LA Innocence Project takes on Scott Peterson's case
The Los Angeles Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions, filed papers in court this week to reexamine the case of Scott Peterson, who is serving a life sentence in a California prison for the murder of his pregnant wife Laci. Peterson and their unborn son in 2002.
The organization said in an emailed statement to The New York Times that it “represents Scott Peterson and is investigating his claim of actual innocence.” The San Mateo County Superior Court upheld the organization's filing Friday.
Paula Mitchell, the organization's director, said in a statement attached to the filing that newly discovered evidence had exposed “shortcomings” in the case's discovery process, according to a ABC news report of the lawsuit.
The Los Angeles Innocence Project's decision to take the case has reignited attention to the murder conviction, which for years has generated widespread coverage in tabloids and news organizations, books and at least one made-for-TV movie.
“We are very pleased that the incredible attorneys at the LA Innocence Project are lending their considerable expertise to help prove Scott Peterson's innocence,” said Pat Harris, one of Mr. Peterson's attorneys in the lawsuit and who reportedly would represent him in the event of a lawsuit. a new one, said in an email.
The details of the case
On Christmas Eve in 2002, Laci Peterson, a 27-year-old substitute teacher who was pregnant with the couple's first child, went missing from the home she and Mr. Peterson shared in Modesto, California. In April 2003, her body and The fetus were washed up in San Francisco Bay, near where Mr. Peterson, then 30, had told police he had gone fishing the day she went missing. He was arrested that month.
The case was moved from Modesto to San Mateo County Superior Court due to pre-trial publicity. During the 2004 trial, the prosecutor argued that Mr. Peterson killed his wife so he could have an affair with another woman, Amber Frey. Prosecutors said Mr. Peterson told Ms. Frey that he was unmarried and had no children.
Mr. Peterson was sentenced to death by lethal injection in 2005, but the California Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2020. The court upheld his conviction but said the judge made errors that undermined Mr. Peterson's right to a had obstructed an impartial jury.
He was convicted again in 2021 to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Lawyers for Mr. Peterson, who has maintained his innocence, filed a habeas corpus writ in 2022, saying he was deprived of his constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury because of a juror's alleged hidden bias. The judge denied this and said there was no bias.
Investigating the evidence in the case
The Los Angeles Innocence Project is once again investigating pro bono cases of people who may have been wrongfully convicted. Most cases are based on misidentification by eyewitnesses or the incorrect application of forensic science. Wrongful convictions are also related to inadequate defense, false confessions and other factors.
The group said in its filing that its lawyers reviewed court files but could find no evidence from investigations into events during the month Ms. Peterson was missing, ABC News reported, citing the documents.
According to ABC's reporting, Ms Mitchell said newly discovered evidence had shown “shortcomings” in relation to police reports, tip sheets and other material used by both the prosecution and defence. She added that the items in the police report were not given to attorneys during discovery and that witnesses were “hesitant” or “unwilling” to provide information in the high-profile case.
“New evidence now supports Mr. Peterson's long-standing claim of innocence and raises many questions about who kidnapped and murdered Laci and Conner Peterson,” ABC said.
The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office said in a statement Friday that “Mr. “Peterson, like all individuals convicted of crimes, will have the legal right to appeal his conviction with representation of his choice.”
Ms. Mitchell sent a letter about the findings to Stanislaus County District Attorney Jeff Laugero on Nov. 14, 2023, ABC reported, citing the documents.
Members of Laci Peterson's family could not be reached for comment.