WGN NEWS - Drew Peterson trial blog:

August 15, 3:07 p.m. In trouble again. Prosecutors elicited testimony this afternoon from Dr. Blum that had previously been barred. The defense team objected and the judge called a break. In a pretrial hearing Judge Burmila ruled that prosecutors not only could not physically bring the tub in to demonstrate but that Dr. Blum or anyone else could not discuss getting into the tub.

James Glasgow asked Blum about the surface of the tub and Blum responded that he got in it with his clothes on. Will County State's attorney James Glasgow said he had instructed his witness not to mention this.

Updated at link
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-drew-pe ... .htmlstory

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Tweet:

#DrewPeterson atty Meczyk asks judge to ban entire Blum testimony. "This can't go on and on and on," Meczyk says as he pounds table.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

https://www.facebook.com/InSession

The judge is back on the stand (the witness and the jurors are not present). Defense attorney Ralph Meczyk: “It’s irrelevant whether or not it was an innocent mistake. With all due respect to the Court, you are not a potted plant . . . there has to be an appropriate and reasonable sanction . . .there was a ruling, and [this was] something they were not supposed to touch upon . . . he entered a prohibited realm that you said they couldn’t go into. This is an avalanche, a tidal wave, a cascading of missteps. There is only one appropriate sanction in this case, and that is to strike in its entirety the direct testimony of this witness. And any witnesses who relied up on this witness, their testimony should also be stricken. This can not go on and on and on . . . the preparation that was does with these witnesses is not good enough . . . a curative instruction; you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. The cumulative effect on this jury is devastating; it’s a violation of Mr. Peterson’s right to a fair trial. Now there has to be some real meaning to your words. And the only appropriate sanction is to strike the testimony of this witness in its entirety.” Prosecutor Glasgow responds, complains about the defense “histrionics . . . he’s simply looking at the bathtub . . . that’s the record, and that’s the testimony. What we just heard, it sounded like something entirely different, but it wasn’t based on facts. These are the facts . . . that last line about getting into the bathtub happened quickly. But we were not getting into a reenactment . . . I would ask the Court to give me another opportunity to admonish him. And I apologize for any confusion.”

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

https://www.facebook.com/InSession

Meczyk: “What inference can the jury possibly draw with his statement that he slipped into that tub? The point is it’s the harm that’s already been done. I think vigorous coaching of the witness is too late. There have to be some teeth to the rulings you’ve made. I respectfully ask you to strike the testimony of Dr. Blum.” Judge: “Well there are very few people in this courtroom who remember the person it’s named after, Judge Angelo Pistilli. . . when he’d get frustrated, he’d say, ‘I guess there’s nothing left for me to do except blow my brains out.’ I never quite understood that until today . .. we’re back in another situation where we were earlier today. The circumstances of this case are creating the aura that the Court is somehow toothless, that we just go forward, ignoring the orders that I have entered or Judge White has entered. I don’t care for myself personally, but the disrespect to the Court is shocking to the conscious. The remedy Mr. Peterson urges is to strike the testimony of the doctor, and that’s denied. When the jury comes back, I’m going to instruct them to disregard the last testimony of the witness . . . and we are not going to continue to visit the State’s disregarding of the Court’s orders in this case.” The judge then sends for the witness and the jury.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Drew Peterson trial blog:

'The disrespect to this court is shocking'

August 15, 3:35 p.m. In most trials the defense is calling for a mistrial and prosecutors are more often than not on their best behavior. However in this trial, one has to ask the question, what is going on?

The prosecution has ignored the judges rulings at least 5 times. However, Judge Burmila after scolding the prosecution again, denied the defense request to strike Blum's testimony in its entirety.

We are "not going to continue to visit the state's ignoring of the courts ruling admissibility.." he told prosecutors. "Yesterday it was a brain cramp and today it's wooziness." "The disrespect to this court is shocking." Burmila said.

Updates at link
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-drew-pe ... .htmlstory

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Drew Peterson trial blog: Day 10

August 15, 5:04 p.m. Court has adjourned for the day. Dr. Blum will continue on the stand tomorrow morning.

August 15, 5:00 p.m. If it were to be an accident, Kathleen Savio did not have the three main contributing factors that most commonly result in death in a bathtub according to Dr. Blum. The three D's, drugs, drinking and disease, could cause an otherwise healthy person to slip and fall in the bathtub Blum said. Savio had none of those issues at the time of her death. When drowning is the cause of death "in an otherwise healthy female at age 40...one looks for risk factors." Blum said.


...more at link
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-drew-pe ... .htmlstory

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

TRIAL DAY 11 (8-16-12)

STATE OF IL. VS. DREW PETERSON


Trial Day Starts in Joliet Il. - Thursday, August 16, 2012 9:00AM CT

Days will be ....Tuesday Through Friday, every week until it goes to jury!!!

There will be no camera's in courtroom unfortunately so we will have to rely on twitter for information as to what is going on in courtroom & also Updates from several outlets.

TRIAL UPDATES: Chicago Tribune Breaking News
(Link to Daily Update Story)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... g&lpos=Sub

LIVESTREAMING FOR TRU TV
http://superusvox.com/index.php/specialty/trutv
or
http://livetvcafe.net/video/7Y78YR9H9DKB/Tru-TV

WGN TV - Drew Peterson trial (links to daily blogs)
http://www.wgntv.com/news/drewpeterson/




TWITTER LINKS:

IN SESSIONS.
http://twitter.com/InSession

Joseph Hosey (reporter)
Joseph Hosey@ShorewdILPatch
http://twitter.com/ShorewdILPatch

Tweets for Drew Peterson case
https://twitter.com/#!/search/drew%20...+peterson+case

Jon Seidel
Jon Seidel@SeidelContent
https://twitter.com/seidelcontent

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Drew Peterson trial updates:

6:30 a.m. Pathologist continues testimony
Testimony continues today from a pathologist who performed a second autopsy on Kathleen Savio and concluded her death in 2004 could not have been an accident.

Updates at link
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 4073.story

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Drew Peterson trial updates:

1:30 p.m. Judge explains 'blow my brains out' joke
Before bringing jurors back in for this afternoon’s testimony, Judge Edward Burmila took a moment to address a joking comment he made on Wednesday.

Burmila had said, after frustration over repeated attorney gaffes, that he now understood how a former Will County judge had felt when he remarked that "there’s nothing left to do but for me to blow my brains out."

"I have gotten so many emails and texts from people I know because of media reports (about my joke)," he said to some laughter.

Burmila repeated that his remark was that he understood why a former Will County judge felt that way.

"I didn’t want any of my family or my friends to worry — I’m not going to do that," he said to some laughter.

updated at link
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 4073.story

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Cross examination of Blum might be interesting.

Clearly the exhumation and autopsy was done after all the rumours that Drew had murdered Kathleen.

I don't think Blum was impartial. He went into the autopsy knowing what he wanted to find. No surprise that he found it.

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

https://www.facebook.com/InSession

The jury is now back in the jury box, and Dr. Blum has returned to the stand. After a brief sidebar, attorney Meczyk resumes his cross-examination. “Using as you said peer review of these world-renowned pathologist, despite what Dr. Jentzen wrote in his report, you differ?” “If he wrote anything other than homicide, then we differ.” “You reviewed Dr. Spitz’ report?” “That’s correct.” “You’ve heard of Dr. Spitz?” “I actually attended one of his classes about three years ago . . . I got to listen to one of his lectures . . . it was very good.” “You have to be commended for attending lecture.” “We’re required.” (LAUGHTER). “Dr. Spitz also had a conclusion about manner of death?” “I would assume he did . .. I don’t recollect that portion.” The witness is then shown a copy of Dr. Spitz’ report. “His opinion is different than yours, correct?’ “Correct.” “180 degrees different? . . . it’s the opposite of your opinion?” “It’s quite different, yes.” “He says accident, you say homicide?” “Yes.” “We’re not talking about toMAto and toMAHto?” Objection/Sustained. “No matter what he says, you still say homicide?” “Yes.” “You also reviewed Dr. Demaio’s report?” Yes.” “You wanted to see what they wanted to opine?” “Yes.” “Sort of a check on what you were doing, a peer review?” “I would say so.” “And Dr. Demaio comes to a different opinion than you?” “I believe he calls it an accident as well.” “So now we have three eminent pathologists that say it was an accident . . . despite their opinion, you still say homicide?” “Well, I haven’t changed my opinion; that’s correct.”

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Drew Peterson trial updates:

2:15 p.m. 'I haven't changed my opinion'
Dr. Larry Blum testified under cross-examination by Ralph Meczyk that he hadn’t changed his opinion that Kathleen Savio’s death was a homicide even after reviewing reports from three defense experts who found it was an accident.

"Now we have three eminent pathologists opining that that the manner of death was an accident," Meczyk said, a comment that State’s Attorney James Glasgow successfully objected to.

And "despite their opinion you say homicide?" Meczyk asked.

"Well, I haven’t changed my opinion, that’s correct," Blum said.

Meczyk has repeatedly used laudatory terms to refer to the defense experts, including calling them "world-renowned." The judge has striken the remarks after Glasgow objected.
Glasgow objected to Mecyzk being allowed to mention the other reports during his cross-examination. But Judge Edward Burmila allowed the questions because Blum had testified he reviewed them as a sort of check on his own work.

Updates at link
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 4073.story

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Drew Peterson trial blog: Attorneys talk motions

August 16, 5:21 p.m. The judge has told prosecutors that they cannot bring in witnesses to say they didn't put a blue towel on the bathtub the night of Kathy Savio's death.

He said that you cannot use "process of elimination" to let the jury infer that the defendant put it there. Judge Burmila says Drew Peterson has a right not to testify and his instructions to the jury have to include that they cannot take his silence to mean guilt.

August 16, 5:05 p.m. The prosecution would like to call Stacy Peterson's uncle Kyle Toutges to the stand because he once overheard someone say to Drew it doesn't look good for him because of Kathy's death and Stacy's disappearance. Drew Peterson apparently responded, "let them prove it." Judge Burmila said that the statement is inadmissible.

August 16, 4:55 p.m. Jurors have been dismissed, motions are still being addressed.

...more at link
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-drew-pe ... .htmlstory

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Drew Peterson trial blog: Day 11


August 16, 6:10 p.m. Burmila said he is taking the prosecutions request under advisement. Court is adjourned for the day.

August 16, 6:01 p.m. Judge Burmila is still hearing arguments on motions. The prosecution is trying to get in testimony by a witness who would say just months before Kathleen Savio's death Peterson offered him $25,000 to hire take care of his wife. Prosecutors argued it shows a "course of conduct."



….more at link
http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-drew-pe ... .htmlstory

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

TRIAL DAY 12 (8-17-12)

STATE OF IL. VS. DREW PETERSON


Trial Day Starts in Joliet Il. - Friday, August 17, 2012 9:00AM CT

Days will be ....Tuesday Through Friday, every week until it goes to jury!!!

There will be no camera's in courtroom unfortunately so we will have to rely on twitter for information as to what is going on in courtroom & also Updates from several outlets.

TRIAL UPDATES: Chicago Tribune Breaking News
(Link to Daily Update Story)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... g&lpos=Sub

LIVESTREAMING FOR TRU TV
http://superusvox.com/index.php/specialty/trutv
or
http://livetvcafe.net/video/7Y78YR9H9DKB/Tru-TV

WGN TV - Drew Peterson trial (links to daily blogs)
http://www.wgntv.com/news/drewpeterson/




TWITTER LINKS:

IN SESSIONS.
http://twitter.com/InSession

Joseph Hosey (reporter)
Joseph Hosey@ShorewdILPatch
http://twitter.com/ShorewdILPatch

Tweets for Drew Peterson case
https://twitter.com/#!/search/drew%20...+peterson+case

Jon Seidel
Jon Seidel@SeidelContent
https://twitter.com/seidelcontent

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Drew Peterson trial updates:



9:35 a.m. Savio 'horribly sleep-deprived'
The first witness today was Dr. Gene Neri, a neurologist who treated Kathleen Savio from 1999 to 2002 for pain in her neck and shoulders, dizziness and numbness in her extremities.

Neri said he later treated Savio for cervical vertigo, a condition caused by stress.

"The root of the problem in her case, basically, was not sleeping," Neri said. "She was horribly sleep deprived."

Her serotonin levels dropped and her adrenaline levels rose, causing her to suffer pain and nervousness, Neri said.

Updated at link
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 3097.story

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light

Drew Peterson trial updates:



10:05 a.m. Five potential witnesses today
Prosecutors said they have as many as five potential witnesses today. Through the first three days of testimony this week, only three witnesses have testified. The pace of the trial has appeared to frustrate some jurors, who have rolled their eyes or groaned when told to leave the courtroom again and again while attorneys argue motions.

Dr. Gene Neri is already on the witness stand this morning. Other possible witnesses today include: Stacy Peterson’s friend Scott Rossetto; Jennifer Schoon, the ex-girlfriend of Drew Peterson’s son, Stephen; and Illinois State Police Investigator Bryan Falat.

Rossetto, who traded raunchy text messages with Stacy shortly before she disappeared in 2007, testified at a pretrial hearing that Drew Peterson coaxed her into providing a false alibi for the weekend of Savio's death.

Schoon was living in Drew Peterson’s home at the time of Savio’s death, Schoon’s attorney said in 2008.

Falat testified at a hearing in 2010 that Drew and Stacy Peterson appeared to be lying in interviews with state police after Savio's death. But Falat said his concerns were ignored.

"Quite honestly, I was sort of disgusted with" how the investigation was handled, Falat said in 2010.

Stacy Peterson appeared "scripted" and often looked to Drew Peterson when she was unsure of an answer, Falat testified previously.

Updated at link
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 3097.story

_________________
Do not go gentle into that good night.
___________ Rage, rage against the dying of the light