Wow! Thanks so much, Rumpole for the posts of the closing arguments! Now I'll check out the poll thread.

I've got to say though the State's argument seemed good. I wonder what Drew's reaction was.

Drew is probably thinking: "If I get away with this I must try to not murder the next one"

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

I wonder if the jury is thinking the same thing?

TRIAL DAY 23 (9-05-12)

STATE OF IL. VS. DREW PETERSON


Trial Day Starts in Joliet Il. - Wednesday, September 5, 2012 9:00 AM 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/

5 nbcchicago - Peterson Trial Live Blog
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/dr ... 60506.html

InSession on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/InSession




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

JURY DELIBERATION - Day 1


Jury in Peterson trial to get instructions Wednesday

I assume that is all that will happen before the Jury leave to deliberate in private.

Judge White, yesterday suggested that they may reach a decision fairly swiftly... so a result today.... or else they will be sequestered.

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

Drew Peterson trial updates: Jury to begin deliberations

6:45 a.m. Jury to begin deliberations

A jury of seven men and five women will begin deliberating today after hearing weeks of circumstantial and hearsay evidence against Drew Peterson, accused of killing his third wife.

Updates at link
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 8698.story

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

Proceedings were supposed to start an hour and a half ago... no sign of things starting yet...

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

They are off.........

Judge addressing jury.. expected to take 20 minutes..... then jury retires to start deliberations

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

In Session

Judge Burmila has just taken the bench. “The matter comes on for charging the jury.” There is a brief judge/attorney exchange (about the use of the word “charge” vs. “charges” in the jury instructions). There are two counts of First Degree Murder with which the defendant is charged, however there is only one verdict form. The judge decides to read the instructions in the singular.

In Session The jurors enter the courtroom. Judge Burmila: “I will now instruct you in the law . . . you must not single out certain instructions and disregard others . . . it is your duty to determine the facts, and determine them only from the evidence in this case.”

In Session “The evidence which you should consider consists only of the testimony of the witnesses and the exhibits which the court has received . . . faithful performance by you of your duties as jurors is vital to the administration of justice.”

In Session “Neither the opening statements or the closing arguments are evidence. And any statement by an attorney that is not based on the evidence should be disregarded . . . the defendant is charged with the offense of first degree murder, and he has pled not guilty.”

In Session “The defendant is presumed to be innocent of the charges against him . . . that is not overcome, unless you are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty.”

In Session “You should not concern yourselves with who made objections, or whether they were sustained or overruled.”

In Session “Evidence in the form of the testimony of Jeff Pachter has been received . . . it has been received on the issue of the defendant’s intent, and is to be considered by you only for that limited purpose . . . evidence in the form of testimony from Mary Parks and Teresa Kernc has been received on the issues of the defendant’s intent and motive . . . again, it is for you to determine what weight should be given to this evidence.”

In Session The judge now goes over the elements of first degree murder. “If you find from your consideration of all the evidence that each one of these propositions has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, you should find the defendant guilty. If you find that any one of these propositions has not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, you should find the defendant not guilty.”

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

In Session The judge goes over the verdict form. He then has the bailiff sworn in who will be in charge of the jury. “Jurors, go with the bailiff, please.”

With that, the jury leaves the room to begin deliberations.

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

Commentator: If Jury comes back very quickly (within 2 hours) the it will be NOT GUILTY.

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

Judge is "keeping" the 4 alternate jurors... separate from the deliberations.... they will be brought back to court with the 12 if there is need... and so remain on "standby" in case a juror takes ill.

Greenberg has objected (sidebar)... alternates should be dismissed now. Judge asks if DrewP would accept 11 man Jury if one took ill... Greenber suggests that would mean mistrial.

......but Judge is sticking to decision.. pending some case law that contradicts that.

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

Verdict watch now!
All or nothing I think is their choice.

I think he got rid of TWO wives. The last one I feel loved her family ... always wanted one I think.
Didn't have much of a family life - so she really would cherish/love her kids.

Some predicting conviction!

Please vote in the Poll Thread Joni.... somebody will get to say "I told you so" later

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

Drew Peterson trial blog: Jury has begun deliberations

September 5, 1:26 p.m. The Peterson jury has now sent a fourth note to the judge asking for autopsy photo's of Kathleen Savio including pictures of bruises. They also would like pictures of the tub. In addition, the jurors have now asked for a report a Bolingbrook Police officer took regarding her interview of Kathleen Savio in 2003.

September 5, 11:45 a.m. The jury has been deliberating for less than two hours but they already are full of questions. Shortly after 11 a.m., Judge Burmila received a request for Stacy and Drew's phone records the weekend of Kathy Savio's death. Also asking for divorce attorney Harry Smith and Neil Schori's transcript. The judge said he will not be sending the transcript back. During these discussions and before the judge had a chance to respond to the jurors, the jury forwarded another request. Around 11:30 a.m. the jury asked for a letter from Kathleen Savio wrote to Will County Prosecutor Elizabeth Fragale pleading for help and the Bolingbrook police report from the 2003 incident where Drew allegedly held a knife to her throat and kept her captive for hours on the stairs. Burmila said the police report can not go back. Judge and attorneys still working out the other issues.

September 5, 11:34 a.m. The jury has sent two inquiries to the judge. They have requested the following: First inquiry - Drew Peterson's phone records from February 28th - March 1st. Neil Schori testimony. 2nd inquiry - Stacy's Phone records from February 28 thru March 3rd. Harry Smith's testimony exhibit 294 and 319 are the phone records and stipulations.

September 5, 11:02 a.m. Jury has a question.

September 5, 9:57 a.m. Jury instructions were quick and to the point lasting less than 15 minutes. The jurors were back beginning deliberations just after 9:30 and the judge put the alternates in a separate room.The defense team objected saying that the law saws the alternated are allowed to go home. Judge Burmila questioned if that is what Peterson would want? "What if one of the jurors got sick?," Burmila asked. Parties took a break to look up case law.

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

Don't think I will set myself up like that! Have enough on the homefront.

Jury has a question. We will find out soon what it is...

In Session
Attorney Greenberg has made a lengthy argument, objecting to the fact that some evidence (such as photographs) are going back to the jury room, while other evidence (the transcripts) are being read to the jurors, but will not go back. The judge, however, is adamant that the transcripts should not go back, since they contained portions which one can clearly see have been redacted. Greenberg then finds case law which he believes supports his position, and the judge takes a brief recess to consider the issue.

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

Drew Peterson trial updates: Jury hears phone records, takes notes


Attorney Joel Brodsky checks his phone after being summoned by the judge to answer questions from the jury
in the Drew Peterson trial at the Will County Courthouse. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune / September 5, 2012)

2:05 p.m. Jury hears phone records, takes notes

The jury is again seated in the courtroom, and a court reporter is reading phone records concerning Drew Peterson's and Kathleen Savio's cell phone records in late February and early March 2004.

Fewer than half the jurors can been seen taking notes as the court reporter reads the telephone records. A Tribune reporter saw only five jurors, all male, taking notes as she spoke.

2 p.m. Court reporter to read testimony to jury

Judge Edward Burmila is going to have the court reporter read the testimony of pastor Neil Schori and divorce attorney Harry Smith to the jury, as well as a letter written by Kathleen Savio to the Will County state's attorney's office alleging abuse by Drew Peterson.

The jury requested the testimony transcripts, letter and phone records this morning.

The letter, which was read to the jury during the trial by the judge as part of a stipulation between the parties, was heavily redacted.

Defense attorney Steve Greenberg argued that the judge should send back the redacted letter, because he is allowing the jury to receive phone records between Stacy Peterson and Drew Peterson. He argued that the judge is being inconsistent with the exhibits, and Burmila called a brief recess to allow the parties to research case law on the matter.

Updated at link
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... 8698.story

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

2:10 p.m. Pastor's testimony read to jury

The court reporter is now reading a transcript of the testimony of pastor Neil Schori, who told the jury that in August 2007 he met with Stacy Peterson at a Starbucks in Bolingbrook.

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

September 5, 2:25 p.m. After weeks of testimony that primarily focused on Kathleen Savio, Stacy Peterson has definitely made her way into the minds of the jurors. At least when it comes to the hearsay statements. The court reporter is currently reading the full testimony of Stacy’s pastor Neil Schori. Schori had told the jury that Stacy had confided in him that Drew killed Kathleen and that he coached her for hours on what to say to police.

The other testimony that will be read is from Kathleen Savio’s divorce attorney Harry Smith. Smith ironically was called to the stand by the defense as they hoped to prove that Stacy wanted to extort Drew for money if she threatened to say Drew killed Kathy. That may have been their biggest mistake in the trial. Smith testified he warned Stacy that concealing a homicide is a felony. The defense had hoped he would say that extortion is a felony.

The jury was called back into the courtroom just after 2 p.m

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