Posted on 01/19/2024 10:16:57 AM PST by MeganC
Twenty years after he was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, Scott Peterson has a new ally in his fight to prove he didn't commit the crime. The Los Angeles Innocence Project is now working with Peterson, according to news outlets in California.
It's an important shift in Peterson's case. Up to now, many of his attorneys' efforts have focused on overturning his death sentence — an effort that succeeded in 2020. Peterson, 51, is now seeking exoneration and to free himself from serving a life sentence.
The Los Angeles Innocence Project issued a widely cited statement Thursday saying it "represents Scott Peterson and is investigating his claim of actual innocence."
Laci Peterson and her unborn child, Connor, disappeared in December of 2002. Scott Peterson, who was found to be having an affair, was charged with murder in April of 2003, almost immediately after his wife's decomposed body was found along the shore of San Francisco Bay. He pleaded not guilty and has maintained his innocence in the years since.
At the end of a five-month trial, a jury convicted Peterson in November of 2004, after two jurors were dismissed from the panel during deliberations.
A jury approved the death penalty for Peterson, only to have that punishment rolled back by a finding that jurors hadn't been properly screened. In December of 2022, a court rejected Peterson's call for a new trial.
This week, Peterson's team filed a discovery motion, referring to evidence related to his case, according to records at the San Mateo Superior Court. His attorneys also filed a motion for DNA testing, as well as a motion to seal some court records. They're the first new court filings in his murder case in a year.
Comments from Peterson's current and former lawyers suggest the new effort may focus on a burglary near the family's home in Modesto, Calif., around the time Laci Peterson disappeared, according to ABC, which first reported the Los Angeles Innocence Project's involvement in his case.
In 2022, the Los Angeles Innocence Project used DNA evidence to overturn the wrongful murder conviction of Maurice Hastings, who spent more than 38 years in prison.
The organization says its mission is "to exonerate the wrongly convicted; free the wrongfully incarcerated; uncover and remedy past misuse of forensic and other scientific evidence in the courtroom," and push for improvements in the criminal legal system, including standards for using forensic evidence in the court.
The man was not Husband-of-the-Year material, for sure. But I never believed he killed his wife.
From the start he told the police where he was at the time Laci went missing and he was fishing at Emeryville. The Modesto PD called that a lie on TV and put on a big show searching Lake Camanche, Pardee Reservoir, the California Aqueduct, and farmland in the area.
Then when Laci washed up at Emeryville they were all "A-HA! WE KNEW IT ALL ALONG!" and acted like their previous narrative had never existed.
Then they were all-in on convicting the man of murder.
Now it comes up that the MPD and the prosecutors were suppressing exculpatory testimony and evidence and they deliberately withheld this evidence during discovery.
At this point Peterson at least should have a new trial with the previously suppressed evidence presented.
His mistress lawyered up with Gloria Alread.
I always go fishing on Christmas and leave my 9 months pregnant wife at home.
Innocence Project is just another woke scam.
Scott Peterson is guilty and they couldn’t care less.
“I always go fishing on Christmas and leave my 9 months pregnant wife at home.”
1. She was 7.5 months pregnant at the time.
2. Going fishing on Christmas is proof of murder?
Before his wife’s and son’s remains were found, he sold his wife’s car and looked into selling house too... plenty of circumstantial evidence.
“plenty of circumstantial evidence.”
You mean like the circumstantial evidence that’s put hundreds of people in prison for the January 6, 2021 ‘insurrection’?
No, it’s not proof of murder. It’s weird though.
I think you’re bored and just like arguing.
You should do more looking into the things you discussed in your vanity thread some months ago.
That was good and useful.
“Before his wife’s and son’s remains were found, he sold his wife’s car and looked into selling house too”
1. He did not sell his wife’s car. The police had seized it as evidence. They’d also seized his truck as evidence.
Then when he went to buy another car to get around the cops accused him of doing something suspicious by doing so. What was he supposed to drive?
Laci Peterson’s family sold the house in 2005, well after Scott was convicted and imprisoned.
Commie libs are always first to jump in and get criminals out of jail.
“I think you’re bored and just like arguing.”
No, I just get offended at police and prosecutors who lie to get convictions.
I have had Chinese food and gone to the movies on Christmas....
“I have had Chinese food and gone to the movies on Christmas....”
Obviously this is proof of some sort of crime.
(insert sarcastic eye roll here)
Of course he killed her, this is all procedural BS.
“Commie libs are always first to jump in and get criminals out of jail.”
Sometimes they’re right. Excuse me, they’re right HUNDREDS of times.
https://innocenceproject.org/all-cases/
Being found guilty is “some sort of crime”.
“Of course he killed her, this is all procedural BS.”
Had procedure been followed and Peterson was properly convicted then he’d be dead now.
The BS in this case occurred because the police and prosecutors did not follow their established procedures.
I’ve seen several programs about him and I agree with your assessment.
Yes,they’re Maoists.But there *are* people who’ve been wrongly convicted of serious crimes.Probably not many but there are some.
“..this is all procedural BS.”
If you get arrested and charged with a crime, do you want the police and prosecutors to follow procedure, or is it okay if they cut corners all the way to your conviction?
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