Drew Peterson to remain in jail

Drew Peterson isn’t going home today.

After both prosecution and defense argued their points in a Will County courtroom this morning, Judge Stephen White ruled that Drew Peterson must remain in jail while an appellate court reviews a decision on the hearsay evidence in his upcoming trial for murder.

Peterson has been in jail for 14 months, under a $20 million bail while awaiting trial for the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

View this document on Scribd

Daily Herald
Chicago Tribune
Rule 604. Appeals from Certain Judgments and Orders
We’re following Joe Hosey on Twitter

~By commenting you agree to be bound by the rules of this blog. You can contact admins directly by sending an email to petersonstory@gmail.com.~ Line and paragraph breaks are automatic in comments. The following HTML tags are allowed: <a href=""> <abbr> <acronym> <b> <blockquote> <cite> <pre> <em> <i> <q> <strike> <strong>

Prosecution appeals hearsay ruling in Peterson case. Trial delayed. Will Drew go home?

Today the prosecution in the trial of Drew Peterson appealed Judge White’s most recent ruling on the hearsay statements they wanted admitted.

Last week State’s Attorney Glasgow asked Judge White to reconsider his decision about the hearsay evidence, citing a June 24th Illinois Supreme Court ruling, which upheld the conviction of Eric Hanson, a Naperville man sentenced to death for killing his parents, sister and brother-in-law, but the judge denied the motion.

The trial, which was scheduled to start tomorrow, will be delayed while an appellate court reviews the judge’s decision. It’s possible that Drew Peterson could be allowed to return to his home while the appeal is being heard.

A press conference is scheduled for 4 p.m.

We’ll update this post throughout the day as we hear more. Please check the comments section for the latest news.

PEOPLE v. HANSON ruling filed June 24, 2010
Rule 604. Appeals from Certain Judgments and Orders
We’re following Joe Hosey on Twitter

~By commenting you agree to be bound by the rules of this blog. You can contact admins directly by sending an email to petersonstory@gmail.com.~ Line and paragraph breaks are automatic in comments. The following HTML tags are allowed: <a href=""> <abbr> <acronym> <b> <blockquote> <cite> <pre> <em> <i> <q> <strike> <strong>

Drew Peterson case: Savio autopsy questioned

Hearing to be held July 2 regarding Steph Watts’ role in Kathleen Savio autopsy.

Authorities exhume the body of Kathleen Savio at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Ill.

July 1, 2010

By JOE HOSEY

JOLIET–Less than a week before the start of Drew Peterson’s murder trial, prosecutors have called for a hearing to determine what role a cable news producer played in a private autopsy performed on Kathleen Savio’s exhumed corpse.

Steph Watts, a former Fox News Channel producer, filmed and may have assisted celebrity medical examiner Michael Baden during the November 2007 autopsy conducted at the behest of Savio’s family.

Peterson is charged with murdering Savio, who was his third wife, in March 2004. In the aftermath of Savio’s death, state police quickly decided she was the victim of a bathtub accident. But three and a half years later, following the disappearance of Peterson’s next wife, Stacy Peterson, state police abruptly changed course and declared Savio was the victim of a homicide. They charged Peterson with her murder a year and a half later.

Within weeks of Stacy Peterson’s disappearance, State’s Attorney James Glasgow ordered Savio’s grave to be dug up and a new autopsy performed on her decomposed corpse. Baden then conducted his own autopsy, parts of which were shown on Fox, for Savio’s family.

Watts filmed Baden with a hand-held camera during the autopsy. He also took notes. Baden testified during a pretrial hearing that Watts assisted him in moving Savio’s body as well.

Peterson’s attorneys have criticized Watts for his involvement in Baden’s autopsy. They also claim Watts’ autopsy notes included the personal phone number for Joe Francis, the producer of the nudity-laden video line “Girls Gone Wild,” and point to this as proof that the autopsy was flawed.

“This case is autopsies gone wild,” said Peterson attorney Joseph “Shark” Lopez.

Watts failed to return calls for comment on his upcoming court appearance.

Peterson’s lawyers will argue during Friday’s hearing that the autopsy was “irretrievably compromised” and to have Baden barred from testifying.

While Peterson’s lawyers want Baden out, one of his attorneys, Joel Brodsky was eager to get Watts on the witness stand.

When contacted Wednesday, Brodsky said, “I’m very much looking forward to getting Mr. Watts on the witness stand.”

View this document on Scribd

Read story at Herald News

~By commenting you agree to be bound by the rules of this blog. You can contact admins directly by sending an email to petersonstory@gmail.com.~ Line and paragraph breaks are automatic in comments. The following HTML tags are allowed: <a href=""> <abbr> <acronym> <b> <blockquote> <cite> <pre> <em> <i> <q> <strike> <strong>

Drew Peterson lawyers asking for trial delay

Drew Peterson was in court today and his lawyers filed a motion requesting a delay in the start of his trial for the murder of Kathleen Savio.

It was just three weeks ago that the team was making statements to the press that they were eager for the trial and would be ready on June 14th, despite losing two of their team to personal conflicts.

“We absolutely want to go on as planned. Drew wants to go to trial June 14, I want to go to trial on June 14 and Mr. Lopez will be ready on June 14,” Brodsky said in a telephone interview…

also…

For their part, Joseph “Shark” Lopez, another of Peterson’s lawyers, said he and his colleagues are primed to go. “We’ll be ready to rock and roll on this case,” Lopez said.

and who could forget…

“These motions aren’t filed to delay the start of the trial,” said Joseph “Shark” Lopez, one of the six lawyers representing the accused wife-killer. “They’re filed for the purpose of protecting Mr. Peterson’s life under the Constitution.

Updates will follow. Check out the comment thread for the latest.

~By commenting you agree to be bound by the rules of this blog. If you spot a rule violation, send an e-mail to petersonstory@gmail.com.~ Line and paragraph breaks are automatic in comments. The following HTML tags are allowed: <a href=""> <abbr> <acronym> <b> <blockquote> <cite> <pre> <em> <i> <q> <strike> <strong>

One year since Drew Peterson’s arrest for murder. What has changed?

Drew Peterson as a free man, and in different company on the day of his arrest, May 7, 2009

One year ago, Drew Peterson was arrested and charged with the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Since that day he has resided at the the Will County Adult Detention Facility in Joliet awaiting his trial which is scheduled to begin next month. We’ve continued to follow the case as the year has passed, but what has changed since May 7, 2009?

Legal Representation

A year ago: Brodsky & Odeh, Abood Law, and John Paul Carroll represented Drew Peterson. George D. Lenard joined the case in December of 2009.
Today: Andrew Abood and George Lenard withdrew from the case in April of this year, citing irreconcilable differences with Joel Brodsky. John Paul Carroll had a complaint filed against him in September and appears to have left the case. Presently, attorneys from Brodsky & Odeh, Steven A. Greenberg and Associates, Law Offices of Meczyk Goldberg, Joseph R. Lopez, P.C., and Walter P. Maksym Jr. make up the “Seven Samurai” representing Peterson in court.

Media Exposure

A year ago: When Drew was arrested, he was preparing to fly out to the Bunny Ranch Brothel in Reno, Nevada, to see if he would be a good fit as head of security there. Drew’s last interview was given over the phone to a WLS radio show host, Eric Mancow Muller, from jail on May 27, 2009. He also gave one other in-jail phone interview on May 15, to Matt Lauer of the Today show.
Today: Drew is presently not allowed to give interviews to the press.

Judges

A year ago: Judge Richard Schoenstedt was first assigned to the case; then Judge Carla Alessio-Policandriotes and finally Judge Stephen White. Will County Chief Judge Gerald Kinney made the new appointments. Judge Daniel J. Rozak set Peterson’s bond.
Today: Judge Stephen White presides over the case but is expected to retire in October of this year.

Public Act 095-1004 – The so-called “Hearsay law”

A year ago: The Act was passed into legislation November, 2008
Today: In October 2009, Peterson’s defense lost a motion to declare the act unconstitutional

$20 Million Bail

A year ago: After Peterson’s bail was set at $20 million, the defense filed a motion to reduce it on May 22, 2009.
Today: In June, the Appellate Court denied the petition to reduce Peterson’s $20 million bond.

Change of Venue

A year ago: In July 2009, Drew Peterson’s attorneys filed a motion seeking a change of venue for their client.
Today: The request was denied and 240 potential jurors for the murder trial were brought into Will County court and asked to complete questionnaires

Joe “The Shark” Lopez mock trial arguments: a preview of coming attractions?

Last May, at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, WGN Radio’s Legally Speaking presented a mock trial of the closing arguments in the prosecution of Drew Peterson for the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

Attorney Karen Conti presented closing arguments for the prosecution; while attorney Joseph Lopez argued for the defense of Peterson. The case was presided over by retired Judge Richard E. Neville.

At the time State’s Attorney James Glasgow took Chicago-Kent College of Law and WGN to task for staging the proceedings, calling it an “abhorrent” event, but since then Joe Lopez has been officially hired on to Peterson’s “Dream Team” in replacement of Andrew Abood. The State may now be interested in what Lopez had to say during what could very well be a preview of coming attractions.

As for Lopez, he’s coming on board having missed out on two year’s worth of pre-trial history, including a historic hearing of hearsay testimony. But he’s not worried about arriving late to the team. He says “It doesn’t matter. This case is not that complicated…This is an accident that happened to this lady. We just have to leave it at that.”

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

View this document on Scribd

~By commenting you agree to be bound by the rules of this blog. If you spot a rule violation, send an e-mail to petersonstory@gmail.com.~ Line and paragraph breaks are automatic in comments. The following HTML tags are allowed: <a href=""> <abbr> <acronym> <b> <blockquote> <cite> <pre> <em> <i> <q> <strike> <strong>