California Supreme Court Reverses Scott Peterson’s Death Sentence in Laci Peterson Murder Case

The California Supreme Court on Monday reversed the 2005 death sentence for Scott Peterson, who was found guilty of slaying his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson.

The court added that prosecutors might try again for the same sentence another time if they wish.

Although the court reversed his death sentence, the court upheld his 2004 murder conviction in the slaying of Laci Peterson, 27, who was eight months pregnant at the time with their unborn son, Connor, KRON reported.

Investigators say that on Christmas Eve 2002, Peterson dumped the bodies from his boat into the San Francisco Bay, where they did not surface until months later.

Four months later, after Laci’s disappearance sparked a massive search, Laci and the remains of her unborn son washed up on the shores of the San Francisco Bay, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“Peterson contends his trial was flawed for multiple reasons, beginning with the unusual amount of pretrial publicity that surrounded the case. We reject Peterson’s claim that he received an unfair trial as to guilt and thus affirm his convictions for murder,” the court said.

The justices said the trial judge in Peterson’s case “made a series of clear and significant errors in jury selection that, under long-standing United States Supreme Court precedent, undermined Peterson’s right to an impartial jury at the penalty phase.”

The court agreed with Peterson’s argument that potential jurors were “improperly dismissed” from the jury pool after they said they were against the death penalty personally but would be willing to follow the law and impose it on someone else.

Peterson, 47, also said he could not get a fair trial because of the massive publicity on his case, even though the proceedings were moved 90 miles away to San Mateo County.

Peterson has been convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, Laci, and second-degree murder in connection with the death of their unborn son, Connor.

He has been kept at San Quentin State Prison’s death row since 2005, when he was sentenced to death by lethal injection.