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| LACI & CONNER "My prayers are forever with her family.." Gina Mellon ~ Lexington, Kentucky ~ Guestbook |
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| Dennis Rocha joins $25M lawsuit
Case against Peterson filed by Sharon Rocha in 2003 |
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| March 29, 2005 Laci Peterson's father on Monday joined her mother's wrongful death lawsuit against convicted killer Scott Peterson. Dennis Rocha and Sharon Rocha, who divorced in 1976, seek $25 million from Peterson, who landed on death row March 17. Though Laci Peterson was 1 when her parents split and was raised primarily by her mother, she often spent weekends at her father's ranch near Escalon during her youth. She was 27 and pregnant with her first child, a boy to be named Conner, when her husband murdered them and used a Christmas Eve 2002 fishing trip as cover to dump her body in San Francisco Bay. In a Redwood City courtroom two weeks ago, Dennis Rocha called Scott Peterson "a narcissist, plus a liar." "I never did like you at the beginning because you were always so arrogant, thought you were better than everybody else," Dennis Rocha said. "A rich boy from San Diego and we're just farm people. Laci loved you, and I respected her feelings. You're in love with yourself is your problem." Sharon Rocha filed the first of four lawsuits against Peterson in September 2003; she added a wrongful death claim three months later seeking damages of $5 million. The $25 million requested in Monday's amended complaint is "more appropriate," said Gary S. Davis, the Modesto attorney representing Dennis Rocha. "One cannot think of a more horrendous or egregious act committed by anybody than what Scott Peterson did in this case," Davis said. Attorneys for Laci Peterson's parents acknowledged that Scott Peterson's earning potential is minimal while on death row. Part of the reason for the lawsuit is preventing him from benefiting should he write a book or sell movie rights. "If he ever thinks of doing anything to line his own pockets, we'll be all over it," Davis said. One of Peterson's criminal attorneys in January said his client had no plans for books or movies. Modesto attorney Adam Stewart, representing Sharon Rocha, said he is researching Peterson's assets. They include the vacant La Loma-area home the couple shared before she was slain and a $250,000 life insurance policy. Peterson's conviction prevents him from claiming an interest in either, both of which will go to her parents. But, his parents may claim $100,000 from the house because he used it as collateral on a loan for his legal defense. Successfully suing Peterson "may be a symbolic victory, but one that gives some peace of mind to Sharon," Stewart said. While sentencing him to death March 16, Judge Alfred Delucchi also ordered Peterson to pay $10,000 to a state victim compensation fund "for the funeral expenses that were advanced to the family." Delucchi fined Peterson an additional $5,000 to go into the fund. Judgment would 'send a message' Dennis Rocha attended Peterson's trial less frequently than his ex-wife, preferring to avoid a national media spotlight focused on the lengthy proceeding. His attorney said he is "a quiet man" who asks that reporters respect his privacy. "The parents have great respect for each other, even though they've been apart all these years," Davis said. He and Stewart, from different firms, said they've worked together in the past and are cooperating in the Peterson lawsuit. "We are united in this regard," Stewart said. A $25 million judgment "would send a message to all persons in the United States and throughout the world that such vicious and outrageous savagery shall be met with the severest of civil penalties," Davis wrote in papers filed Monday. A state statute allows victims' families to file lawsuits within a year of a perpetrator's conviction, even though Laci Peterson was killed about 27 months ago. A hearing on the lawsuit's status is scheduled for April 22. HOME INDEX LACI CONNER ALBUM'S TRIAL VERDICT LAWSUIT FOR PROFIT STORY #1 #2 #3 |
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