Posted on 11/02/2004 5:24:05 AM PST by runningbear
In closing, prosecutor says parenthood pushed Scott Peterson to kill
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Scott Peterson killed his pregnant wife because fatherhood threatened his "fantasyland" double life as a "rich, successful, freewheeling bachelor," a prosecutor told jurors during closing arguments Monday in his capital murder trial.
Prosecutor Rick Distaso said the fertilizer salesman strangled or smothered his 27-year-old spouse, Laci, in their home on Dec. 23 or Dec. 24, 2002, so he could be free of the lifetime of responsibilities the child would bring.
"He didn't want adult married life. He didn't want Conner Peterson," Distaso said, referring to the child Laci Peterson was carrying.
The prosecutor said Peterson had long maintained two lives — "the perfect husband" in public and in private, a cad grudgingly tolerating his marriage — but the birth of his first child and the expense of raising the boy or paying child support jeopardized the secret side he treasured.
Story continues .......
They may also want to demonstrate how very stable that boat is. The Manufacturer of the boat testified to that fact.
me too pinz. I feel very confident that Peterson will NOT walk. He may be tried again but even as Beth said, there will NOT be an acquittal. This statement from someone who has had chance to watch the Jurors quite often.
Yes Rusty this boat is almost flat bottomed. Quickly here I want to tell you what the Berkley Marina Harbor Master said on CC months ago. He stated that he was familiar with that very boat and that it was very stable. He further stated there were two ways to dump a body very safely from that boat. One was to lay the body with the weights on the bow of the boat. Laci would likely have fit just fine. Go out to your chosen spot and simply push the body off. That made perfect sense to me. The other was that you could quite easily push it out over the back end. That one I couldn't get quite the same visual for. He said he was at the Marina that day but that there was no way to see what was going on out on the water. Visibility was NOT good.
Wonder why? They have the instructions in the jury room.
Worst case, as long as Scott stays behind bars, then maybe next time the prosecution will KNOW what idiotic details they should have focused on.
I don't know if the Petersons can afford another high profile Attorney. Just rambling on here....:~)
sw
TH's are speculating that someone is holding out or not deliberating???
Okay......I'm ready for a verdict. I'm sick of politics!
Wonder if #6 is still picking at his fingernails.
I can't see MD/JD having a best seller if the jury is hung. The next foreperson would probably outshine him. A nice double count of 1st degree, with a penalty of death would make a best selling story, imo. ;-)
Maybe Strawberry Shortcake can tag in for #6. Didn't Justin have one or two little details that he was hanging his haton? SW, you porbably nailed it; I wonder if #6 somplained about no forensic evidence and a wobbly boat...
Pinz
Jurors Tell Judge They May Be Unable To Reach Verdict
POSTED: 7:48 AM PST November 8, 2004
UPDATED: 11:31 AM PST November 8, 2004
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Jurors deliberating Scott Peterson's fate indicated Monday they may be unable to reach a verdict.
Judge Alfred A. Delucchi summoned jurors to the courtroom Monday just an hour and half after they resumed deliberations. They got the case Wednesday afternoon and spent the weekend sequestered in a hotel after deliberating through Friday.
The judge reissued instructions to the jurors on several key points.
"The people and the defendant are entitled to the individual opinion of each juror," the judge said. "Do not hesitate to change your opinion for the purpose of reaching a verdict if you can do so.
"The attitude and conduct of jurors at all times is very important," he added. "It is rarely helpful for a juror at the beginning of deliberations to express an emphatic opinion on the case."
It was not immediately clear what exactly led to the judge's instructions, which took about five minutes.
Delucchi had summoned jurors to the courtroom shortly after he allowed the panel to inspect Scott Peterson's boat and -- over the objections of defense attorney Mark Geragos -- allowed two jurors to climb into the craft.
After the boat viewing, Geragos sought a mistrial, claiming jurors violated the judge's order by doing "a juror experiment" when several of the panelists got inside the boat and rocked it from side to side. The judge quickly denied the motion.
As an alternative to a mistrial, Geragos asked the judge to be allowed to show jurors a videotaped experiment performed by the defense.
Peterson is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of his wife, Laci, and the fetus she carried. Prosecutors claim Peterson killed Laci around Dec. 24, 2002, then dumped her weighted body from his small aluminum boat into San Francisco Bay.
The remains of Laci and the fetus were discovered a few miles from where Peterson claims to have gone fishing alone the day his wife vanished.
Defense lawyers have argued that it would have been nearly impossible for Peterson to have heaved his wife's 153-pound body over the edge of the boat without tipping.
Geragos did a videotaped experiment apparently showing the boat would have tipped, but Judge Alfred A. Delucchi ruled against allowing him to show the video to jurors during the trial.
"The juror was in there. The juror was standing inside the boat, shifting back and forth," Geragos told the judge.
the judge had instructed jurors before deliberations began not to conduct any experiments.
"I didn't know they were going to jump up and down on the boat," the judge said.
"I don't want a mistrial ... I want to show my demonstration," Geragos replied.
Jurors viewed the boat and its trailer in a parking garage near the courthouse.
The judge said jurors "carefully examined the sides of the boat."
He then ruled against Geragos' motion for a mistrial or to allow jurors to view his experiment.
Given that the boat was not in the water, "they should bear that in mind in their consideration," the judge said. "I think this works both ways. It can work for the prosecution's benefit. It can work for the defense's benefit."
Jurors entered their third full day of deliberations at about 9:10 a.m. Monday. They got the case Wednesday afternoon.
The judge has decided to allow them to deliberate only Monday-Friday. Twenty-one bailiffs have been sworn in to watch over them throughout the process.
Jurors have two choices should they decide to convict Peterson -- first- or second-degree. First-degree convictions, carrying the death penalty of life without parole, would mean jurors believe Peterson planned the killings in advance. Second-degree murder convictions don't require a finding of premeditation, and carry sentences of 15-years-to-life for each count.
sw
I was just saying that on another board! I'm thinking he may be the one since he rarely took notes and spent allot of time picking his nails.
Any reports that the jury has indicated that they may not be able to reach a verdict is just speculation at this point.
Just heard on CTV that there is no confirmation of that as of yet.
Don't get me started....grrrrr.
sw
lol you and me both! I feel like it's the first a January... the house is a mess, we've been eating thrown together meals, I'm axhausted and can barely remember what 'regular life' looks like!
Pinz
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1274515/posts
Drudge and Foxnews think the jury's deadlocked. :-(
Pinz
Great minds... lol
Pinz
Here's what I thought (post 159? 161?):
They could be looking at the size and thinking about whether he could get Laci's body on there, with anchors, and dump it. I read once that it would be hard on a little boat like that.
I don't thinking asking to see the boat means their deciding between first and second murder. They are still deciding if he did it.
Beth reports there are no notes from the jury saying they can't reach a verdict. There may be a couple who are not deliberating correctly, but no notes.
Pinz
Where are they getting this from? Beth Harris said they didn't indicate they couldn't reach a verdict -- just that there's a problem. Nancy Grace claims one juror isn't participating but details are not fully known. If that's the case, remove the juror and let's get on with it.
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