Only the "Death" part of his sentence was overturned. He isn't going anywhere.
For any arm-chair lawyers reading this...
Wikipedia wrote:
• On July 6, 2012, Peterson's attorney, Cliff Gardner, filed a 423-page appeal of Peterson's sentence, stated that the publicity surrounding the trial, incorrect evidentiary rulings, and other mistakes deprived Peterson of a fair trial.
• The State Attorney General's office filed their response brief on January 26, 2015.
• The defense filed a response to the State's brief in July 2015, claiming that a certified dog that detected Laci's scent at Berkeley Marina had failed two-thirds of tests with similar conditions.
• In November 2015, the defense filed a habeas corpus petition, claiming that a juror lied on her jury application, and that there was evidence that neighbors saw Laci alive after Scott left home.
• On August 10, 2017, the State Attorney General responded to the appeal by filing a 150-page document contesting the notion disputing the claims put forward in the appeal, stating that the appeal ignored "overwhelming evidence" that Peterson murdered Laci. Supervising Deputy Attorney General Donna Provenzano stated that the timeline of the crime was established by the neighbor who found the Petersons' Golden Retriever, McKenzie, wandering in the street with its leash still attached, before the sightings of Laci and her dog. Provenzano also indicated, "Purported sightings of Laci were legion," noting 74 reported sightings in 26 states and overseas, most of which she stated, were neither viable nor corroborated.
• In August 2018, the defense filed a reply, the sixth brief filed. The brief included six claims of "deficient performance” by trial attorney Mark Geragos, such as failing to call experts in fetal growth, dog scent, how bodies move in water, stating that he would call witnesses but failing to follow through on this, and failing to properly address burglary evidence.
• On June 2, 2020 the California Supreme Court heard argument on Scott Peterson's appeal. The defense argued that prospective jurors were improperly excused; that the trial judge improperly allowed two jurors on to Peterson's boat; that the judge erred in insisting the prosecution be present during defense testing of the boat; and that the motion to move the trial to another county should have been granted due to juror questionnaire results showing almost half of the prospective jurors had already concluded Peterson was guilty prior to the trial. The prosecution countered that the California Supreme Court should only overturn the verdict if it were to find that a prospective juror was improperly dismissed, and that "there was 'no credible claim' that any of the 12 jurors who decided Peterson’s fate were unfair or partial."
• On August 24, 2020, the death penalty for Peterson was overturned.
24 Aug 2020, 1:55 pm
