Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
Peterson to Be Arraigned This Afternoon
Aired April 21, 2003 - 12:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: This afternoon, later this afternoon in northern California, Scott Peterson is scheduled to make his first court appearance. He could be arraigned on capital murder charges in the death of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son. CNN's Mike Brooks is joining us now live from Modesto with the latest -- Mike.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf. Scott Peterson continues to sit in his six foot by nine foot jail cell in the maximum security tier here at the Stanislaus County Jail, awaiting the 1:30 arraignment. Just prior to 1:30, he'll be brought over by sheriff's deputies via a tunnel to the courtroom, where he will enter a plea of either guilty or not guilty in the double murder of his wife, Laci, and their unborn child, Connor.
Just a short time ago, his attorney, Kirk McAllister, went into the courthouse. He retained his attorney early on in the investigation, Wolf, and we've been trying to contact Mr. McAllister all week long after they discovered the bodies, but he has refused to talk to press up to now.
Now, as that goes on, the Peterson family continues to support their son. Just yesterday in San Diego, the Peterson family released a statement. Here's part of what they had to say.
"Our time of mourning and grief is compounded by the accusations made against Scott. We believe in his innocence, and he has our total and unwavering support."
Now later on today here in Modesto, Wolf, we'll hear from Laci Peterson's family. At 4:00 Pacific, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, they will make a statement at the Modesto Police Department. CNN will carry that live, and everyone's anxious to hear what they have to say also -- Wolf.
BLITZER: That arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 Pacific. That would be 4:30 here on the East Coast. Let's talk a little bit about this -- what the actual procedure that goes through. Does he just show up in court, they issue the charges? He pleads, let's say, not guilty, assuming he'll plead not guilty?
The prosecution doesn't have to do anything other than that, like show any evidence, do they?
BROOKS: Not in this -- not in this particular hearing. Now, they may have a preliminary hearing which will show probable cause, and then the government, the prosecution, will produce some evidence to show why they feel that they have a case against Scott Peterson, but this will just be the arraignment this morning -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And the arraignment is a relatively brief procedure. The probable cause hearing, that could be weeks down the road. Is that right?
BROOKS: Usually it's fairly quickly. It could be within the next couple of weeks, up to a month, but most likely they will go ahead and have the probable cause hearing shortly after the arraignment. Some jurisdictions do it all in one particular hearing, but this one they'll divide it up into two -- Wolf.
BLITZER: One final question, Mike, before I let you go. What evidence do we know that they have right now, directly linking Scott Peterson to the murder of his wife and unborn child? Has the prosecution released any evidence whatsoever?
BROOKS: The prosecution and Modesto Police, Wolf, have played their cards very close to the vest in this case, closer than I've seen it in all of my law enforcement career, and they have not released much, if anything.
But we do know they have conducted a number of searches. On the 26th of December, they searched the Laci Peterson and Scott Peterson's home the first time. They also served a search warrant on Scott's garage where he kept a lot of his equipment for his agricultural sales business. Then they went back and searched the Peterson home again. They spent two days there.
They took almost 100 pieces of evidence total out of the two locations over the period of three times. So they feel that they have a rock solid case. I asked the chief of police here in Modesto the other day if they had not found the body of Laci Peterson, would they still have proceeded with the case. They feel like they have a rock solid case, and they were going to proceed, even if they had not found the body of Laci Peterson -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And we're clearly going to have to wait some time to see that evidence, what the prosecution has, supposedly, against Scott Peterson. We'll watch and we will wait for that, as well. Mike Brooks is our man in Modesto covering the story for us. Mike, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 21, 2003 - 12:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: This afternoon, later this afternoon in northern California, Scott Peterson is scheduled to make his first court appearance. He could be arraigned on capital murder charges in the death of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son. CNN's Mike Brooks is joining us now live from Modesto with the latest -- Mike.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Wolf. Scott Peterson continues to sit in his six foot by nine foot jail cell in the maximum security tier here at the Stanislaus County Jail, awaiting the 1:30 arraignment. Just prior to 1:30, he'll be brought over by sheriff's deputies via a tunnel to the courtroom, where he will enter a plea of either guilty or not guilty in the double murder of his wife, Laci, and their unborn child, Connor.
Just a short time ago, his attorney, Kirk McAllister, went into the courthouse. He retained his attorney early on in the investigation, Wolf, and we've been trying to contact Mr. McAllister all week long after they discovered the bodies, but he has refused to talk to press up to now.
Now, as that goes on, the Peterson family continues to support their son. Just yesterday in San Diego, the Peterson family released a statement. Here's part of what they had to say.
"Our time of mourning and grief is compounded by the accusations made against Scott. We believe in his innocence, and he has our total and unwavering support."
Now later on today here in Modesto, Wolf, we'll hear from Laci Peterson's family. At 4:00 Pacific, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, they will make a statement at the Modesto Police Department. CNN will carry that live, and everyone's anxious to hear what they have to say also -- Wolf.
BLITZER: That arraignment is scheduled for 1:30 Pacific. That would be 4:30 here on the East Coast. Let's talk a little bit about this -- what the actual procedure that goes through. Does he just show up in court, they issue the charges? He pleads, let's say, not guilty, assuming he'll plead not guilty?
The prosecution doesn't have to do anything other than that, like show any evidence, do they?
BROOKS: Not in this -- not in this particular hearing. Now, they may have a preliminary hearing which will show probable cause, and then the government, the prosecution, will produce some evidence to show why they feel that they have a case against Scott Peterson, but this will just be the arraignment this morning -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And the arraignment is a relatively brief procedure. The probable cause hearing, that could be weeks down the road. Is that right?
BROOKS: Usually it's fairly quickly. It could be within the next couple of weeks, up to a month, but most likely they will go ahead and have the probable cause hearing shortly after the arraignment. Some jurisdictions do it all in one particular hearing, but this one they'll divide it up into two -- Wolf.
BLITZER: One final question, Mike, before I let you go. What evidence do we know that they have right now, directly linking Scott Peterson to the murder of his wife and unborn child? Has the prosecution released any evidence whatsoever?
BROOKS: The prosecution and Modesto Police, Wolf, have played their cards very close to the vest in this case, closer than I've seen it in all of my law enforcement career, and they have not released much, if anything.
But we do know they have conducted a number of searches. On the 26th of December, they searched the Laci Peterson and Scott Peterson's home the first time. They also served a search warrant on Scott's garage where he kept a lot of his equipment for his agricultural sales business. Then they went back and searched the Peterson home again. They spent two days there.
They took almost 100 pieces of evidence total out of the two locations over the period of three times. So they feel that they have a rock solid case. I asked the chief of police here in Modesto the other day if they had not found the body of Laci Peterson, would they still have proceeded with the case. They feel like they have a rock solid case, and they were going to proceed, even if they had not found the body of Laci Peterson -- Wolf.
BLITZER: And we're clearly going to have to wait some time to see that evidence, what the prosecution has, supposedly, against Scott Peterson. We'll watch and we will wait for that, as well. Mike Brooks is our man in Modesto covering the story for us. Mike, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
