Posted on 07/09/2003 5:39:07 AM PDT by runningbear
Peterson judge considers defense request for access to unsolved death
Peterson judge considers defense request for access to unsolved death
Tuesday, July 8, 2003 Posted: 5:51 PM EDT (2151 GMT)
(CNN) -- A California judge Wednesday is expected to hear arguments about turning over a San Francisco police file of an unsolved death of a pregnant woman to the attorneys of a man accused of killing his wife and their unborn child.
Additionally, Judge Al Girolami is expected to consider the fate of wiretap recordings local authorities made of intercepted phone calls during the investigation of Scott Peterson.
Girolami also will consider a motion by the media to have access to wiretap recordings of media calls to Scott Peterson at Wednesday's hearing at the Stanislaus County Courthouse in Modesto, California.
Scott Peterson, 30, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the death of his wife Laci and the couple's unborn son. Prosecutors have said they would seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
The victims' bodies were found in April on the shores of San Francisco Bay near the marina where Peterson said he had launched his boat on a fishing trip Christmas Eve. The area is about 80 miles from the Peterson home in Modesto.
Lawyers for Scott Peterson have urged Girolami to order police in San Francisco to provide them with information about the death of Evelyn Hernandez, whose body was found last year.
Peterson's lawyers say the unsolved killing of Hernandez could contain clues to the identity of the "actual perpetrators" of the slaying of Laci Peterson and the Peterson's unborn son.
Laci Peterson's body was found in April on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, across from San Francisco.
San Francisco authorities have asked Girolami to quash a May 29 subpoena to turn over all investigative records in the Hernandez case. In court papers, City Attorney Dennis Herrera said the case is still "open and active" and the release of any information in the file might "result in the perpetrator of the crime avoiding detection."
But Peterson's lawyers say San Francisco police contacted Modesto authorities in early January, two weeks after Laci Peterson disappeared, and provided information about the Hernandez case. Because of that, Peterson lawyer Mark Geragos argued in court papers, investigators should provide information on the Hernandez case to the defense.
Hernandez, 24, was found dead July 24, 2002, in the water near the Bay Bridge ......
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Laci's Mother Testifies for Unborn Victims of Violence Act
Laci's Mother Testifies for Unborn Victims of Violence Act
The mother of victim Laci Peterson is lobbying Congress for the passage of a bill that would grant newborn rights to fetuses.
Peterson's mother, Sharon Rocha, is at the Capitol on behalf of the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act." The Republican-backed measure would make the act of harming a fetus during an attack on its mother a federal offense.
Pro-choice advocates oppose the bill, commonly known as "Laci and Conner's Law." They say it would create more restrictive rules on women.
(((There is a video clip on the URL site)))
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Red Lion Manager Loses Job After Pulling Welcome Mat From Petersons
(((There is a video clip on the URL site)))
Red Lion Manager Loses Job After Pulling Welcome Mat From Petersons
The Modesto hotel manager who helped search efforts for Laci Peterson has been forced from his job.
Brad Saltzman said the Red Lion Hotel told him to resign or be fired after he told Scott Peterson's parents they should find accommodations elsewhere.
Saltzman said he decided to pull the welcome mat after he heard Scott Peterson's father, Lee, on television accuse Laci's mother Sharon Rocha of burglarizing her daughter's house. Before that, Saltzman had tried to make the Petersons feel welcome by giving them discounted rates while they were in town looking for Laci Peterson.
"I just couldn't rent Lee a room," said Saltzman. "I just couldn't be in that hotel and be the presiding general manager and have Lee Peterson staying there."
After he discussed his decision publicly, hotel managers called him to the home office in Kansas. The vice president and CEO of the company met with him and had his check ready ......
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Peterson judge will take up wiretaps
Technical expert discovered 176 more recordings in June.
Peterson judge will take up wiretaps
Technical expert discovered 176 more recordings in June.
By John Coté
The Modesto Bee
(Published Tuesday, July 8, 2003, 5:42 AM)
MODESTO -- A judge Wednesday is scheduled to consider what to do with up to 176 newly discovered wiretap recordings of Scott Peterson's calls.
A technical expert discovered the recordings June 13 while examining the computerized system used during two wiretaps on Peterson's phone, according to court documents. He said the problem stemmed from a "peculiarity" in wireless technology.
Authorities secured the first wiretap for the fertilizer salesman's phone 17 days after his pregnant wife, Laci, was reported missing on Christmas Eve.
Peterson has been charged with two counts of murder in the death of his wife and the couple's unborn son, Conner. He has pleaded innocent. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
The new calls could contain "off-hook dead air" or "pertinent, nonpertinent and privileged information," according to documents filed by the prosecution.
Before the discovery, defense attorneys indicated they would seek sanctions against prosecutors claiming investigators intercepted 71 other calls between Peterson and his defense team and listened to parts of three of them.
During Wednesday's hearing, Judge Al Girolami also is slated to consider requests from 22 journalists -- including four from The Modesto Bee -- to review their calls intercepted during the wiretaps.
Girolami had earlier ruled against journalists who had sought to keep the recordings from either the defense or prosecution.
In addition, Girolami is scheduled to hear arguments about turning over a San Francisco police file into the unsolved death of a pregnant woman whose body was found last July along the waterfront in San Francisco.
Defense attorneys subpoenaed the file May 30, saying it contains information that "directly relates to identifying the actual perpetrators in the abduction and killing of Laci Peterson and her unborn son."
San Francisco police so far have refused to provide it to the defense, citing the continuing investigation into the death of Evelyn Hernandez, a 24-year-old single mother who disappeared in May 2002.
Like Hernandez, Laci Peterson was roughly.........
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Modesto Joins Other Valley Cities in Cracking Down on Panhandling
Modesto Joins Other Valley Cities in Cracking Down on Panhandling
The Modesto City Council has passed an ordinance that restricts places where panhandlers can operate.
The ordinance bans asking for money in front of banks, ATMs, at outdoor restaurants, in places where people are standing in line, and by roads and intersections.
"We understand that people who give money to panhandlers have the best of intentions. We also know that panhandlers usually use the money to buy alcohol and drugs rather than goods and services that will improve their condition," said Gary Watts, Lieutenant, Tactical Patrol Supervisor in a news release encouraging residents not to give money to panhandlers.
The ordinance is similar to one passed by Stanislaus County......
((((HA! The ordinances sure haven't stop them yet. They are all over the intersections throughout Modesto, and any other city!)))
A Snip it from Court TV chat board:
"Scott's letter from jail to Stacey Boyer
Did you guys read this in Vanity Fair? Stacey Boyer is one of Laci's oldest friends, from third grade. She got a letter from him just after Laci's birthday. It says: "It's hard for me sitting in this cell knowing it's Laci's birthday; we had a tradition that we would fly a kite on her birthday. So if you get a chance, I'd really like for you to go fly a kite.""
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FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
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It is in the breaking news sidebar! |
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What a guy. His lawyer's probably scratching his head over this one. Is Peterson just appearing to be stupid, which this letter is so the jury won't think he could be smart enough to pull off a murder? Maybe's he's dumb as a fox.
"Press credential seating notifications will be e-mailed by 5:00 pm PST on Tuesday, 7/8/03 to those who faxed in a request for credentials.
Wednesday's hearing (July 9, 2003 at 8:30 am PST) will have assigned seating in Department 2 of the Superior Court of Stanislaus County. The court will use the same system that has been in place from the beginning.
Pool Arrangement Information
A pool camera/recording arrangement has been authorized by Superior Court Judge Girolami. The following news entities have been designated. Please contact them for specific details about their images/video/audio.
Court TV will be the designated video pool. Contact Rosann Lucadamo at (212) 692-7875 or lucadamor@courttv.com. At this time, there will be no live video feed from the courtroom while the hearing is underway.
The Modesto Bee - will be the designated still photograph pool. Contact Al Golub at (209) 578-2322 or agolub@modbee.com for details.
Clear Channel/KFBK Radio, Sacramento will be the designated radio pool. Contact Chris Filippi at (916) 929-5325 or ChrisFilippi@clearchannel.com.
Click listen live for updates
July 9th Hearing Info
Posted on Monday, June 30 2003 at 4:11 PM PST ----
July 9th was the date originally set for further Pre Trial and the hearing re. media coverage for the Preliminary hearing. The latter was continued to August 14th. On July 9th, the SF City Atty motion to quash a subpoena from the defense for their investigation of a pregnant body in the bay will be heard. On July 9th the court will also cover the media's request to listen to their wiretaps.
Reichle again discussed a venue survey that is currently being conducted by Ed Bronson of Chico State University's political science department. He said that the survey was taking longer than expected because of work the consultant was doing in the Scott Peterson case in Modesto and another high profile case in Kansas City.
Other mother
Scott Peterson's lawyers can see the autopsy report of a pregnant woman found, like his wife Laci, dead in San Francisco Bay, but the police report will remain off limits
((did scaughty not want a facial shot?))
Lawyers can view autopsy report of other pregant woman, but not police file
By Harriet Ryan
Court TV
MODESTO, Calif. —
The police file on a pregnant San Francisco mother whose murder last summer mirrors Laci Peterson's death is off limits to Scott Peterson as he builds a defense to his wife's killing.
However, a judge ruled Wednesday that his legal team can view photographs and reports from the autopsy of the slain woman, Evelyn Hernandez.
Attorneys for Peterson have noted similarities between the two cases and subpoenaed the investigative file on Hernandez's murder in what they call their search for Laci Peterson's "real killers."
But Stanislaus Count Superior Court Judge Al Girolami said Wednesday that opening the file on the murder of the 24-year-old immigrant might hinder efforts to solve that year-old crime by tipping detectives' hands.
"I'm satisfied there is a considerable public interest in keeping (Hernandez's file) sealed," Girolami said, noting the investigation "is still ongoing and could easily be jeopardized if that material is made public and shared with other people."
Girolami, however, provided both the prosecution and the defense with copies of Hernandez's autopsy report now a public document and ordered police to give copies of 30 autopsy photographs to both sides if Hernandez's family does not object.
Peterson, 30, is accused of murdering his 27-year-old wife, who was eight months pregnant with their son, last December. Her badly-decomposed body washed up on the San Francisco Bay shore in April. Hernandez's body was found in the Bay in July, 2002, several months after she disappeared.
Peterson, being held without bail, could face the death penalty if convicted of two counts of murder.
Peterson seemed intensely focused on Wednesday's hearing, furrowing his brow at times and staring directly at each attorney addressing the judge. As he entered the courtroom, he waved to his mother, Jackie Peterson, who sat in the front row of the gallery next to her husband, Lee.
Across the aisle, Laci Peterson's mother and stepfather, Sharon Rocha and Ron Grantski, were seated with ten supporters. The families were escorted to and from the court separately and did not acknowledge each other.
The judge's ruling came after two lengthy private meetings. In the first, Peterson and his lawyers apparently laid out their case for a possible link between the murders. Before the judge imposed a gag order, Peterson's lawyer, Mark Geragos, had hinted that a satanic cult or a serial killer may be responsible for Laci Peterson's murder.
In the second closed-door hearing, San Francisco police inspectors struggling to carry Hernandez's file in five bulky binders and their lawyer apparently argued to keep the information secret. The detectives contend there is no evidence linking the crimes and strenuously resisted revealing witness interviews, search warrant results and other information.
Also Wednesday, Judge Girolami agreed to allow members of the media to listen to wiretaps of their individual conversations with Scott Peterson. Prosecutors placed taps on Peterson's home and cell phones during the investigation and the majority of calls intercepted were from journalists........
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