Friday, June 6, 2008

Rocha v. Peterson -- Update

The Judge ruled in Scott's favor!

As reported by the Modesto Bee

Judge Roger Beauchesne ruled Friday that Peterson's conviction and death sentence would not speak for themselves during a wrongful death trial. Beauchesne stayed his ruling until June 23 to allow lawyers to appeal.
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Attorneys for Laci Peterson's father, Dennis Rocha, and mother, Sharon Rocha, argued that the facts of the case were already settled. Beauchesne disagreed, saying there were still issues in the case sufficient to be re-tried.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Rocha v. Peterson, civil wrongful death suit

A hearing tomorrow (June 6) will decide the scope of this civil trial:

The court has set aside more than a month for the trial – which is scheduled to begin on July 8. But one of the family's attorneys told the Modesto Bee that he believed it would not take that long if Beachesne rules that Peterson's conviction and death sentence are allowed in as fact in the case. [KTVU]

We all know from previous cases (O.J. Simpson, Robert Blake) that an acquittal is not allowed in as fact in a civil wrongful conviction suit. So, why should a conviction be allowed in as fact?