March 25 -- The judge in the double-murder trial of Scott Peterson has ruled that television interviews Peterson conducted after his wife disappeared can be admitted as evidence. Stay tuned to MSNBC for the latest.
Feb. 19 -- Separately, another judge ruled Thursday that the jury at Peterson’s murder trial will not be sequestered, despite warnings from the defense about the public’s fascination with the case. Feb. 9 -- The judge presiding over Scott Peterson’s murder trial ordered Monday that the witness lists and names of potential jurors remain confidential, despite protests by the media.
Jan. 27 -- A retired 72-year-old judge who has handled 22 death penalty trials — including one involving the slaying of former Black Panther Huey Newton — was selected Tuesday to preside at Scott Peterson’s murder trial. Alfred A. Delucchi was picked by California’s chief justice a week after another judge was removed at prosecutors’ request. Click here to read more.
Jan. 22 -- Prosecutors in the murder case against Scott Peterson exercised their authority Thursday to remove the judge appointed to preside at the trial, contending he is biased against them. Click here to learn more. Stay tuned to MSNBC for the latest.
Jan. 20 -- The judge in the murder case against Scott Peterson on Tuesday ordered the trial moved about 50 miles away to San Mateo County because of hostility toward Peterson in his dead wife’s hometown.
Jan. 7 -- A judge ruled Thursday that accused murderer Scott Peterson can’t get a fair jury in his dead wife’s hometown and ordered the case moved out of Stanislaus County.
Prosecutors argued that news coverage of the case, which captured the nation’s attention after a pregnant Laci Peterson disappeared on Christmas Eve 2002, is so widespread that moving the trial would be pointless.
Dec. 12 -- A lawyer for accused double murderer Scott Peterson asked a court Friday to move his trial from his hometown of Modesto, California because of the huge publicity the case has generated.
Dec. 3 — Scott Peterson pleaded innocent Wednesday to charges of murdering his wife and unborn son, and a judge scheduled his trial to begin Jan. 26.
Sept. 22 — A Fresno jail inmate claims Scott Peterson wanted his wife, Laci, kidnapped. Cory Lee Carroll claims he met Peterson at a strip club called City Lights a month before Laci disappeared. Carroll says agreed to connect Scott with two neo-Nazi gang members to talk about the kidnapping.
In a Today show interview, NBC chief legal analyst Dan Abrams says he has doubts about the story. “One of the problems with the story is he claims, ‘The minute I heard kidnapping, I left. I didn’t really hear what they were saying. I can’t give you details because I wasn’t interested in being part of that,’” said Abrams.
Abrams said Carroll provided details about the case but those details had already been made public. According to Abrams, Carroll did not come forward with the information sooner because he was told to keep quiet and had been threatened.