Drew Peterson defense team starts blog

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UPDATE SEPTEMBER 28: That was fast. The blog that is the subject of this post is no longer there.
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I just noticed that a site which formerly contained links to Drew Peterson’s defense documents (and is still entitled: Drew Peterson Documents) has now morphed into a blog with updates about the Peterson case.

Members of the Peterson’s defense team already send out frequent press releases, update the Abood Law and Brodsky & Odeh web sites with news and legal briefs, and Joel Brodsky continues to grant radio interviews even though Judge Stephen White has asked to preapprove all media appearances by all attorneys involved in the case.

The judge issued specific guidelines to Peterson’s attorneys on pre-trial publicity and media interviews, asking that the lawyers inform the judge of any pre-arranged media interviews and supply him with copies of any press releases sent out on the case.

Why does the defense continue to court the public even after filing a motion for a change of venue which complains that “media overexposure” has made it impossible for their client to obtain a fair trial of his peers?

Should we be expecting a return of the Drew Peterson Defense Fund website, where “For the cost of a few cups of your morning coffee, you (could) help to ensure that Drew can afford to support his ongoing legal defense” and “find his missing wife”?
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Maybe Drew Peterson’s defense team should go “buy” the book.

The weapons charges against Drew Peterson were dismissed in November, 2008. However the State has appealed that decision and would like to pursue the charges again. Last Monday, August 3rd, Drew Peterson’s defense filed a new response to the prosecution’s decision to appeal a court’s dismissal of gun charges.

While one could question why attorney, Andrew Abood is filing a 30-page brief about the appeal of a dismissed weapons charge when his client is already in jail indicted on two counts of murder, it’s a little more concerning that some of the information given in the response is blatantly un-factual.

In particular, this quote from pages 29-30:

No one can deny the Chicago Tribune and the Naperville Sun have reported on this case regularly. The Naperville Sun has even published a book about Mr. Peterson, featuring him on the cover connected to a lie detector machine.

For the record, there have been only two books published about the Peterson case. Neither of them was published by the Naperville Sun.

Joseph Hosey, who reports for the Herald-News in Joliet, authored “Fatal Vows: The tragic wives of Sergeant Drew Peterson“. It was published by Phoenix Books.

The other book written about the Peterson case is by Derek Armstrong. It’s called “Drew Peterson Exposed” and it was written after Peterson’s publicist, Glenn Selig, went looking for an author to tell “Drew’s side” of the story. It’s published by Kunati Books.

Please note that the book cover showing Drew attached to the “lie detector machine” is that of Armstrong’s book–the book  written after Drew voluntarily provided “hundreds of hours” of interviews and personal photos to the author. It should also be pointed out that the polygraph of Peterson took place at the offices of his lawyer, Joel Brodsky, and at Brodsky’s request. In fact the photo credit in the book reads, “Photo courtesy of Brodsky & Odeh”.

So, to be clear (since Abood is not), the photo in question was one that Drew Peterson actually posed for, taken by and provided to the author by Joel Brodsky…and yet the defense team is now using it as an example of how the jury pool has been tainted.

If Peterson’s defense team can’t get details like this straight, can we trust the accuracy of any of the information in those 37 pages?

UPDATE AUGUST 14: Two days ago, Abood filed a correction which reads:

The Naperville Sun even published a story about Mr. Peterson about a book featuring him on the cover connected to a lie detector machine.

Now, the information has gone from false to nonsensical.

The original brief:

View this document on Scribd

The letter of correction submitted August 12

Drew Peterson’s next hearing is on August 10.
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The Selling of Drew Peterson, continued

Steph Watts, formerly of On the Record with Greta Van Susteren and now a freelancer, described on Fox News Chicago tonight how Joel Brodsky approached him with an offer: $200,000 for a story about Drew Peterson and Chrissy Raines, complete with the opportunity to videotape the two of them at home.

The figure of $200,000 was arrived at by their belief that is what the family of Casey Anthony was offered for a story.

Watts stated that were Peterson to be acquitted he imagines Drew and Joel Brodsky would simply “Rejoin the media circus” and the two of them would continue to “pimp themselves out for interviews.”

Rumor has it that NBC paid six figures for the collect-call interview granted to Matt Lauer earlier this week.

Fox News Chicago

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The Selling of Drew Peterson

Drew is expecting a nicer headline this time around?

Today, Drew Peterson’s PR agency announced that Drew Peterson and the Idiot Woman-child, Christina Raines, will be featured in Friday’s upcoming issue of People Magazine.

Drew’s publicity agent, Glenn Selig, states, “For Mr. Peterson, this was an opportunity for People readers to see him in a new light.”

Ridiculous PR spin aside, it was also yet another opportunity for Drew to cash in on the notoriety that has surrounded him since he became the only suspect in his fourth wife’s, disappearance (and possibly the homicide of his third wife).

Last week we heard from Randy Miller of WGN radio that Joel Brodsky charges for interviews with his client, or as Joel so elegantly puts it, “Yeah Drew will do it. It’s going to cost you some money.”  If a media outlet shows some qualms about ponying up cash, Joel tries to work out a barter, trading air-time with Drew for advertisement for his bar; as long as “the plug [is not] connected in any way to Drew Peterson or his attorney”.

Strange behavior from a defense team that has lashed out at every potential witness for the prosecution with accusations that they are speaking out only for financial gain.

When Drew’s old friend Ric Mims spoke of Drew showing him a fold-up gun in his possession, Brodsky dismissed it saying, “I think this is just another story that Mr. Mims is trying to shop to The Enquirer… He made money, you know, selling some pictures of a bed to The Enquirer. Now he’s trying to do it again.”

Drew Peterson: Where is the Love?

Drew Peterson cutting down ribbons honoring his missing wife on Sunday.

Recently, I came across a Facebook comment from Tom Morphey’s sister, Sue Cathcart. She wrote, “The entire Morphey family is anxiously awaiting SOMETHING to put this murderer away! It is incomprehensible that Drew is walking around a free man, destroying the lives of his innocent children and mocking the justice system. I pray for some closure for Kathleen & Stacy’s families, and normalcy for the Morphey family. Thanks to everyone who has encouraged and supported my brother, Tommy, during this difficult time for him.”

Sue isn’t the only person to come forward in support of Tom Morphey, the man who claims to have helped his brother move a blue container from Drew Peterson’s house the night that Stacy Peterson went missing. Tom’s brother, John Morphey, has also spoken publicly in defense of his brother. He’s described Tom as a man with a past of drug and alcohol abuse, but also as a man who has worked hard to clean up. He describes his brother as trusting and loyal saying “He’s loyal to a fault. Put it this way: His sophomore year of high school, he was playing football [at Hinsdale South High School] and one of the guys on his team picked up the ball and ran the wrong way. Tom blocked for him.”

Tom’s friend Walter Martinek says, “He’s a down-to-earth person. He’ll give you the shirt off his back. I can’t say nothing bad about him. His past is his past. From when I moved into the neighborhood six years ago, I’ve never seen no problems whatsoever.”

These people have all come forward in support of a man who Drew Peterson’s defense is trying to paint as someone with “severe mental illness, drug and alcohol addiction“; someone who lies and hallucinates; a man who thirsts so much for approval that he’ll admit to knowing about and being involved in the murder of his sister-in-law. Yet, there are people who will stand up to vouch for and defend Tom Morphey.

So, where are Drew Peterson’s supporters?

Christina Raines to Drew Peterson: “Are you Going to Drown Me in the Bathtub Too?”

I'm just playing!

Yes, Christina Raines and Drew Peterson appeared together on the Mancow and Cassidy show this morning and as I imagined might happen, the shenanigans made me despair for humanity.

Did Glenn Selig book this  horror show of callousness and idiocy?

As one of Drew’s youngsters injured itself and wailed in the hallway, Drew and Chrissy cuddled and answered questions in the WLS studio. Chrissy seemed clueless and infantile–barely audible. Was she refusing to approach the mic, or just too intimidated to speak up?

With all the composure of an insecure adolescent, this mother of two and fiancée of a double-murder suspect, gained confidence as she flirted with the show’s hosts and then blurted out tasteless jokey replies to questions, only to immediately retract her answers.

MULLER: When he first asked you out, what did you think? Were you nervous at first?
RAINES: I thought he was weird. I thought he was trying to molest me.. Just joking!

***STUNT ALERT***

As for Drew himself, he gave credence to the reality show rumors (remember Drew spoke to a Las Vegas boxing rep) by challenging Geraldo Rivera to a fight in Las Vegas.

PETERSON: Geraldo, quit messing with her dad. Quit messing with her family. I think if you’ve got something to say you should come say it to my face and I think if you really have it in for me like you say, I think me and you should go out back and take the gloves off and go at it a little bit. Geraldo Rivera, I’m challenging you to a fight.
MULLER: You’re challenging Geraldo Rivera to a fight.
PETERSON: Yes I am.
MULLER: Where would this take place?
PETERSON: Let’s put it on TV. Let’s do it for some charity event.
MULLER: Would you do it in Chicago or do it in New York?
PETERSON: Let’s do it in Vegas.

Meanwhile the bromance between Drew and Mancow continues to blossom.

CASSIDY: You went to church together a couple of times—Mancow’s church in the West Loop and what was that like for you, Drew?
PETERSON: I’m heartfelt that Mancow’s the only person on the planet that’s taken any interest in my soul and I appreciate him as a person, for that.
CASSIDY: …I know he was on the phone with you talking about your soul.
PETERSON: Right.
CASSIDY: And it’s like he really cares. It’s not a bunch of hooey.
PETERSON: It’s true. If you sit in church with him it’s very real and heartfelt.

I think there are plenty of the people on the planet concerned for Drew Peterson’s soul. But by all indications, he’s knocking on the wrong doors and speed dialing the wrong names on his cellphone. I’d advise him to stop turning to the people who are going to make a buck from getting close to him. Maybe reach out to some actual clergy, rather than a washed up shock-jock who makes Drew his plus-one to comped shows at the House of Blues.

Download an MP3 of the Show at the WLS web site.

Read a rush transcript (unproofread).

BTW, don’t forget that Drew has a status hearing for the Savio Estate case at the River Valley Justice Center tomorrow morning, at 9 am.

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Drew Peterson’s Publicist: “It’s gone better than I ever could have imagined”

Since neither of his high-profile clients has gone to trial yet, I imagine Glenn must be referring only to the money he has made when he says how well things have gone for him.

Glenn Selig Loves a Challenge

Tampa publicist Glenn Selig helps Blagojevich, Drew Peterson battle image problems
By Eric Deggans, Times TV/Media Critic
In Print: Monday, February 16, 2009

[EXCERPT]

…The call that changed Selig’s life came while he was on a Disney cruise with his wife, Charyn, and young children, daughter Drew and son Joshua, at the end of 2007. It was Peterson’s attorney with an intriguing proposal.

How would he like to represent the most controversial husband in America?

Peterson already had an awful public image, behaving oddly during interviews about his missing 23-year-old wife and attempting to participate in a dating contest overseen by a Chicago shock jock. Selig met with the retired officer in Orlando, weighing whether his potential client was misunderstood or someone looking to bamboozle the world.

“Do I know whether he did it or not? No, because I wasn’t there,” said Selig, who eventually brokered interviews with NBC’s Today show and the Associated Press emphasizing Peterson’s parenting skills. “Do I believe he did it? No. And because no one else knows, either, he needs to be presumed innocent. … It’s a noble cause to defend someone’s image in the court of public opinion.”

Drew Peterson and Joel Brodsky Explain it all. Christina Raines says Nothing.

Last night, Joel and Drew sat down together and phoned in to Dana’s Scared Monkeys radio show to try to explain the latest confusion about Drew’s private life–namely the engagement stunt that they say was no stunt. Apparently, Christina Raines was content to let these two speak for her. She declined to be interviewed.

They also briefly gave their views on the status of the weapons charges, the likelihood of Drew ever being charged, and the pernicious evil of morning television producers.

Below are a few excerpts:

Drew explains how Christina Raines came to leave his home.

What happened was she was at work and she went ahead and heard me make some comments, off-the-cuff comments, joking around with the television show, the CBS people and that I was really dismissive with women. If I didn’t like them I would move on and trade them in or whatever and basically they didn’t play the whole thing. As usual, when you tape something it gets cut up and turned around and twisted and that’s what happened here.

And then all of a sudden there was like …everybody in her family, there was TV producers, there was lawyers, there was other family members from Kathleen were there, friends and family and it was like an intervention. Everybody was there trying to get her off of me, actually and she was very upset. Her father was there and he doesn’t like the relationship and he was doing what he could. He threatened her with, if she didn’t go home with him that night he would disown her, that type of thing.

Next thing you know she’s freaking out. Next thing you know she’s in New York going on television saying that it was a publicity stunt—the engagement, when actually it was very real. The only thing that was not real about the whole engagement was the ring I gave her and the ring I gave her was only a temporary one. So, I gave her a ring that really wasn’t that good but she did ask me to marry her five or six times and I agreed and we were in fact, for real, engaged.

Brodsky’s Latest Cunning Stunt.

The Publicity Agency Lands Client on TruTV as Guest Legal Commentator

Criminal defense attorney Joel Brodsky to provide commentary on ‘Banfield & Ford: Courtside with Ashleigh Banfield and Jack Ford.’

thepublicityagency.com – February 05, 2009

Criminal defense attorney Joel Brodsky, The Publicity Agency client.

(PRNewsChannel) / Tampa, Fla. / Chicago-based criminal defense attorney Joel Brodsky appears today on TruTV (formerly CourtTV) as a guest commentator. 

Brodsky makes his debut on ‘Banfield & Ford: Courtside with Ashleigh Banfield and Jack Ford.’  The program airs from 1pm ET to 3pm ET.  Brodsky will offer commentary on a Massachusetts murder trial.

“Joel’s goal is to provide analysis on high-profile court cases,” says Glenn Selig, founder of The Publicity Agency (http://www.thepublicityagency.com).  “TruTV is the perfect outlet for that. It’s what many lawyers dream of doing and Joel’s doing it today.”

Brodsky is a partner in the law firm Brodsky & Odeh based in Chicago…