REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (Dec. 13) - A jury decided Monday that Scott Peterson should be executed for murdering his pregnant wife, Laci, whose Christmas Eve disappearance two years ago was the opening act in a legal drama that captivated the nation.
A cheer went up outside the courtroom as the jury announced its decision after 11 1/2 hours of deliberations over three days. The jury had two options in deciding the 32-year-old former fertilizer salesman's fate: life in prison without parole or death by injection.
Peterson clenched his jaw when the verdict was read and leaned over to speak with his attorney, Mark Geragos, but showed no other emotion. Laci Peterson's mother, Sharon Rocha, cried - her lips quivering. Scott Peterson's mother, Jackie, showed no apparent emotion.
A crowd of several hundred gathered outside the courthouse to hear the verdict - a scene reminiscent of when about 1,000 people showed up last month for the conviction. The San Francisco Examiner came out with a special edition within minutes of the sentence, with the giant headline ''DEATH.''
Judge Alfred A. Delucchi will formally sentence Peterson on Feb. 25. The judge will have the option of reducing the sentence to life, but such a move is highly unlikely.
If the judge upholds the sentence, Peterson will be sent to death row at San Quentin State Prison outside San Francisco, the infamous lockup where prisoners gaze out small cell windows overlooking the same bay where Laci Peterson's body was discarded.
But Peterson still might not be executed for decades - if ever - and it can take years for even the first phase of the appeals process to begin. Since California brought back capital punishment in 1978, only 10 executions have been carried out; the last execution, in 2002, was for a murder committed in 1980. The state's death row houses about 650 people.
The jury's decision followed seven days of tearful testimony in the penalty phase of the trial. Shortly before reaching its decision, the jury had asked the judge to see 13 pieces of evidence, including autopsy photos and aerial pictures of San Francisco Bay.
In arguing for death last week, prosecutors called Peterson ''the worst kind of monster'' and said he was undeserving of sympathy. Geragos begged of jurors: ''Just don't kill him. That's all I am asking of you. End this cycle.''
The death sentence came almost two years to the date after the disappeara

Thank god all this is over. I am so tired of this kind of thing. People are obsessed with these type of things. Hell, during the election that is all people talked about: Laci and Lori. These are local stories, not national. The media should be ashamed for this kind of coverage.

My condolences to both familes.

Nevertheless, I do not feel that the State of California proved their case against Scott Peterson and I would more than likely voted not guilty.

Oh, Chris, unfortunately, it WON'T be over now. There will be appeals and it will drag on and on. But at least this part is over.

One thing I'm confused about, and please forgive me, because tonight the main effect I'm feeling from my chemo is a very foggy and messed up head. You said:

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I probably am), but wasn't the State of CA the prosecutor? So, if you said they proved their case (in other words, he was guilty), why are you saying you would more than likely have voted NOT guilty? Am I reading this wrong or thinking about it wrong? I'm so confused! :?:

Personally, with all that's going on in my life, I haven't been following much of the case, but from what I DID see, it all seemed very suspicious to me. But that's not necessarily enough to convict him on. I really don't know how I'd have voted without knowing all the facts.

You are right. I accidently put they did prove instead of did not prove. Thanks for catching that.

Phew. I'm not going crazy! :wacko: