| ANOTHER DELAY? Oct 11, 2003 Scott Peterson's defense team will ask a judge to postpone his much anticipated preliminary hearing, sources close to the case said Friday. Peterson's lead attorney, Mark Geragos, was looking to push back the Oct. 20 hearing because a Los Angeles murder trial in which he represents one of the defendants is behind schedule, sources said. After two weeks of testimony, prosecutors in that case still have five to seven more witnesses to call before the defense can begin, said Darrell Mavis, the Los Angeles County deputy district attorney prosecuting the case. "We've qualified the jury through Oct. 31, and that's what we're sticking by," Mavis said Friday. A formal motion to delay Peterson's double-murder hearing had not been filed as of Friday in Stanislaus County Superior Court. Court Executive Officer Michael Tozzi said there was a "strong likelihood" a request to reschedule will be made at a procedural hearing Friday. The defense is seeking to push the hearing to Oct. 27, a source said. Modesto attorney Kirk McAllister, part of the Peterson defense team, said Friday that a gag order in the case prevented him from commenting. Geragos could not be reached. It was unclear how Judge Al Girolami would rule on a request to delay the hearing, where prosecutors are expected to lay out some of their evidence against the 30-year-old fertilizer salesman.Girolami previously had said a Sept. 9 date for the preliminary hearing was "set in stone." After pushing that to Oct. 20, the judge said, "It will be highly unlikely that it will be continued again." But a defense request could be difficult to turn down because of delays in the Los Angeles murder trial of Karen Terteryan, 21, and Rafael Gevorgyan, 18,alleged members of an Armenian gang. Regardless of when Peterson's hearing begins, it will be heralded by an army of television trucks converging on downtown Modesto.Modesto police officials unveiled their plan Friday to handle the media crush. The plan calls for closing off a handful of streets near the courthouse, starting Friday night if the preliminary hearing proceeds on Oct. 20. "We realize parking is a premium in that area," said Lt. Dan Inderbitzen, who heads the Police Department's traffic unit. A mobile police command post will be set up and five or so additional officers will patrol outside the courthouse, Inderbitzen said.A firetruck will be on hand when fuel tankers are brought in to refuel the diesel generators that power satellite trucks, officials said. Television companies will pay for the extra personnel and equipment, which also could include a generator, portable toilets and garbage bins. "We are not going to make a dime on this," Inderbitzen said. HOME INDEX SCOTT LACI TRIAL COURT DATES WIRETAPS INCONSISTENT STATEMENTS ALIBI-WITNESS LIST AMBER |
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