Scott Peterson Sentenced to Death

[desflood]

Peterson Judge Sentences Him to Death

28 minutes ago Top Stories - AP


By BRIAN SKOLOFF, Associated Press Writer

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - A judge formally sentenced Scott Peterson (news - web sites) to death Wednesday after calling the murder of his pregnant wife, Laci, "cruel, uncaring, heartless and callous."


AP Photo


Reuters
Slideshow: Scott Peterson Sentenced to Death




Judge Alfred A. Delucchi then allowed family members to speak, prompting a shouting match that led to Peterson's father storming out of the courtroom.


Lee Peterson yelled from the audience as Laci's brother, Brent Rocha, spoke to the court, saying "Laci and Conner are the true victims here."


"What a liar!" Lee Peterson said before the judge admonished him and he left the courtroom. Jackie Peterson, Scott Peterson's mother, also interrupted Rocha but her voice was inaudible.


Scott Peterson, 32, was invited to make a statement. After several minutes of discussion with his attorneys, he declined.


Delucchi denied a defense request for a new trial before saying he agreed with the jury that "death is warranted."


"The court is satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, Scott Lee Peterson, is guilty of first-degree murder" and second degree, Delucchi said, adding that he found the killings "were cruel, uncaring, heartless and callous."


Peterson, shackled at the waist and wearing a dark suit, was escorted into court under heavy security.


He will be sent to death row at San Quentin State Prison outside San Francisco, the infamous lockup that overlooks the same bay where Laci Peterson (news - web sites)'s body was discarded.


He was convicted in November of first-degree murder in the killing of Laci and second-degree murder for the slaying of her fetus. A jury recommended the death penalty a month later.


Rocha spoke to Scott Peterson directly.


"I would hope that yo regret the choices that you made. Maybe you don't," Rocha said. "Did you really hate Laci and Conner that much or did you just dislike yourself?"

[ducks]

I wonder how many $ and days they will keep him alive before they actually do it though

[desflood]

California? He'll be there for a good 30 years.

[Clandestino]

a step in the right direction

[NameDropper]

Get ready to see Amber's face all over the news again.

[FromWayDowntown]

I wonder how many $ and days they will keep him alive before they actually do it though

Unless he waives the appeals that he is entitled to based on the guarantee of Due Process -- and I doubt he will -- and assuming that the conviction and sentence are affirmed by the higher courts, Peterson won't see the death chamber for at least 10-15 years, I'd guess.

If you truly want a system of justice, you must ensure justice for all parties. Peterson may be guilty as hell, but the Constitution allows him to challenge the jury's verdict and he's not seeking technicalities in doing it -- he's just asking that the law be applied to him in the same way that it would be applied to others. If the State did its job, Peterson will get his date with destiny.

[T Park]

Great, my tax dollars go to pay for his cable, newspapers, and bon bons.


Son of abitch.

[Ballcox]

Too bad ol' Scott didn't reside in Texas when the crime occured, he would have already been executed by now. If there is one thing this state is good at, it's executing prisoners-QUICKLY.

respect the 'fro :fro

[FromWayDowntown]

Too bad ol' Scott didn't reside in Texas when the crime occured, he would have already been executed by now. If there is one thing this state is good at, it's executing prisoners-QUICKLY.

Not really. Here's the list of current death row inmates. (http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/stat/offendersondrow.htm) Check out the number of dudes who've been waiting on death row since the 70's; not to mention those who've hung around there from the early 80's to today. 10 years would be almost a minimum death row stay, even in Texas.

[ducks]

I think 2 years should be MORE then enough time for an appeal
I think he has a right to do that. But USA does have a money problem and if they got rid of people sentenced to death I bet that would save say 100,000 million right there
also then you do not have to go build bigger prisions
gee I wonder how much that would save ........

[MannyIsGod]

Ah, gotta love the ignorance.

[bigzak25]

and he killed a Rocha and her little baby so i hope he gets shanked in there.....

[FromWayDowntown]

I think 2 years should be MORE then enough time for an appeal
I think he has a right to do that. But USA does have a money problem and if they got rid of people sentenced to death I bet that would save say 100,000 million right there
also then you do not have to go build bigger prisions
gee I wonder how much that would save ........

You've obviously never participated in an appeal, ducks.

After two years, they'd be lucky to have the case decided by the first appellate court. That doesn't even count any additional motions, further appeals, or other proceedings permitted by law.

[samikeyp]

He won't make it to death row. He will get popped in prison..in more ways than one.

[T Park]

[QUOTE]Ah, gotta love the ignorance.[QUOTE]

alright, what the hell, I'll bite.


What is ignorant?

[FromWayDowntown]

Ah, gotta love the ignorance.

alright, what the hell, I'll bite.


What is ignorant?

I won't try to speak for Manny, but I think "the ignorance," concerns the rampant bloodlust and the seeming lack of concern for due process of law.

But I might be wrong . . . .

[MannyIsGod]

Yes, that, and in addition the plain and simple ignorance as to how the judicial system, and the death penalty are carried out. Example - Texas excutes quickly.

[ducks]

You've obviously never participated in an appeal, ducks.

After two years, they'd be lucky to have the case decided by the first appellate court. That doesn't even count any additional motions, further appeals, or other proceedings permitted by law.

I have never particapated in an appeal
but that is the problem the appeal process should not take more then 2 years

[FromWayDowntown]

I have never particapated in an appeal
but that is the problem the appeal process should not take more then 2 years

Sure; that's a wonderful idea. We should have judges and lawyers rushing to make decisions -- more worried about getting it done quickly than about getting it done right -- when people's lives are literally in the balance.

I've worked at an appellate court, so I have a bit of familiarity with how appeals work. I can assure you that the judges and lawyers who work on appeals try to get decisions made as quickly as they can, but the process is one that takes a great deal of time. It's not like the appellate judges only deal with a single case until its disposed of and then take on another.

Rushing that process might be good to soothe the public and satisfy the curious need for revenge, but it's bad for the defendant and interferes with the constitutional guarantees of due process.

[MannyIsGod]

FWDT, in what aspect did you work in that court? Are you a lawyer?

[FromWayDowntown]

FWDT, in what aspect did you work in that court? Are you a lawyer?

I was a law clerk to the Chief Justice of my court.

[jalbre6]

We certainly execute the most, which I'm sure nobody disagrees with. From what I've read, Texas is widely considered to be the fastest from sentence to execution on average. Death Row studies show that incarceration costs approximately $20,000 per year, per inmate. Condemned inmates average 9.9 years (down from 11.2 in 1996) awaiting execution. By the time someone is executed, taxpayers have shelled out about $2 million in legal fees for each death row inmate’s defense.

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/executionmap_2004.gif

Harris County by itself leads every state besides Texas and Virginia.

[Ballcox]

The above stat is what I was referring to when I said quickly in Texas, God knows how long Peterson will get to sit around eating up taxpayer money until he finally gets executed in California. I appreciate the fact that Texas is fairly efficient in carrying out the execution process. Of course statistical data also demonstrates that the implementation of the death penalty (in states which administer it) has had a negligible impact on violent crime. All in all I would like to see the whole system receive a major overhaul, but I know that's not realistic thinking (at least in my lifetime). For the system we have in place now, if the individual is found guilty and sentenced to death, get it done as quickly as possible.

[jalbre6]

From the LA Times:
California has 640 inmates on death row, about 20% of the nation's total. But the state has accounted for only 1% of the nation's executions — or 11 deaths — since 1978, when the death penalty was restored.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-deathpen6mar06,0,6270799.story

[GoldToe]

Why does everyone worry about "tax payer" money when it comes to executions but don't care when it comes this administrations wild spending?

[Ballcox]

Yes, that, and in addition the plain and simple ignorance as to how the judicial system, and the death penalty are carried out. Example - Texas excutes quickly.

If you read my other post you'll get my point, and I'm far from being ignorant about the justic system, thanks.

[ducks]

Why does everyone worry about "tax payer" money when it comes to executions but don't care when it comes this administrations wild spending?

maybe they feel that people who do what they do should not get their money

and people do bitch about politics also

[MannyIsGod]

and I quote... "By Now"

Did the crime occour a decade ago?

[Useruser666]

I think he has recieved a fair trial by all accounts. Let him go through the appeals process and then have his sentence carried out as handed down by a jury of his peers.

[Ballcox]

I didn't mean for my first post to be taken literally, only referring to the fact (backed up by following post's stats) that we don't take as long to execute individuals once they are convicted and sentenced to the death penalty. This doesn't mean that I'm ignorant concerning due process and the law, continue to make assumptions if you wish.

[MannyIsGod]

Fair enough.