Illinois Supreme Court decides Drew Peterson is better off in jail

I apologize if everyone is tired of this graphic, but what can I say? Once more, it’s been decided that Drew Peterson is better off staying in jail while the prosecution appeals a decision about evidence in the case of Kathleen Savio’s murder.

Peterson’s defense team has tried repeatedly to spring his release during the appeals process because Illinois law states,”a defendant shall not be held in jail or to bail during the pendency of an appeal by the state–unless there are compelling reasons for his continued detention or being held to bail.”

It’s most likely that the compelling reason is the evidence and testimony presented at the historic hearsay hearings that took place in the winter of 2009. One could suppose that Judge Stephen White, the appellate justices and now the Illinois supreme court justices have seen and heard enough to make them believe that Peterson killed one or more of his wives. Of course, the decisions have been sealed in order to protect Peterson’s right to a fair trial.

We still wait to see if the Illinois Supreme Court will hear the prosecution’s latest appeal. That decision should come by the end of the month.

Bolingbrook Patch Story
Chicago Tribune Story

Joel Brodsky’s motion that failed to convince the justices.

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Drew Peterson denied bid to get out of jail…again.

Not surprisingly, Joel Brodsky’s latest attempt to spring Drew Peterson from jail while awaiting an appellate court’s decision on hearsay evidence, was denied last week.

Brodky’s motion read very much like previous bids, and even seemed to have contained a paragraph or two with outdated information cut and pasted from previous motions. Since virtually nothing about the circumstances had changed since the last request, it was pretty easy to assume that the decision would be the same this time – and it was.

Peterson remains in solitary confinement at the Will County Adult Detention Facility, where he has been detained since his arrest in May 2009. He is charged with the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio.

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Drew Peterson to stay in jail…again

Drew Peterson will remain at the Will County Adult Detention Facility awaiting his trial for murder, despite the request by his  defense team to reconsider and free him.

Last month, Will County Judge Stephen White ruled that there were “compelling reasons” for keeping Peterson in custody during the process to appeal a ruling on hearsay evidence in his murder case. Those reasons remain undisclosed and the decision under seal. On Monday an appellate court upheld that decision and rejected the argument that Peterson had a constitutional right to go home.

Attorney for the defense, Joe Lopez, apparently forgetting that Peterson waived his right to a speedy trial in July 2009, told reporters: “You can’t deny a constitutional right like this. They’re denying him a right to a speedy trial.”

Drew Peterson can look forward to many more weeks filled with diversions like the surprise strip searches and handcuffed trips to court that he described in his recent ill-advised and whiny letter addressed to gossip columnist Michael Sneed.

Read more at the Plainfield Sun

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Drew Peterson attempts to garner sympathy with letter from jail

Perhaps as a way of getting around a judge’s order meant to curtail Drew Peterson’s interviews with the press, he has sent a letter describing his arrest and experiences since then to gossip columnist Michael Sneed. The second installment was published today. Joel Brodsky has confirmed to Justice Café that Peterson is the author of the letter.

Peterson’s words
I talk to my kids a couple of time a week and the hardest part about being in here is missing their events, birthdays and just watching them grow.
My little girl, now 5, ask me where I’m at and when are you coming home. It breaks my heart that I don’t have the answer for her. I don’t let my children visit me here. This is just a childhood memory I don’t want them to have.

My other visits are few. I do get a lot of letters from new friends all sending encouraging words of love, friendship and hope. One lady wrote me a letter calling me her hero due to the fact I saved her from an abusive home as a police officer several years ago. …

I get contact visits from my lawyers to prepare my case for trial. My legs are shackled to the floor and I sit on a small round stainless steel stool.

Going to court
The process of going to court can be hellish. I’m removed from my cell and pod, walked to a holding area then shackled. Placed into a transport vehicle alone. Then to the courthouse.
The vehicle is normally parked next to the courthouse jail door to avoid the press getting pictures. I remember the first time. As the vehicle went down the ramp to the courthouse door, it was parked away from the door: I was paraded in front of what looked like over 100 news cameras on the walls looking down at me. I guess they needed a “perp walk” to satisfy the press’s need to further exploit me.

I was going to comment about the size of the two officers who escorted me into the courthouse. “I was going to go on a diet but I can just hang with these guys and look thin.”

They were nice guys so I just said, “Three squares a day and these spiffy clothes and check out this bling.” I heard those comments went national. It’s not easy being a national pastime.

Once I’m in the courthouse I’m handcuffed, searched, and placed into a small 7×9 room awaiting court with nothing to do. After being called for court I’m re-shackled and taken to the courtroom via a small elevator. I’m kept shackled in court and not allowed to talk to or signal anyone in the room except for my lawyers.

I really feel bad for the female inmates in court. They aren’t allowed any makeup and all look very stressed out.

This is the only place I have interacted with the other inmates. I normally get them laughing. I ask them how they think I would look in cornrows.

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.

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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

Drew Peterson calls in to radio show from jail

This morning the hosts of the Mancow and Cassidy Show at WLS radio accepted a collect call from Drew Peterson who is currently in custody at the Will County Adult Detention Facility in Joliet.

Told by his attorney, Joel Brodsky, to expect to hear Drew’s new “stand up comedy act” they goaded him to joke with them and give them his “A material”.

Besides cracks about the food, and the sterotypical fear of being sodomized by fellow inmates, Drew joked that maybe they could hold a “Win a Conjugal Visit with Drew” contest. He then went on to talk about missing his kids and the fact that he’s reading the bible and doing a fair amount of praying these days.

DNA analysis has determined that human remains found along the Des Plaines River near Channahon were from an unidentified male, the Illinois State Police said in a statement today.

TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS STORY

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Drew Peterson in Jail. Joel Brodsky on Vacation.

Despite the fact that his client, Drew Peterson, has been arrested and sits in the Will County Adult Detention Facility in Joliet, Joel Brodsky remains in New York City for a mother’s day holiday with his wife. As of this morning, he still has not spoken with his client.

Last night on Geoff Pinkus’ Chicago Overnight radio show, Geoff recalled Joel and Drew’s demeanor when they appeared on his show on March 15th.  Pinkus was surprised by Joel’s demands to plug not only his legal practice but also the wings at a sports bar he owned.

Pinkus says his impression was that Joel Brodsky was more concerned with promoting himself than in defending his client.  He couldn’t understand why Joel seemed to have no control over his client, and questioned why he stayed on as Drew’s attorney when it was so obvious that the man was out of control.  “To me, Joel Brodsky is not doing Drew Peterson or himself any favors”, Pinkus stated.

Joel and Drew: Best Buds or The Two Stooges

Drew Peterson appeared in court today at 1:30 pm CDT in Joliet, Ill. His arraignment for first-degree murder in the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, has been continued until Monday, May 18.

Joel Brodsky appeared on all three network morning news programs this morning in New York. He will also do interviews with WGN TV in Chicago, MSNBC, WLS Radio and WFLD (Fox) Chicago.

WGN Radio’s John Williams interview with Andrew Abood (MP3s): Part I Part II
Video of ISP press conference
Audio of press conference – Part I
Audio of press conference – Part II
PDF of Indictment for murder

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