Photo: Lou Dematteis/AP/ShutterstockAttorneys forScott Petersonare appealing his conviction — and they claim that the actions of one of the jurors in his murder case may mean that the convicted killer didn’t get a fair trial.Scott, now 49, was convicted in 2005 of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2002 death of Laci andtheir unborn son, who was to be named Conner. He was sentenced to death row, where he remained for about 15 years.But Peterson scored two major legal victories in 2020. The first victory was in August, when his death penalty sentencewas overturned, meaning that he would face a new penalty phase trial. The second victory came in October, when the California Supreme Court ruled that a lower court should take asecond look at his caseto determine whether his guilty verdict should be overturned.Defense attorneys claim that a juror, Richelle Nice, lied during jury selection when asked if she had ever been a victim of a crime. She said no, but now admits that she neglected to disclose that she had obtained a restraining order in 2001 against her then-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. She claimed that the woman was stalking and threatening her. Nice also neglected to mention that she had a fight with her ex-boyfriend that resulted in her arrest.Peterson’s defense claims that Nice intentionally lied on her jury questionnaire, and that she may have been a pro-prosecution stealth juror.The defense alleges that Nice’s motive was to profit off the case. After Peterson was convicted, Nice wrote 17 letters to him in jail. She also co-authored a book with other jurors and appeared on the Dr. Oz show.jeff Chiu/AP/ShutterstockWant to keep up with the latest crime coverage?Click hereto get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.In court earlier this week, Nice broke down in tears during questioning. According toCBS News, she testified that she didn’t think of herself as a crime victim, and thus neglected to disclose the incidents on her jury questionnaire.Nice also had to explain why she had written so many letters to Peterson as he sat on death row. She says that a therapist recommended that she write to him.“What happened that night, Scott?” she wrote in August 2005, according to court testimony. “What pushed you to the limit, where you felt like you had to kill someone who not only loved you so much, but was carring (sic) a part of you inside of her?“During her testimony, an emotional Nice explained that she was trying to process her feelings about Peterson, who responded to her letters eight times.“Before the trial, I didn’t have any anger or any resentment toward Scott at all,” Nice testified. “After the trial, it was a bit true, because I sat through the trial and listened to the evidence.“According to theMercury News, Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha, and brother, Brent Rocha, sat in the court’s front row. They were several seats away from Peterson’s sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, and other family members.A just has not yet made a ruling on whether Peterson will receive a new trial. After two days of testimony, Nice left the court without speaking to reporters.
Photo: Lou Dematteis/AP/Shutterstock
Attorneys forScott Petersonare appealing his conviction — and they claim that the actions of one of the jurors in his murder case may mean that the convicted killer didn’t get a fair trial.Scott, now 49, was convicted in 2005 of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2002 death of Laci andtheir unborn son, who was to be named Conner. He was sentenced to death row, where he remained for about 15 years.But Peterson scored two major legal victories in 2020. The first victory was in August, when his death penalty sentencewas overturned, meaning that he would face a new penalty phase trial. The second victory came in October, when the California Supreme Court ruled that a lower court should take asecond look at his caseto determine whether his guilty verdict should be overturned.Defense attorneys claim that a juror, Richelle Nice, lied during jury selection when asked if she had ever been a victim of a crime. She said no, but now admits that she neglected to disclose that she had obtained a restraining order in 2001 against her then-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. She claimed that the woman was stalking and threatening her. Nice also neglected to mention that she had a fight with her ex-boyfriend that resulted in her arrest.Peterson’s defense claims that Nice intentionally lied on her jury questionnaire, and that she may have been a pro-prosecution stealth juror.The defense alleges that Nice’s motive was to profit off the case. After Peterson was convicted, Nice wrote 17 letters to him in jail. She also co-authored a book with other jurors and appeared on the Dr. Oz show.jeff Chiu/AP/ShutterstockWant to keep up with the latest crime coverage?Click hereto get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.In court earlier this week, Nice broke down in tears during questioning. According toCBS News, she testified that she didn’t think of herself as a crime victim, and thus neglected to disclose the incidents on her jury questionnaire.Nice also had to explain why she had written so many letters to Peterson as he sat on death row. She says that a therapist recommended that she write to him.“What happened that night, Scott?” she wrote in August 2005, according to court testimony. “What pushed you to the limit, where you felt like you had to kill someone who not only loved you so much, but was carring (sic) a part of you inside of her?“During her testimony, an emotional Nice explained that she was trying to process her feelings about Peterson, who responded to her letters eight times.“Before the trial, I didn’t have any anger or any resentment toward Scott at all,” Nice testified. “After the trial, it was a bit true, because I sat through the trial and listened to the evidence.“According to theMercury News, Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha, and brother, Brent Rocha, sat in the court’s front row. They were several seats away from Peterson’s sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, and other family members.A just has not yet made a ruling on whether Peterson will receive a new trial. After two days of testimony, Nice left the court without speaking to reporters.
Attorneys forScott Petersonare appealing his conviction — and they claim that the actions of one of the jurors in his murder case may mean that the convicted killer didn’t get a fair trial.
Scott, now 49, was convicted in 2005 of two counts of first-degree murder in the 2002 death of Laci andtheir unborn son, who was to be named Conner. He was sentenced to death row, where he remained for about 15 years.
But Peterson scored two major legal victories in 2020. The first victory was in August, when his death penalty sentencewas overturned, meaning that he would face a new penalty phase trial. The second victory came in October, when the California Supreme Court ruled that a lower court should take asecond look at his caseto determine whether his guilty verdict should be overturned.
Defense attorneys claim that a juror, Richelle Nice, lied during jury selection when asked if she had ever been a victim of a crime. She said no, but now admits that she neglected to disclose that she had obtained a restraining order in 2001 against her then-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. She claimed that the woman was stalking and threatening her. Nice also neglected to mention that she had a fight with her ex-boyfriend that resulted in her arrest.
Peterson’s defense claims that Nice intentionally lied on her jury questionnaire, and that she may have been a pro-prosecution stealth juror.
The defense alleges that Nice’s motive was to profit off the case. After Peterson was convicted, Nice wrote 17 letters to him in jail. She also co-authored a book with other jurors and appeared on the Dr. Oz show.
jeff Chiu/AP/Shutterstock
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage?Click hereto get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
In court earlier this week, Nice broke down in tears during questioning. According toCBS News, she testified that she didn’t think of herself as a crime victim, and thus neglected to disclose the incidents on her jury questionnaire.
Nice also had to explain why she had written so many letters to Peterson as he sat on death row. She says that a therapist recommended that she write to him.
“What happened that night, Scott?” she wrote in August 2005, according to court testimony. “What pushed you to the limit, where you felt like you had to kill someone who not only loved you so much, but was carring (sic) a part of you inside of her?”
During her testimony, an emotional Nice explained that she was trying to process her feelings about Peterson, who responded to her letters eight times.
“Before the trial, I didn’t have any anger or any resentment toward Scott at all,” Nice testified. “After the trial, it was a bit true, because I sat through the trial and listened to the evidence.”
According to theMercury News, Laci’s mother, Sharon Rocha, and brother, Brent Rocha, sat in the court’s front row. They were several seats away from Peterson’s sister-in-law, Janey Peterson, and other family members.
A just has not yet made a ruling on whether Peterson will receive a new trial. After two days of testimony, Nice left the court without speaking to reporters.
source: people.com
