Drew Peterson
The jury has come back with a guilty verdict in the death of Peterson’s 3rd wife, Kathleen Savio. I’ve discussed before that I think there are substantial issues on appeal, though even an appellate court will be more concerned with publicity in this case than any other. This case was so highly charged and controversial that a new law was passed that changed the rules of evidence to let in normally inadmissible evidence. That goes in the face of hundreds of years of common law and one of the prime checks and balances of our jury system.
The case may not even make it to the appellate level, as I’m sure counsel will be filing a motion for new trial; or whatever the Illinois equivalent is. There were multiple errors that the prosecutors made that the judge could point to say the trial was too flawed to let the verdict. I don’t think he will, but it’s a possibility based on the way the trial played out. Well, maybe it is if is wasn’t such a high-profile case! I will continue to follow this case here, legally the appellate issues may be more interesting to me than the verdict itself, but I’m a law nerd.
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