Scott Peterson May Get Death Penalty; Jurors May Get Book Deal

By Linda Orlando

Scott Peterson, convicted in November of murdering his wife Laci and their unborn son and dumping the bodies in San Francisco Bay, will face a court hearing on Wednesday that will determine whether or not he will receive the death penalty. The jury that convicted him recommended the death penalty, but it will be up to Superior Court Judge Alfred Delucchi to make the final decision. The judge has the option of reducing Peterson’s sentence to life in prison without parole, but he is expected to follow the jury's recommendation.

In an attempt to delay the sentencing, Peterson’s lawyers have filed a motion for a new trial, due to newly discovered evidence they say could have resulted in a different verdict had they had the evidence available to them during the trial that brought about Peterson’s conviction. The attorneys have accused prosecutors of withholding key evidence offered by an inmate in a state prison, who claimed he had been told by another inmate that Laci Peterson had interrupted a burglary at a neighbor’s home and was killed by the intruders. Peterson’s attorneys say that the information was buried among massive amounts of documentation, but prosecutors dismiss their claims by saying that that the defense was so hasty in taking their case to trial that they simply overlooked the information.

In the meantime, a television station in Sacramento reported that some of the jurors in the panel that convicted Scott Peterson are planning to contribute to a book about the trial. State law prohibits jurors from accepting payment for their stories for 90 days, but that deadline expires this week. Almost all of the jurors are scheduled to attend a meeting with an attorney later this week to discuss a possible book deal. Some jurors interviewed expressed mixed feelings about contributing to a book, and others see it as a viable option for being paid for their contribution to Peterson’s conviction. Many of the jurors are expected to be in court Wednesday to watch the sentencing, hoping that being there in person will finally give them closure about their verdict.

Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha, faxed a letter to the media Tuesday voicing her outrage that more seats in the courtroom were not given to Laci’s family and friends who want to attend the sentencing hearing. The fax read, "Laci would be sooooo upset to know that the people who worked so hard to find her, and worked so hard to put Scott in prison, won't be allowed to witness his sentencing. She would be heartbroken to know her family and dearest, lifelong friends won't be allowed to witness the sentencing of the man who murdered her because their seats were taken by people who felt their need to be part of the circus atmosphere in the courtroom far outweighs the needs of Laci's loved ones to witness justice being served on her and Conner's behalf." Conner was the name the Petersons had planned to give their son.

Laci’s family had asked to have 30 seats reserved for family and friends, but the court granted them only 23 seats. However, 44 seats have been reserved for members of the news media, 27 for the general public, and another 18 seats are being held by the judge. According to Laci’s mother, it is "such a shame that these people are given priority over Laci’s family and friends, the people who truly deserve to be in that courtroom."