Scott Peterson finally received a verdict on his request for a new trial. The request was denied on Tuesday by a judge in California after requests for a new trial stemmed from an allegation of a “biased and deceptive juror,” according to Fox News.
In her verdict, shared by the Associated Press, Superior Court Judge Anne-Christine Massullo wrote the following regarding juror number 7, who is the juror in question.
“The Court concludes that Juror No. 7’s responses were not motivated by pre-existing or improper bias against (Peterson), but instead were the result of a combination of good faith misunderstanding of the questions and sloppiness in answering.”
Peterson was convicted of murder in 2004 after being charged with discarding the body of his pregnant wife in the San Francisco Bay on Christmas Eve, 2002. In 2005, Peterson was sentenced to death by lethal injection, after being convicted of both first and second-degree murder.
Peterson’s attorney, Pat Harris, sent this written statement to Fox News Digital.
“Obviously, we are disappointed in today’s ruling, but this case is far from over. Just in the last few months, we have learned new information that will prove Scott Peterson did not murder his wife, Laci. And we are going to continue to push forward until he is freed.
As for the ruling, the judge does not concede that Juror #7 committed misconduct but excuses that misconduct by writing that her background, her contentious relationship with her boyfriend and her frequent memory lapses are all excuses for her misconduct.
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We respectfully disagree. We believe this sets a bad precedent for future cases where jurors purposefully commit misconduct but nevertheless know it will be excused by simply shrugging it off with “I forgot.” Jury questionnaires and the attorneys who read them depend on the honesty of the answers in order to get a fair trial. It will make it difficult if jurors believe they can lie and there will be no repercussions.”
Janey Peterson, the sister-in-law to Scott Peterson and wife of Scott’s older brother, has also spoken out the affirm the innocence of Scott Peterson.
“We will not stop fighting until Scott is free and we find who murdered Laci and Conner. 20 years ago this week, Laci Peterson was seen alive walking her dog after Scott had left for the day. Sometime after that walk, the evidence shows she encountered men burglarizing the home across the street. Those men kidnapped her and later killed her.”
Laci Peterson’s mother, on the other hand, shared a different sentiment, according to AP.
“We appreciate Juror No. 7 for her courage and honesty during this process. No juror should have to go through what she endured.”
Regardless of the eventual outcome, this story seems to be far from over, as Scott Peterson’s legal team isn’t anywhere near tapping out. Pat Harris says that the team will “push forward until he is freed.”
Featured image credit: mugshot released by San Quentin State Prison