCOWS", you're left with "TU - SCOW"? But I digress.

Here's a "letter to the editor" from the owner of the site:

Letters: He's innocent

I am very pleased that Judge Girolami changed the venue for the Scott Peterson trial to San Mateo.

I am still concerned, however, that the national media bias against Scott will soon have the same effect here as it did in Modesto.

Sad to say, we have no national media that has championed Scott Peterson's cause. For that reason, a group of concerned citizens, devoted to the principle of presumption of innocence and convinced Peterson is not guilty, have put together a Web site called Scott is Innocent.

We discuss serious flaws in this investigation and in the evidence presented in the preliminary hearing. We have no "leaked" documents, as claimed by other media, just common-sense analysis of what is in the public record.

Take a look at what the media is not telling you about this case. Visit scottisinnocent.com.

Marlene Newell

http://www.sanmateocountytimes.com/Stories/0,1413,87%257E2458%257E1912404,00.html