MODESTO, Calif. — Eighteen years after a jury convicted Scott Peterson of murdering his wife and unborn son, a judge has denied the former Modesto man a new trial.
Since 2015, Peterson has been engaged in various legal proceedings, filing an appeal and habeas corpus petition, seeking to overturn his conviction and/or receive a new trial.
In a 55-page decision released Tuesday, Judge Anne-Christine Massullo rejected his claim that a juror from his 2004 trial was biased against him, denying him the opportunity for a new trial. Now, key figures in the 20-year saga of the late Laci Peterson's Christmas Eve disappearance and her husband's subsequent conviction for her murder have spoken out.
—Birgit Fladager, Stanislaus County district attorney, in a written statement from her office:
"The family and friends of Laci have endured what only those who have lost someone to an act of senseless murder can ever begin to know. It has taken 20 years to reach this point and we hope that Judge Massullo's decision will finally bring them some measure of closure. Meanwhile, not a day has gone by that Laci's family and friends have not thought of her and Conner and missed them with all their hearts. We as a community share in their loss."
Fladager and former Assistant District Attorney Dave Harris expressed gratitude to Juror No. 7 who now stands vindicated after years of accusations that she was biased against Peterson and had lied to get on the jury in order to convict him. She showed real courage and tenacity as she took the witness stand to face her accuser in the same courthouse where she had served for seven months on the jury that convicted Peterson.
—Sharon Rocha, mother of Laci Peterson:
"On behalf of Laci's family and friends, we are grateful for all the hard work and long hours the District Attorney's Office spent on prosecuting this case and addressing the appellate and habeas corpus issues. We especially want to thank District Attorney Birgit Fladager, Special Assistant Attorney Dave Harris, Deputy District Attorney Victoria Vasquez and Detective Craig Grogan. We are thankful for the judge's decision that confirms Scott DID receive a fair trial. We appreciate Juror No. 7 for her courage and honesty during this process. No juror should have to go through what she endured. A special thank you to EVERYONE involved in this case. Laci and Conner are with us every day. We love you."
—Cliff Gardner, attorney for Scott Peterson:
"A fair jury trial is the hallmark of the American jury system. It always has been. Jurors who give false answers during jury selection and get on the jury pose a direct threat to this system. The evidence here was overwhelming, and Judge Massullo properly found, that juror Richelle Nice in this case gave repeated false answers under oath during jury selection and made her way onto the jury. While we are disappointed with the judge's ruling that these lies made no difference, given the importance of honest jurors to a fair trial, we look forward to pursuing this issue in the higher state and federal courts."
—Pat Harris, attorney for Scott Peterson, in a statement to Fox News:
"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 that Scott Peterson did not murder his wife, Laci. And we are going to continue to push forward until he is freed.
As for this ruling, the judge does concede that Juror No. 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. We respectfully disagree. We believe this set 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 honestly 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, Scott Peterson's sister-in-law:
"The justice system has failed Scott, Laci, and Conner every step of the way. We will not stop fighting until we have justice. We will not stop fighting until we solve this crime — something the Modesto Police could have done quickly if they would have followed the evidence."
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(Modesto Bee reporter Erin Tracy contributed to this report.)
