Scott Peterson's in-laws are taking him to court.

[Locutus]

MODESTO, California (AP) -- Convicted killer Scott Peterson will be heading to trial again over the death of his pregnant wife, this time in civil court.


Scott Peterson is on California's death row for killing his pregnant wife, Laci, and their unborn son.

The parents of Laci Peterson have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him, seeking a multimillion-dollar judgment.

A Stanislaus County Superior Court judge has ruled that Peterson would have to stand trial in the civil case.

A jury found him guilty in 2003 of killing Laci Peterson and her fetus and dumping the body in San Francisco Bay on Christmas Eve 2002.

At a hearing Friday, Peterson's defense attorney cited in court a videotape made at San Quentin State Prison in which he maintains his innocence.

The judge stayed his ruling until June 23 to allow lawyers to appeal.

The trial is set to begin July 8.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/09/peterson.civil.ap/index.html

[Locutus]

I'm left to wonder what the point of the civil suit may be.  Unless he has certain assets to which they can attach, the outlook for his future earnings potential is quite bleak. 

[Dexter Morgan]

I'm left to wonder what the point of the civil suit may be.  Unless he has certain assets to which they can attach, the outlook for his future earnings potential is quite bleak. 

I think her family is doing it so he can't profit off her death. If they win ( I think they will) he wont be able to write a book, or receive payment from any interviews etc. That's the bottom line. I read somewhere that he will be forced to testify this time around. Mark Geregos isn't his lawyer anymore. I'm sure as soon as the money dried up, he probably dropped him like a hot potato. I can't stand Geregos or Gloria Allred, they make me wanna puke. I do feel sorry for what her family will have to endure a second time. It's their choosing, but I'm sure it is necessary. I sure wouldn't want the man that murdered my daughter and grandchild to profit from it.

It looks like OJ is finally getting his just desserts too. I was thrilled to learn the proceeds of his book were going to the Goldman family. Infact, I bought the book. If the money would have went to OJ, I never would have bought it. 

Mark Hacking got caught selling his autograph ,and tracings of his hands, on murder auction. com. Her family caught wind of it,and put the kibosh on it.

I think they're right, people who kill people shouldn't profit from it. That's like victimizing them again IMO.

[Sandy Eggo]

Okay, I'll be the odd woman out, but I don't think that OJ got a fair trial and because of his fame couldn't receive a fair trial. I honestly don't believe we're any closer to knowing if he truly killed his ex wife and friend than we were before the trial took place.

[Henry Hawk]

Okay, I'll be the odd woman out, but I don't think that OJ got a fair trial and because of his fame couldn't receive a fair trial. I honestly don't believe we're any closer to knowing if he truly killed his ex wife and friend than we were before the trial took place.

[Dexter Morgan]

Okay, I'll be the odd woman out, but I don't think that OJ got a fair trial and because of his fame couldn't receive a fair trial. I honestly don't believe we're any closer to knowing if he truly killed his ex wife and friend than we were before the trial took place.

PIYA, do you think he's innocent? Who do you think did it? IMO... the victims didn't get a fair trial. The whole trial was a circus. The jury was too star struck to  have an unbiased opinion. I read somewhere that even Marcia Clark was in awe of him. Have you read the book? He laid it all out in the book. In his own words, he explained what happened. Supposedly, a friend of his told him that night that Nicole was selling drugs out of her home. It sent him into a rage, he was going to go talk to her, the friend went with him. She answered the door with a knife in her hand, because she was scared of him. They argued and he got ahold of the knife,and lost control and killed her. Enter Ron Goldman.... he saw the struggle, and tried to intervene, OJ over powered him and stabbed him repeatedly till he died, because he couldn't leave a witness. IMO... that's probably how it did happen. 

[Palehorse]

Okay, I'll be the odd woman out, but I don't think that OJ got a fair trial and because of his fame couldn't receive a fair trial. I honestly don't believe we're any closer to knowing if he truly killed his ex wife and friend than we were before the trial took place.

From the bungling of the evidence, to the racist tendencies of certain parties, I have to agree there was little to no chance of OJ getting a fair trial. The publicity whack nutz on top of all this made it virtually impossible to obtain a fair trail.

LA CSI and the prosecutors office made the whole investigation look as if it were conducted by the three stooges.

I believe the jury did the only thing they could given the circus they were adjudicating. So many aspects of this trial, the evidentuary (sic) chain of possession, etc. cast reasonable doubt as to his guilt. The "if they don't fit you must acquit" was not only catchy but certainly applicable given the big picture. (And I'm not just talking about the gloves here).

Did he do it? Only he knows. But given he was judged not guilty by a jury, I guess he is the one that has to live with the reality of what really happened. Is he a murderer or a public figure who had his entire life taken from him due to an overzealous and unjust case of proctorial malfeasance? Again, only OJ knows for sure. . . And the courts have made sure he doesn't get to talk about it. . .

[Sandy Eggo]

^ PH hit the nail on the head. That's exactly my thinking regarding the entire debacle. I never said that I thought he was innocent, but I didn't say that I think he's guilty. I really don't know.

Do you think he was tried by a jury of his peers? What about the court of public opinon? Was it biased in one way or the other before the trial even began? or for that matter, before he was even named as a suspect? Was he ever a suspect or went straight to guilty? Who else was investigated?

Too many variables were left without resolution.

[Dexter Morgan]

IMO.... I think he did it. It just goes to prove.... if you have a bunch of money, you can get away with murder. Same with Robert Blake.... he is as guilty as OJ, and he had enough money ,to buy his way out of it. I truly believe that in both cases the jury could have been paid off. Stuff like that happens everyday in Hollywood. Money talks and BS walks.  I think when they retry that nut Phil Specter he will also walk. God help the next gal that hooks up with him. I think his marriage is a scam, to make him appear to be normal, when he is far from normal. IMO... he ain't wired right. Society doesn't need any of those nuts wandering around. The real injustice is that they can do it again, and the cycle starts all over. Even if someone is rich they should be treated as any regular Joe would be. They're not above the law. If they do the crime... they do the time.

[Sandy Eggo]

So you think out of all the people they questioned as a suspect in relation to Nicole and Ron's murder, OJ was the most likely? BTW, who were the other suspects?

[Dexter Morgan]

So you think out of all the people they questioned as a suspect in relation to Nicole and Ron's murder, OJ was the most likely? BTW, who were the other suspects?

Faye Resnic and her druggie friends. In the beginning they thought it may be drug related. If I remember correctly they questioned a lot of her friends, but the only person with a motive was OJ. She didn't have enemies. It couldn't be traced back to Ron Goldman, because he just happened to have the horrible luck, of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Who do you think did it?

[Sandy Eggo]

I think it could have been any of a number of people and motive is in the eye of the beholder. Not what we think it would be.   I think the investigation pretty much shut down when they thought the could make a sensational case w/OJ.

It was tried in the court of public opinion before his feet ever touched the foyer of the police station.

[Dexter Morgan]

I think it could have been any of a number of people and motive is in the eye of the beholder. Not what we think it would be.   I think the investigation pretty much shut down when they thought the could make a sensational case w/OJ.

It was tried in the court of public opinion before his feet ever touched the foyer of the police station.

It was obvious from the get go, he had A LOT of support. An example of that would be his fans stationed along the freeway, holding signs during the slow speed Bronco chase.It seemed as if the African American community thought it wasn't a big deal that a black man killed a white woman. It was accepted because of his 'star' status. And she was just a white ho anyway...right?  They did everything they could to drag her through the mud. OK.... she may not have had a Puritan lifestyle.... but she didn't deserve to be butchered by her crazed ex husband. And Ron Goldman's death was even more of a tragedy. He was being a good Samaritan,and returning a pair of sun glasses for cryin' out loud.  I think it's fun to watch Ron's family ruin his life as much as they can. I hope at his upcoming trail, they get a racially balanced jury, and have an actual trial this time.

[Sandy Eggo]

It was obvious from the get go, he had A LOT of support. An example of that would be his fans stationed along the freeway, holding signs during the slow speed Bronco chase.It seemed as if the African American community thought it wasn't a big deal that a black man killed a white woman. It was accepted because of his 'star' status. And she was just a white ho anyway...right?  They did everything they could to drag her through the mud. OK.... she may not have had a Puritan lifestyle.... but she didn't deserve to be butchered by her crazed ex husband. And Ron Goldman's death was even more of a tragedy. He was being a good Samaritan,and returning a pair of sun glasses for cryin' out loud.  I think it's fun to watch Ron's family ruin his life as much as they can. I hope at his upcoming trail, they get a racially balanced jury, and have an actual trial this time.

It was also obvious from the get go that he was found guilty before the trial even started. That's not how it's supposed to work. I think his "star" status actually worked against his getting a fair trial. IMO, there's reasonable doubt that he did it and reasonable doubt that he didn't.

[Palehorse]

Well, they took away everything OJ had and all that did was eliminate his resources for tracking down who really did the deed, if he didn't.  A PI is about the only way anyone is going to find out the truth, and it is far too late for that now.

The law just seemed to drop the whole issue once he was found not guilty, thereby proving they had not even considered anyone else. By the time the jury told them they had the wrong guy the trail had gone stone cold, the evidence had been twisted to fit OJ, and there wasn't anything else to go on. They can't go after him again. . .

I don't know if he did it or not, but based upon what I saw during that circus the conclusion the jury reached was the only just conclusion.