November 12, 2004

IF WE'RE LOSING THE CULTURE WAR WHAT WAS THE SECOND COUNT FOR?:

Guilty: Two counts of murder (Jessie Seyfer, 11/12/04, San Jose Mercury News)

Scott Peterson was convicted this afternoon of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Laci Peterson, and second-degree murder in the death of their unborn son.

The convictions mean that Peterson could face the death penality. This will be determined by the Redwood City jury following a penalty phase during which attorneys for both sides will argue whether the Modesto man should be put to death or likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

The jury was in its seventh day of deliberations.

Peterson faced two murder counts in the deaths of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn son, Conner.


The media and Democrats have spent the last week and a half trying to figure out how they missed the cultural divide in America, but they don't even grasp the moral importance of this trial. God rest the souls of Laci Peterson and her son, Conner.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 12, 2004 5:14 PM
Comments

Dare we say if Kerry had won, there would have been a hung jury? I believe the president's huge win has encouraged people not to be afraid to take strong positions if they think they're right.

Posted by: erp at November 12, 2004 6:08 PM

During the inevtiable drawn-out appeals process, the second count's backgroud will be barely touched on by a majority of the media, because of the other issues talking about it would have to encompass (though if Peterson wanted to hire a pro-choice activist lawyer to replace Gerigos, they could make the argument that the second count should be tossed because the baby was just a mass of tissue. But if they do that none of the TV network court shows will have anything to do with the case anymore).

Posted by: John at November 12, 2004 6:24 PM

This month just keeps getting better and better.

Posted by: H.D. Miller at November 12, 2004 7:03 PM

The verdict form described Conner as "baby Conner Peterson."

Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at November 12, 2004 7:50 PM

Kerry voted against a federal statute that would have brought federal law into line with california and other states that make the killing of a viable feotus, murder (it was not so at common law).

Posted by: Robert Schwartz at November 12, 2004 9:42 PM

I just wonder why it took a year to try this dirtbag. These kinds of cases are not unusual, they happen everyday. I think that the publicity this case got is counterproductive, it invites high profile attorneys like Geragos into the mix to publicize themselves at the expense of the victims.

Posted by: Robert Duquette at November 13, 2004 3:28 AM

I have a hard time seeing the moral importance of this case, though I'm as happy as anyone else that Scott Peterson is going to get what's coming to him. I think the media, particularly FNC, paid _way_ too much attention to this trial. It continued the noxious trend set by "all OJ, all the time".

Posted by: Joe at November 13, 2004 8:02 AM

Joe:

First of all I resent the complaint about all OJ all the time.

Second, he was convicted of killing a boy who the Left thinks wasn't human.

Posted by: oj at November 13, 2004 8:44 AM

The AP news story in today's local paper referred to "Laci Peterson and her fetus." Conner was a fully formed, "viable", full term baby, who was murdered by his {S.P. doesn't deserve to be called this "f" word}. I doubt that folks on the political and theological left will grasp, as you write, "the moral importance of [the Scott Peterson] trial."

Posted by: Dave W. at November 14, 2004 12:31 AM
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