| Going nowhere
~Judge denies motion for change of venue May 12, 2004 The Scott Peterson double-murder trial will remain in San Mateo County despite his attorneys' arguments Tuesday for a change of venue to Los Angeles. Amid a packed courtroom filled with family members of both Scott and Laci Peterson, Judge Al Delucchi said he was denying defense attorney Mark Geragos' motion to move the trial for a second time. In January, citing media attention that threatened a fair trial, Stanislaus County Judge Al Girolami moved the case from Modesto to Redwood City. This time, Delucchi noted the case has received nationwide attention and that San Mateo is the 13th largest county in the state with more than 700,000 residents. The community will provide a more than adequate jury pool, Delucchi said. "There is no evidence that this case would get less publicity in another venue, especially L.A. -- the media capital of the world," Delucchi said. "The court is satisfied and impressed with the jurors we've selected so far." In a 21-page motion, filed last week, Geragos wrote that "the extent and nature of the publicity in the case is unprecedented, brewing such a cauldron of prejudice against Mr. Peterson that the court can no longer trust prospective jurors' assurances of impartiality." But prosecutor Dave Harris and Delucchi vehemently disagreed. "Moving it to L.A. would not end the publicity -- in fact, it would probably make it worse," Harris said. "The remedy is not another change of venue." Laci's mother and stepfather, Sharon Rocha and Ron Grantski, seemed satisfied with the judge's ruling. "I think today was a very good day," Rocha said outside the courthouse. "Now, hopefully we can get this thing started, get the jury selected and see what happens from there," Grantski added. Jury selection will continue this week, and the panel of 12 jurors and six alternates is to be selected May 20. The start date for opening arguments might be delayed past the scheduled May 24 start, Delucchi said. If a jury convicts Peterson of killing his eight months' pregnant wife, Laci, in December 2002, the former fertilizer salesman from Modesto could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. HOME INDEX LACI SCOTT TRIAL NEWS EVIDENCE-NEWS AUTOPSY ALIBI-WITNESS LIST WIRETAPS JURORS VENUE CHANGE INDEX |
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