Scott Peterson’s defense drops motion in bid for new murder trial
- LA Innocence Project is reexamining Scott Peterson's murder conviction
- He appeared back in court for a motion to seal proceedings in the case
- The defense withdrew the motion before the judge ruled on it
FILE – In this March 17, 2005, file photo, Scott Peterson is escorted by two San Mateo County Sheriff deputies to a waiting van in Redwood City, Calif. Authorities said on Monday, Feb. 7, 2022, that a juror in Scott Peterson’s two-decade-old murder trial will be granted immunity before testifying at a hearing that could determine whether a new trial is granted. (Justin Sullivan/Pool Photo via AP, File)
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(NewsNation) — Scott Peterson appeared back in court over Zoom Tuesday for a hearing related to his petition for a new murder trial, the first of three motion hearings in his bid to have his 2004 murder convictions overturned.
The Los Angeles Innocence Project took up Peterson’s case in January, filing three motions to clear Peterson of the murders of his wife Laci and unborn son.
Tuesday’s hearing was meant to be on the motion to seal proceedings in the case, but the attorneys at the L.A. Innocence Project ended up withdrawing the motion before the judge ruled on it. Both parties agreed to keep a particular letter with names of potential witnesses redacted as it is.
A second motion for post-conviction DNA testing is scheduled for May 29 and has to do with a burned van found near the Petersons’ home that was involved in a burglary at or near the time of Laci Peterson’s disappearance.
The third motion, scheduled for July 15, seeks post-trial discovery from the case, including evidence of the Dec. 2022 burglary across the street from the Petersons’ home, a missing watch belonging to Laci Peterson and files and documents from witness interviews.
Peterson was convicted of murdering his wife Laci and their unborn son in Nov. 2004. Their bodies were found in the San Francisco Bay on Christmas Eve 2002, months after they were reported missing.
While Peterson was the prime suspect in the investigation, he and his family have maintained his innocence since the beginning.
Peterson’s next hearing is set for 9 a.m. on May 29.
