Friends of Laci counter defense

The Modesto Bee ^ | 6/22/04 | Garth Stapely and John Cote'

[runningbear]

Friends of Laci counter defense

Friends of Laci counter defense

By JOHN COTÉ and GARTH STAPLEY
BEE STAFF WRITERS

Last Updated: June 22, 2004, 05:13:22 AM PDT

REDWOOD CITY -- A string of prosecution witnesses testified Monday that Laci Peterson frequently complained of fatigue and had pledged to give up exercise walks in the weeks before her disappearance. Questions in Scott Peterson's double-murder trial also swirled around valuable jewelry Laci Peterson inherited from her grandmother in late 2002 and the revelation that Amber Frey met Laci Peterson's friends when she disclosed her romance with Scott Peterson in January 2003.

Frey spent the night at the Modesto home of one of those friends, Lori Ellsworth, after holding a press conference at police headquarters, Ellsworth testified Monday.

Frey later was an overnight guest in homes of other friends of Laci Peterson's, Ellsworth said.

Partial phone records obtained by The Bee show that Frey phoned people close to Laci Peterson at least 53 times through March 14, 2003, totaling nearly 6½ hours of telephone time.

Scott Peterson's attorneys could try to show Frey -- a key prosecution witness who recorded dozens of calls with Peterson at the request of police -- is tainted by her association with the victim's friends.

The defense spent much of Monday's court session countering testimony damaging to their argument that Laci Peterson likely was abducted while walking the couple's golden retriever.

Four days before Peterson was reported missing, "she could barely walk," her prenatal yoga instructor, Debra Wolski, told jurors at the start of the fourth week of testimony.

"She was in pain," Wolski said, describing Peterson's Dec. 20, 2002, session at Village Yoga Center in Modesto. "She needed help walking back to the car."

Scott Peterson told police he last saw his wife the morning of Dec. 24, 2002, as he left for a solo fishing trip to San Francisco Bay. He said she planned to walk their dog, McKenzie, and go shopping that day, a detective testified at Peterson's preliminary hearing in November.

Peterson told police his wife was gone when he returned........

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THE PETERSON TRIAL
Whether missing wife walked dog is at issue
Friends testify she was feeling too sick to exercise pet

THE PETERSON TRIAL
Whether missing wife walked dog is at issue
Friends testify she was feeling too sick to exercise pet

Diana Walsh and Stacy Finz, Chronicle Staff Writers

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

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Laci Peterson was in so much discomfort from her pregnancy that four days before she was reported missing she had to be helped to her car following a low-impact yoga class, her instructor testified in court Monday.

"Her feet were very swollen and she was very uncomfortable,'' said Debra Wolski, a Modesto yoga teacher, who met with Peterson for a one-on-one yoga session Dec. 20, 2002, four days before she was reported missing.

Stanislaus County prosecutors called Wolski to the stand to discredit Scott Peterson's story that his eight-month-pregnant wife was planning to take the family dog for a walk the day she vanished. Defense attorneys have maintained that Laci Peterson may have been abducted during that walk. ........

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Talking juror kept on panel

Talking juror kept on panel

Friends of Laci counter defense

By GARTH STAPLEY
and JOHN COTÉ
BEE STAFF WRITERS

Last Updated: June 22, 2004, 05:10:24 AM PDT

REDWOOD CITY -- A juror who spoke to players on both sides of Scott Peterson's trial will remain on the panel, and a camera will stay in the courthouse, a pair of judges decided Monday.

A television cameraman videotaped Juror No. 5 saying something to Laci Peterson's brother at a ground-floor security checkpoint Thursday. The same juror last week whispered in defense attorney Mark Geragos' ear during a recess.

"There has been no misconduct," Judge Alfred Delucchi ruled in San Mateo County Superior Court, where the case from Modesto is being heard.

Delucchi ruled after speaking with the juror, who is an airport security screener, and with Laci Peterson's brother, Brent Rocha.

Scott Peterson is accused of killing his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner.

Geragos said the camera itself is what prompted the exchange between Juror No. 5 and Rocha.........

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JUROR CLEARED IN LACI-BROTHER FLAP

JUROR CLEARED IN LACI-BROTHER FLAP

By HOWARD BREUER

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June 22, 2004 -- REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — The judge and defense attorney in Scott Peterson's double-murder trial lashed out at the media yesterday for "fabricated" reports about a juror's brief remarks outside court to Laci Peterson's older brother.

Last Thursday, a TV camera caught Juror No. 5 — an airline security screener — making small talk with Brent Rocha as the two passed through the courthouse's metal detector.

Yesterday, after spending an hour reviewing the matter in his chambers with Rocha, the juror and attorneys on both sides, Judge Alfred Delucchi announced the juror had done nothing wrong and that the media had inaccurately reported the man said, "Could lose today," to Rocha. .......

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Friends of Laci counter
defense

Friends of Laci counter defense

By JOHN COTÉ and GARTH STAPLEY
BEE STAFF WRITERS

Last Updated: June 22, 2004, 05:10:24 AM PDT

REDWOOD CITY -- A string of prosecution witnesses testified Monday that Laci Peterson frequently complained of fatigue and had pledged to give up exercise walks in the weeks before her disappearance. Questions in Scott Peterson's double-murder trial also swirled around valuable jewelry Laci Peterson inherited from her grandmother in late 2002 and the revelation that Amber Frey met Laci Peterson's friends when she disclosed her romance with Scott Peterson in January 2003.

Frey spent the night at the Modesto home of one of those friends, Lori Ellsworth, after holding a press conference at police headquarters, Ellsworth testified Monday.

Frey later was an overnight guest in homes of other friends of Laci Peterson's, Ellsworth said.........

[runningbear]

recap of yesterday's trial.

[runningbear]

PINGING........

[runningbear]

PINGING........

[runningbear]

PINGING........

[runningbear]

Testimony focuses on dog-walking

Article Last Updated: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 3:41:29 AM PST

Witness Stacey Boyers, friend of murder victim Laci Peterson , leaves the San Mateo County Superior Courthouse in Redwood City, Calif. Monday June 21, 2004, during the trial of Scott Peterson . Scott Peterson is the Modesto, Calif., man who could face the death penalty if he is convicted of two counts of murder for the deaths of his wife, Laci Peterson, and the couple's unborn son. (AP Photo/Rick E. Martin, Pool)

Testimony focuses on dog-walking

By Jason Dearen, STAFF WRITER

REDWOOD CITY -- Laci Peterson's feet were swollen and she complained about feeling dizzy while walking her dog, said three of her best friends in testimony at Scott Peterson's murder trial Monday.

"She said she was nauseous and going to stop walking," said Stacey Boyers, a longtime friend of Laci Peterson's, recounting a conversation the two had while attending a birthday party at a Chile's restaurant on Nov. 14, 2002.

Prosecutors called Boyers, two more of Laci Peterson's friends, and her yoga instructor to the stand Monday. All of the women described for jurors how Laci Peterson had become uncomfortable because of her pregnancy -- testimony that prosecutors hope will convince jurors that she would not have been walking the dog the morning of Dec. 24, 2002, as Scott Peterson has claimed.

[sarasota]

The judge who continues to allow the "tainted" juror didn't listen to the tape of the conversation between the juror and Laci's brother. O'Reilly plans to have a voice analysis proove the contents of the juror's remarks.

[Tijeras_Slim]

TSA Bloodhound on Jury ping!

[runningbear]

oh my! Gum? geeish!

lol....

[pinz-n-needlez]

Thanks, rb.

Hope you had a great boating weekend. :-)

Pinz

[trussell]

It would help the public be more comfortable with the juror if they would just tell us what the juror DID say.

[sissyjane]

Good Morning everyone.
Today should be interesting with Broccini on the stand. Could be a very good day, or.......????

I think Geragos is going to try to make a Fuhrman out of him.
Here's hoping the judge won't allow it!!

[texasbluebell]

Last night on O'Reilly, whoever was on (Goldman maybe?) said that it's thought what the juror said was something like "You'll be in the news today" -- not "lose today".

That's when O said something about getting it analyzed.

[runningbear]

Don Pedro was fantastic.... very warm, and calm waters.. going out there again... Thanks...

[runningbear]

yes in deed....

[runningbear]

hope not too, but I think he'll do okay.

[Velveeta]

Thanks for the new thread!

RB, I bought a boat! You should have seen the look on hubby's face when he arrived back in town on Father's Day. FOFL!

[Diver Dave]

Maybe juror #5 said, "I think I'll take a snooze today."
Mornin' rb. You certainly had a nice day for boating at Pedro.

[Jackie-O]

I read that transcripts of the meeting will be released in a couple of days.

[Jackie-O]

Hi sis! I'm guessing that it was hotly debated behind closed doors yesterday whether any past, and I might ad unproven allegations about the Detective should be allowed in. I guess we shall see.

[Jackie-O]

Morining rb...thanks for the ping!