Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Scott Peterson Hearing Set For Today

Aired September 02, 2003 - 11:22   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.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Scott Peterson's hearing now right here on CNN. We want to talk to you about that a little bit today. The session will lay the final groundwork for a preliminary hearing one week from today. And that's when prosecutors must show their cards, publicly laying out much of the evidence against Peterson.
CNN's Rusty Dornin getting ready to head into the courthouse now, but she is going to join us live first from Modesto with very the latest.

Hello to you, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, the status hearing is scheduled to get under way in about 15 minutes.

Both sides are expected to point fingers at one another, that the other side has not given them enough information to go forward with the preliminary hearing, which is scheduled to take place one week from today. And Scott Peterson could have something to do with whether or not his defense asks for a delay.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN (voice-over): More than four months after their bodies were discovered in San Francisco Bay, Laci Peterson and her unborn child came home.

Their remains moved from the coroner's office in Contra Costa to Modesto, funeral services private. Defense attorneys for Scott Peterson also wanted the preliminary hearing to be private, fighting to close it. Their reason: It would endanger Peterson's right to a fair trial. The judge here said, no way. And so did an appellate court last week.

So the preliminary hearing, a week from today, will remain open to the public and news media, without cameras. And that's not too soon for prosecutors.

JOHN GOOLD, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We will be ready for the preliminary hearing on September the 9th.

DORNIN: That date may not be acceptable to Peterson's attorneys, who complained last month they were not getting enough information from the prosecution.

MARK GERAGOS, ATTORNEY FOR SCOTT PETERSON: I'm sitting here in the dark saying, I have got certain reports. I've got a very limited amount of forensic reports. And I have no master list.

DORNIN: Prosecutors say the defense needs to define what they want and come and get it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we can make arrangements for them to come to whatever facility it is at, so that they can look at whatever it is that they want to look at.

DORNIN: Prosecutors are now pointing fingers back at the defense, claiming they, too, are having trouble getting information. If both sides complain they don't have what they need to move forward, the judge could grant a delay of next week's preliminary hearing.

Also expected to come up, "People" magazine reporters who claim to have seen autopsy photos of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, a development likely to anger a judge who has still reserved the right to hold hearings on possible violations of its gag order by both the defense and the prosecution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: Sources have told us that Scott Peterson is very upset about the possibility of a delay in this preliminary hearing. He is urging his attorneys to move forward. If they want a delay, they will have to convince Scott Peterson of that, because, in the end, the judge will turn to him and ask him if he agrees with the delay.

Meantime, there were private funeral services for Laci Peterson and her unborn son last Friday. Scott Peterson's parents, Jackie and Lee Peterson, are expressing publicly hurt and anger because they were not invited. They said it's like a kick in the stomach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKIE PETERSON, MOTHER OF SCOTT PETERSON: It's unforgivable. And I think Laci would have just been appalled. She would have never done that to us. She loved us. We loved her a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: The Petersons, just entering the courtroom about five minutes ago, also did tell reporters that their son wants this case to move forward, because he claims that he is an innocent man -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Rusty, it looks like the hearing is about to get under way. We'll let you get back inside the courthouse. Thanks so 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 September 2, 2003 - 11:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Scott Peterson's hearing now right here on CNN. We want to talk to you about that a little bit today. The session will lay the final groundwork for a preliminary hearing one week from today. And that's when prosecutors must show their cards, publicly laying out much of the evidence against Peterson.
CNN's Rusty Dornin getting ready to head into the courthouse now, but she is going to join us live first from Modesto with very the latest.

Hello to you, Rusty.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, the status hearing is scheduled to get under way in about 15 minutes.

Both sides are expected to point fingers at one another, that the other side has not given them enough information to go forward with the preliminary hearing, which is scheduled to take place one week from today. And Scott Peterson could have something to do with whether or not his defense asks for a delay.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN (voice-over): More than four months after their bodies were discovered in San Francisco Bay, Laci Peterson and her unborn child came home.

Their remains moved from the coroner's office in Contra Costa to Modesto, funeral services private. Defense attorneys for Scott Peterson also wanted the preliminary hearing to be private, fighting to close it. Their reason: It would endanger Peterson's right to a fair trial. The judge here said, no way. And so did an appellate court last week.

So the preliminary hearing, a week from today, will remain open to the public and news media, without cameras. And that's not too soon for prosecutors.

JOHN GOOLD, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: We will be ready for the preliminary hearing on September the 9th.

DORNIN: That date may not be acceptable to Peterson's attorneys, who complained last month they were not getting enough information from the prosecution.

MARK GERAGOS, ATTORNEY FOR SCOTT PETERSON: I'm sitting here in the dark saying, I have got certain reports. I've got a very limited amount of forensic reports. And I have no master list.

DORNIN: Prosecutors say the defense needs to define what they want and come and get it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we can make arrangements for them to come to whatever facility it is at, so that they can look at whatever it is that they want to look at.

DORNIN: Prosecutors are now pointing fingers back at the defense, claiming they, too, are having trouble getting information. If both sides complain they don't have what they need to move forward, the judge could grant a delay of next week's preliminary hearing.

Also expected to come up, "People" magazine reporters who claim to have seen autopsy photos of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, a development likely to anger a judge who has still reserved the right to hold hearings on possible violations of its gag order by both the defense and the prosecution.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: Sources have told us that Scott Peterson is very upset about the possibility of a delay in this preliminary hearing. He is urging his attorneys to move forward. If they want a delay, they will have to convince Scott Peterson of that, because, in the end, the judge will turn to him and ask him if he agrees with the delay.

Meantime, there were private funeral services for Laci Peterson and her unborn son last Friday. Scott Peterson's parents, Jackie and Lee Peterson, are expressing publicly hurt and anger because they were not invited. They said it's like a kick in the stomach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACKIE PETERSON, MOTHER OF SCOTT PETERSON: It's unforgivable. And I think Laci would have just been appalled. She would have never done that to us. She loved us. We loved her a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DORNIN: The Petersons, just entering the courtroom about five minutes ago, also did tell reporters that their son wants this case to move forward, because he claims that he is an innocent man -- Heidi.

COLLINS: All right, Rusty, it looks like the hearing is about to get under way. We'll let you get back inside the courthouse. Thanks so 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