Judge tells Peterson jury to keep quiet

San Mateo County Times ^ | Tuesday, June 29, 2004

[runningbear]

Judge tells Peterson jury to keep quiet

Article Last Updated: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - 3:39:53 AM PST

Judge tells Peterson jury to keep quiet

REDWOOD CITY -- The judge in the Scott Peterson double-murder trial Monday warned all of the trial participants not to talk about the case to the media.

Judge Alfred Delucchi was responding to stories that surfaced at the end of last week, when a representative of the Modesto Police Department publicly defended Detective Al Brocchini, who has been the subject of harsh criticism by Peterson's lawyer Mark Geragos during his time on the witness stand.

"This has to stop. Go tell the chief he's going to have to sit on his people," Delucchi told a Modesto police captain. .........

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The Peterson Trial

MONDAY

Judge Alfred Delucchi scolded Modesto police Monday.

Lead defense attorney Mark Geragos continued his quest to show that Modesto police zeroed in on his client, Scott Peterson, while ignoring other credible leads that poured in after 27-year-old Laci Peterson was reported missing.

First Geragos pointed to Kim McGregor, a neighbor who admitted to police that she stole a video camera, several jackets and Laci Peterson's Social Security card from the Petersons' Covena Avenue home.

He also suggested that Amber Frey, Scott Peterson's former girlfriend, held back some taped phone calls from authorities after agreeing to secretly record her conversations with Scott.

The suggestions came during a wide-ranging cross-examination of Detective Al Brocchini, who took the witness stand for a fourth day.

Also, Superior Court Judge Alfred Delucchi released dozens ........

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Defense turns to other suspects

The judge in the Peterson trial released photos Monday, including this one of the rags Scott Peterson said he took out of the washing machine when he returned from fishing Dec. 24, 2002.

Defense turns to other suspects

Evidence photo released Monday by the judge in the Peterson trial.

Evidence photo released Monday by the judge in the Peterson trial.

By JOHN COTÉ and SUSAN HERENDEEN
BEE STAFF WRITERS

Last Updated: June 29, 2004, 05:31:25 AM PDT

REDWOOD CITY -- Kim McGregor appeared to be infatuated with Scott Peterson, and she robbed his home after his wife disappeared.

Monday, Peterson's defense team pointed to the Peterson neighbor as an indication that police ignored other suspects in the missing-person case that turned into a double homicide.

Lead attorney Mark Geragos also suggested that Peterson's former girlfriend, Amber Frey -- after she agreed to secretly record her conversations with Peterson -- did not reveal some of the calls.

The questioning about McGregor and Frey came as Geragos cross-examined Modesto police Detective Al Brocchini for a third day. The defense scored a blow toward the end of last week when Brocchini admitted that he "excised" a key piece of information from a police report.

Sgt. Ed Steele came to Brocchini's defense Friday in an interview with The Associated Press, violating a gag order in the case. This led to a warning -- but no sanctions -- from Superior Court Judge Alfred Delucchi to the Police Department.

Delucchi reminded all of the participants that the order issued by Stanislaus County Judge Al Girolami before the trial began forbids not only the attorneys and police from commenting on the case but also any witnesses who have been subpoenaed, including family members of either Scott or Laci Peterson. The judge said that while he did not want to be a "policeman," he would not hesitate to use his authority to prevent anyone involved in the trial from talking to the media.

"If it doesn't stop, I'm going to have to do something ...........

[Devil_Anse]

There isn't a genuine bone in the man's body. I've thought that of him ever since about 1998, when he used to use his really high-level debating technique--shouting loudly so the other side can't be heard--to defend The Rapist.

[Inspectorette]

Looks like Monica from the neck up only: this girl is way too thin. Last pix I've seen of her, The Portly Pepperpot is portlier than ever - a Jenny Craig dropout.

[hgro]

Another O.J. Simpleton trial.

[sissyjane]

I wonder if that is a picture of Aphrodite Jones the author.

[juzcuz]

I am starting to doubt that Amber was hiding some of her conversations with Scott from the police, when she had promised to let them in on all her contacts with Scott. It's starting to sound like more Geragos ....
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From what I read, the doubt didn't originate with Geragos but Geragos will use this too. Jacobson the LE surveillence guy found that the number of recordings didn't jive with hers. For example, on Dec. 26 Amber reported 14 calls Jacobson reported 17. There were other problems too. In January Amber used other phones that were not (wired?) to converse with Snott. Jacobson was alarmed at the time and he met with (superiors?) over the issue..

[alexandria]

From what I read, the doubt didn't originate with Geragos but Geragos will use this too. Jacobson the LE surveillence guy found that the number of recordings didn't jive with hers. For example, on Dec. 26 Amber reported 14 calls Jacobson reported 17. There were other problems too. In January Amber used other phones that were not (wired?) to converse with Snott. Jacobson was alarmed at the time and he met with (superiors?) over the issue..

Blam!

Well , if there were other calls they WILL come out. I can see how at first Amber would not want to believe that Scott could really be involved with this. Denial you know.

[sissyjane]

I just heard stan Goldman talking about the evidence photos which were released yesterday. I tried to look at them on the Mod. Bee web-site, gat a virus warning, and now my computer will not open them. Be careful.

I wanted to look at the photo of the phone book which was- according to Stan(FOX NEWS)-open to criminal defense attorneys on the evening of the 24th.

[sissyjane]

Pardon my spelling errors, not enough coffee yet....LOL!!

[juzcuz]

Well , if there were other calls they WILL come out.
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Well, I hope.. Seems Amber's phone records show mostly always two or three less calls (consistently) than what the actual records show dating back from Mid Dec. Could she have gotten her tapes and dates mixed up - consistently? Could she have been selectively editing- consistently? I guess I'd be tempted to not give the police everything trying to save myself from more embarrassment.

[RGSpincich]

There are two views of the phone book. One from a distance of 4-5 feet clearly shows a book that is probably a yellow page only edition. It is opened just past the informational section with the green pages starting on the right of center. On a closer view of the book one can see that on the left side is a big old promo ad outlined in bright yellow with red printing, the last few letters of the word DEFENSE can be distinguished. Wonder if that's McCallister's ad? (Anybody out there with a 2002 Modesto phone book?)

[runningbear]

wow... I might have one here at work .. should I look for McAllister's ad?

[runningbear]

LOL... might...

[pinz-n-needlez]

Look at the misfit webpage. She has a photo up of that page.

http://www.misfitting.com/archives/cat_peterson_file.html#000525

Pinz

[RGSpincich]

McAllister or whoever would be the first full page defense attorney ad with a bright yellow border and red printing. It would be a 2002 or earlier book, I don't see white pages. The ad is directly across from the first green page. Might even be an imposter yellow page book.

[runningbear]

RG: No, I had a 2001 I think... Didn't think I would keep one that long. But McAllister only had a simple listing by defense trade, no ads. Only ones with ads, (last names) Gaza, Conner, Magana,Falkner, and Chase that has big words, "defense".... Maybe another Modestan might have one.....

[RGSpincich]

Check out post #33, that is the ad. It's not the same book but the last four digits of the phone number are the same as in the ad shown in the evidence photos.

[runningbear]

didn't think to look at the glossy ones, or like misfits posted, the big cost ones.... ;o)

Usually the personal injury attorneys post those nice ads, like local Mark Nelson, BK and personal injury attorney etc....

[sissyjane]

Thanks for the link!

Now does anyone remember if Scott called that attorney. I thought he had three different attorneys, but that could mean McAllister, the public defender, and then Geragos.

[sissyjane]

From the NY Post: "As for the photo of the phone book, Modesto Detective Matthew Spurlock wrote in his confidential police report that the bizarre sight of the Yellow Pages — open to the striking, color ad for a local lawyer specializing in murder — helped first sound the alarm that Scott might be involved in Laci's disappearance. That's because at the time, no one had yet suggested Scott might be involved. "Criminal defense. Former deputy DA," blares the full-page ad for Modesto lawyer Richard S. Herman. It adds that Herman specializes in murder and domestic violence, while featuring illustrations of a cop putting handcuffs on a man, and the face of a crying woman. Herman said he had never been contacted by Peterson — which the lawyer regrets. "I would very much have enjoyed taking the case," Herman told The Post. __________________ Look what I found!!

[Devil_Anse]

Thanks for the info. Heaven knows, it's certainly a million times more reliable than what I'd get if I just listened to quotes of Geragos' off-the-wall cross exam!

Okay, so let's see where this leaves us. It kind of makes sense, you know? I mean, let's put ourselves in Amber's place... you're going out with this guy, you're having a great time together, then all this really bad stuff happens, you find out he's been hiding a lot of things... but you still haven't forgotten the good times. You find that you can't just go from liking him a lot, to despising him, all at once, like the flip of a switch. You aren't sure whether to believe that he murdered his wife, or not... it doesn't seem possible... but you know that if you start to believe he DID do it, you will RUN, not walk, away--after blowing the whistle on him.

So, while you're too afraid to not help the police, and you want to do the right thing, you just can't resist the chance to talk to him completely privately. So that you can get a sense of what's REALLY happening, so that maybe, just maybe, through pressure (sexual and otherwise), maybe you can get this puzzling man to tell you the frikkin' TRUTH for a change!

Frankly, IMO, the overall impression I get is of Amber as a human being, put in a situation that would baffle any of us, not out to hang Scott, but also buying less and less of his spiel. To me, that all looks quite natural, and I don't see the jury holding it against her; in fact, I think it may even make the jury sort of sympathetic towards her.