REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – A woman accused of keeping secrets about her past while being chosen as a juror in the Scott Peterson murder trial two decades ago will be offered immunity to testify – a twist that could lead to a new murder trial in one of California’s most notorious cases.
If “Juror No. 7” accepts immunity — presumably from perjury charges — she is expected to take the witness stand in a Redwood City courtroom Feb. 25 to explain why she didn’t reveal that she had been the victim of domestic violence while she was pregnant.
Peterson, now 49, was convicted in 2004 and later sentenced to death in the killing of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, and the unborn son they planned to name Conner. His death penalty was overturned late last year when a judge ruled that potential jurors who disagreed with the death penalty but were willing to impose it were improperly dismissed from the jury pool. Now, Peterson’s lawyers are seeking to overturn his murder conviction as well, claiming the juror’s lack of transparency denied him a fair trial.
