Convicted killer Scott Peterson appeared in court Thursday as his lawyer made a last ditch effort to get him a new trial over the 2002 murder of his wife, Laci, and unborn son, Conner.
Peterson, now 49, who was found guilty in 2004 of murder, was resentenced to life without parole in December after the California Supreme Court dropped his death sentence, citing juror misconduct.
It’s now up to a judge in San Mateo Superior Court to determine if Peterson deserves a new trial.
Peterson wore an orange prison jumpsuit and a blue face mask in court as his lawyer Cliff Gardner went back and forth with Judge Anne-Christine Massullo.
Gardner, has argued the killer didn’t get a fair trial since a juror, Richelle Nice, was embroiled in a domestic dispute case herself.
He also claims Nice got on the jury because she wanted fame, and was obviously biased against Peterson.
The California Supreme Court previously ruled that the jury wasn’t correctly screened for opinions on capital punishment when convicting Peterson.
Prosecutors shot back at Gardners’ argument, telling the court that Nice came in with no agenda and didn’t disclose her domestic issues in the 20-plus page juror questionnaire because she didn’t think it was relevant.
Scott Peterson walks toward his seat wearing an orange outfit and a left foot brace during a hearing on August 11, 2022. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, Pool
Scott Peterson was convicted of the murder of his wife Laci and their unborn son Conner in 2002. Peterson Family/ZUMA Press
Cliff Gardner, an attorney representing Scott Peterson, argued his trial was invalid because of juror misconduct. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, Pool“Ms. Nice is not very good at filling out forms,” David Harris said, arguing the juror made the mistake accidentally and in good faith.
He also noted that Nice’s domestic dispute was a civil proceeding, not criminal.
Judge Massullo pressed both lawyers repeatedly as they made their closing arguments.
While arguments over whether Peterson should be retried close Thursday, the court has 90 days to release its decision.
If Peterson is granted a new trial, Laci’s sister has said she will testify against her former brother-in-law.
During his resentencing hearing, Laci’s mother Sharon Rocha gave a powerful and crushing statement about her grief.
Scott Peterson was resentenced to life without parole last December. POOL
Scott Peterson listens to closing arguments. AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, Pool“Laci’s dead, Scott, because she loved you. She trusted you,” Rocha said. “And she believed in you, and you betrayed her, and your son, and everybody else.”
Massullo was judge in December who resentenced Peterson to life in prison without parole for the murder of his wife, and 15 years to life for the murder of his unborn child.
Prosecutors had said they would not seek another death penalty sentence, instead opting for life in prison without parole.
