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Peterson walks out of jail

posted 12 years ago by mdliske
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NC novelist Michael Peterson walks out of jail after judge orders new trial in wife’s death

By Associated Press, Friday, December 16, 12:09 PM

DURHAM, N.C. — Novelist Michael Peterson has walked out of a North Carolina jail, one day after a judge ordered a new trial in the 2001 death of Peterson’s wife.

Peterson posted the $300,000 secured bond set by Judge Orlando Hudson, who ruled that a key prosecution witness misled jurors about the strength of bloodstain evidence.

Speaking to reporters Thursday outside the Durham County jail, Peterson said he’d waited eight years to get a new trial. He thanked Hudson for giving him a chance to vindicate himself and prove his innocence.

Peterson was convicted in 2003 of first-degree murder in the death of Kathleen Peterson, who was found at the bottom of a staircase in the couple’s mansion. The 68-year-old Peterson has maintained his wife died in an accidental fall after drinking alcohol and taking Valium.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nc-novelist-michael-peterson-wa lks-out-of-jail-after-judge-orders-new-trial-in-wifes-death/2011/12/15 /gIQAkq7twO_story.html

[–] floquick2 12 years ago

And one of the news articles said a French camera crew was filming him as he walked out, so it's a good guess that there will be a Staircase Part 2, especially if cameras are allowed in for the retrial.

[–] mdliske 12 years ago

^^Oh no. I can only imagine how biased Part 2 will be.

[–] floquick2 12 years ago

Tweaking what Nigel Tufnel from This Is Spinal Tap said - "It's like, how much more biased could this be? And the answer is none. None more biased."

The good news is that most viewers saw through the filmmakers' attempts to blatantly re-frame the case in a light favorable to Peterson. And I'm sure they would see through them again.

[–] Rommeltop 12 years ago

NO WAY! I can't believe he's out! I reckon the prosecutors have a decent chance of winning a retrial. But what do I know.

[–] Rommeltop 12 years ago

I wouldn't be surprised if this forum got cleared because all the "guilty talk" is potentially damaging to Peterson's retrial.

Also, I heard on one of the videos that Peterson's lawyer was talking about a plea bargain? I wonder what kind of plea it would be for? Perhaps an Alford Plea like what the West Memphis Three got, where Peterson would plead guilty (or no contest) in court and walk free and be able to maintain his innocence, while his time in prison would count as time served.

[–] floquick2 12 years ago

This forum won't be "cleared" because of Peterson's trial. We still have the First Amendment. And anyone posting or reading out here isn't going to be allowed on the jury.

I see no possibility of an Alford plea in this case. I'm sure Peterson would take one in a heartbeat, but he's clearly guilty and I don't think the prosecution will have much trouble getting another conviction. The West Memphis Three, on the other hand, are innocent, and the prosecution in that case saw an opportunity to both cover the asses of many officals who behaved unethically in railroading them as well as prevent an almost certain loss should the WM3 been retried. Unlike this case, they had not yet been granted new trials.

Could Peterson plead guility to a lesser charge to get less time? That's possible, but I don't think the State will agree he's done anywhere near sufficient time to walk free with time served. He's a sick, dangerous old coot.

[–] Rommeltop 12 years ago

Could Peterson plead guility to a lesser charge to get less time? That's possible, but I don't think the State will agree he's done anywhere near sufficient time to walk free with time served.

Yeah, I totally reckon Peterson would go for all-or-nothing, ie a retrial for 1st degree murder - getting either another life sentence or an acquittal, than take a plea bargain, as even if he pled guilty to 2nd degree and got given twenty years, he would be around 80 when he got out.

[–] DerrrrDerp 8 years ago

Your first amendment does not protect you from the private company that is IMDB from doing whatever they like with their content. They own this domain, everything we post here is their's to do with as they wish. But, of course they wouldn't "wipe" it. This isn't mass media, in the grand scheme of things, virtually no one is reading this.

[–] shanayneigh 12 years ago

There is no such thing as an "unbiased" documentary. Period.

Working in the movie business since -92