Laci's Family Sues Scott Peterson

[CSA FD]

Laci's Family Sues Scott Peterson
Jun. 9, 2008

In an effort to make sure Scott Peterson can never make any money by selling his story, the parents of Laci Peterson have filed a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court against the man convicted of killing their daughter and her unborn child. Dennis and Sharon Rocha are seeking a multimillion dollar judgment against the death row inmate.
A Stanislaus County Superior Court judge ruled last week that Peterson would have to stand trial in the civil case.

The judge will now hold a hearing to determine the scope of the trial, deciding if the trial will focus solely on the monetary issues or whether or not the Rochas must prove Peterson's culpability in the deaths of Laci and Conner.

At the hearing last week, Peterson's attorneys showed the judge a videotape made at San Quentin Prison in which Peterson maintains his innocence.

Peterson was convicted in of the murders and sentenced to death in 2004.

[CSA FD]

Convicted Killer Scott Peterson Blogging from San Quentin's Death Row
Jul. 16, 2008

Convicted killer Scott Peterson is blogging from death row at San Quentin State Prison, posting pictures of himself smiling aside his wife Laci Peterson, whom he was accused of murdering. She was eight months pregnant with their child at the time of her death.

Inmates aren’t allowed direct Internet access but with the help of the Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Peterson and hundreds like him have gained access to the Web via pen pal letters that the Coalition, and similar organizations, post with the intent of eventually affecting death penalty laws.

Peterson, who was sentenced to death by lethal injection in 2005, offers links to his family's support site and other resources with information about his case.

Hundreds of condemned prisoner's blogs have sprung up on the Web through pen-pal postings and personalized web pages that feature their writings, artwork, and photos of themselves. Often, the sites also include declarations of innocence and requests friendship and money.

While civil libertarians and free speech activists laud the work of groups like the Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty, victims’ rights advocates oppose the exposure the inmates receive from blogs like Peterson’s.

[CSA FD]

Laci Peterson's mom outraged over former son-in-law's blogStory
Laci Peterson's mother: Scott Peterson should not have right to blog in prison

Scott Peterson was convicted of deaths of Laci, their unborn child

Sharon Rocha doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about Scott, thinks about Laci

(CNN) -- Scott Peterson was convicted November 12, 2004, for the deaths of his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child. He may be locked up in San Quentin State Prison and facing the death penalty, but he is not cut off from the outside world.

Peterson has a personal Web site that includes photos of him and Laci. It also links to his family's Web site and that Web site includes a blog message from Scott discussing what he calls his "wrongful conviction."

Shaon Rocha, Laci Peterson's mother, appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" Thursday to talk about his Web site and what she thinks of her former son-in-law.

Some highlights:

Larry King: What do you make of all this?

Sharon Rocha: Well. First of all, I think I could say that being on death row is supposed to eliminate a lot of rights and privileges of the inmates. In the whole scope of things, this is a very minute matter, but it isn't right that they should have access to the Internet, either direct access or through somebody else.

King: How and when did you first find out about Scott having this Web page?

Rocha: Just a couple of days ago. A friend of mine had told me about it.

King: Have you seen the page?

Don't Miss
Larry King Live
Rocha: I have. And I understand it's the family blog, which, you know, they're entitled to have that. But I still feel that it's not right that Scott has the ability to speak on the Internet through his family or friends or whomever.

King: So you think a family blog is OK?

Rocha: Everybody's entitled, you know, to their opinion, and I see nothing wrong with having a family blog.

King: He has only two blog entries on his personal page. One says he's encouraged by the mail he receives and he enjoys hearing from people. His prison mail address is also posted. What do you think of that?

Rocha: Well, I think that is public knowledge. There are different Web sites that you can go to get that prison. But as far as being encouraged from other people, I'm sure he is. But the point is I don't think he should be able to access the Internet, either directly or through anybody else.

King: Do you have any qualms about people writing to him? Does it bother you at all?

Rocha: No, it doesn't bother me. To be perfectly honest with you, Larry, I really don't spend a lot of time thinking about Scott. I think about Laci all of the time, but I don't give a lot of thought to Scott.

King: In his first blog posting, Scott writes, "some people have done things to profit off my wife and son having been taken from me and murdered." How do you react to a statement like that?

Rocha: Well, that's true. There have been a lot of people who have profited from that. But I don't feel that he should be one of those because he's responsible for Laci not being here. I know many inmates are claiming that it violates their rights, their right to freedom of speech not to be able to have communication with, through the Internet or what have you. But they are there for a reason and that reason is that they took the right of their victims. They took their freedom of speech away from them and literally slammed the lid on their opportunity to ever speak again.

King: Have you complained to the prison or anybody in authority about all of this?

Rocha: No, I haven't. It's not something that I've even thought about. I read an article in "The (Los Angeles) Times" about victims in other states who attempted to have legislation passed only to have it ruled as unconstitutional by a judge. So I don't know if there's really anything that can be done about it.

King: So you have no recourse, in a sense.

Rocha: At this time, it seems to be that way, unless there's some new legislation that can actually be passed and not ruled unconstitutional.

King: Frankly, Sharon, you don't seem outraged.

Rocha: Well, it is outrageous for this to even be happening. I just feel that, you know, it just does a great injustice to the victims and their families. They can no longer speak for themselves. And being on death row is supposed to eliminate an inmate's privileges. And this just flies in the face of justice, as far as I'm concerned, that OK, so they said they can't use the Internet, they go around it and they use it in another way. It is outrageous. I am outraged.