| THE DEFENSE RESTS October 26, 2004 Scott Peterson's lawyers rested their case today, finishing off about five days of testimony in a surprisingly stunted and fizzling affair that some said aided prosecutors more than the defense. Calling just 14 witnesses in all, Los Angeles lawyer Mark Geragos questioned mostly police officials -- some of whom already testified for prosecutors -- but defied press and public desires to hear directly from the accused. "This is a huge disappointment," said Dean Johnson, a Redwood City lawyer and former San Mateo County prosecutor following the case. "This jury is hungry for an explanation. Mark Geragos didn't do it." Jurors arrived at the courthouse expecting a full day of testimony from two witnesses who Judge Alfred Delucchi had said on Monday would make up the last of the defense effort. Instead, Delucchi told them Modesto police officer Michael Hicks, who took the stand Monday afternoon, would be the last defense witness. Hicks testified about a break in at the home of a Peterson neighbor just days after Laci Peterson, 27, vanished from her hometown of Modesto. For legal analysts, the defense speculation about the burglars ended a case that fell far short of the promises Geragos made in his opening statement in June. He told jurors then that witnesses would testify that the remains of Laci's unborn son, Conner, appeared to show a fetus older than one that had been killed on Dec. 23 or 24, 2002 as prosecutors have charged. Geragos also said Peterson was stone-cold innocent, yet he could have fallen short of alleviating suspicions raised during four months of the prosecution's case. "The mighty Casey struck out," said Oakland, CA attorney Daniel Horowitz. "They should not have put on a defense case." "I like Geragos. I think he's a fine lawyer. But his case was lame." But it wasn't a total loss, he said. Geragos scored points with concrete expert Steven Gebler, who backed Peterson's story that cement left from an anchor he made was used on the man's driveway, Horowitz said. Prosecutors contend Peterson made multiple anchors to weigh down his wife's body in the San Francisco Bay. He was arrested after her remains and those of the couple's unborn son ended up in April 2003 on the Richmond shore not far from where Peterson, 32, fished the day Laci disappeared. "I think the jury probably expected more, (given) the opening statement," said Robert Talbot, a University of San Francisco law professor. "I would feel like he was in a stronger position at the end of the prosecution's case." James Hammer, who prosecuted the San Francisco dog mauling case, said Delucchi might have cut the defense short with evidentiary rulings barring certain evidence or testimony. "I suspect the judge kept out a lot of defense evidence," he said. Prosecutors are expected to present eight witnesses to jurors on Wednesday in an effort to refute the defense case. Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Monday. The jurors will be sequestered and begin deliberations in one week. HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT TRIAL ALIBI-WITNESS LIST AUTOPSY WIRETAPS |
| LACI & CONNER "My hope is that the jury remembers the voices unheard of Laci and Baby Conner" LISA ~ Colorado ~ GUESTOOK |
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