Peterson Defense Calls First Witness
The jury's attire is getting even wackier in the Drew Peterson trial
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Updated 4:35 p.m.
The first witness called by the defense was Kathleen Savio's best friend
and next-door neighbor Mary Pontarelli.
Pontarelli was already called by prosecutors to testify. When she testified, Pontarelli insisted Savio's death scene was altered after her body was discovered. Specifically she said a towel was placed on the edge of the tub. She said there were no towels when she first saw the body.
Prosecutors wanted Pontarelli to recount the time Peterson threw Savio to the ground and had her arrested for allegedly attacking Drew Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. Judge Edward Burmila blocked her testimony.
During her testimony for the defense, Pontarelli told how she never saw Peterson get angry or violent, and also how amusing she found him to be.
"He joked a lot, yes," Pontarelli said.
"He's the funny guy, always telling jokes about things," she said. "Not in
a mean way, in a fun way."
Updated 1:15 p.m.
The jury has taken their practice of wearing similar clothing a step further.
Previously, the jury has been wearing the same color shirt each day.
Today, they all wore shirts bearing the logos of Chicago area sports teams.
Naperville attorney Kathleen Zellner, who has been observing the trial, said the jury is just looking for attention.
"The jury wants the focus on them," Zellner said. "They don't want the focus on the attorneys. They're the decision makers."
Defense attorney Joseph "Shark" Lopez said he heard some grumbling in the courthouse corridor about the jurors' attire.
"I did hear somebody in the hallway say, 'This is a murder trial not a fashion show,'" Lopez said. "I'm not sure what that means."
Zellner saw nothing wrong with the jury's shirts.
"If the families are not offended by it, I think it's fine," she said.
Lopez also said Peterson is "scared to death."
"Like any other defendant, he's scared to death he's going to be convicted of something he didn't do," Lopez said.
Updated 12:23 p.m.
The defense plans to take two days to argue its case and call 10 witnesses to the stand, according to CBS.
Updated 11:44 a.m.
Judge Edward Burmila denied the defense motion to find Drew Peterson not guilty without presenting a case of his own.
Burmila said if he was to "distill down" the evidence against Peterson, it was potentially sufficient to convict him.
"The jury could find on these facts that the defendant is guilty of this offense."
Peterson attorney Steve Greenberg argued at length that prosecutors utterly failed to prove Peterson was even in the home of his third wife,
Kathleen Savio died, much less that he killed her.
"They didn't do it because they can't do it," Greenberg said. "It's like they were trying to nail a clump of Jello to a tree and make it stick there," he said.
The prosecution has rested its case.
Original story
Prosecutors say they will call no witnesses today. They are arguing with Drew Peterson's attorneys over stipulations and what information will be read to the jury and what paperwork they will be allowed to take back with them during deliberations.
After these arguments conclude, the prosecution will rest its case.
Pro Life Crusader +
12:46 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Interesting Judge Brumila told the Prosecution on Friday that they produced no evidence placing Drew in the house the weekend Kathy Savoi died. Wow?
tom
2:09 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Today that judge said if he was to "distill down" the evidence against Peterson, it was potentially sufficient to convict him.
"The jury could find on these facts that the defendant is guilty of this offense."
Lilian31
1:30 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
How easy they want it. This guy is guilty and I hope he gets a nice lifetime membership to jail!
Ballseck Malone
5:18 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
You only base your opinion on what you have heard or seen on T.V.. The media had their own trial and decided Drew was quilty a long time ago and they want to keep that idea in everyone's head, like yours. The fact is, you're not a juror and you are not in any juror seat. Therefore, it is safe to say that your opinion of his guilt is based on what the media has told you right?
WilliamN
2:02 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Drew is "scared to death"? But doesn't he have the "Shark" in his corner? Why doesn't he just make some jokes? If I recall, he is a self-proclaimed "jokester". Maybe a few wisecracks will make him not be so scared.
Be scared Drew. Very scared. Your cell mate may not be amused by your humor. You will be on the other end of the relationship in there, literally.
Not a vote of confidence when your "Shark" attorney tells the media that you are scared of being convicted. Doesn't sound like he is very confident either.
G .Galindo
2:24 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Im so sick of seeing this ugly mans face on here!!! Please find someone worth talking about!!!His enjoying all the media !!! Dont do him any favors!!!!
Patrick Pendergast
2:24 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
"Grunbling"?
Average Joe
2:50 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Since we are using tag names like Joseph "Shark" Lopez , can we also use Drew "The Killer" Peterson ? Get over the nicknames and stick to the story.
Pro Life Crusader +
3:28 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Mike Brooks on In Session commented in error about Drews pension. He said , Drew can loose his pension if he is found guilty. Mike Brooks is completely wrong. Drew can only loose his pension if will he was working the street in uniform and committed a felony and was convicted. So with that Drew keeps his pension .
gjp
4:37 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Speaking of errors, the word is lose, not loose. My pants are loose if I don't wear a belt, and if I'm not careful I might lose them.
Ballseck Malone
4:45 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
I get disgusted every day when I read about stupid people. The world is becoming more and more dumb every day thanks to the media, B.S. reality shows, and Joan Rivers with her stupid "Fashion Police" show. All Yahoo talks about on their homepage is what people are wearing. Now, we have jurors in a murder trial coordinating their clothes???? That's F'ed up. Obviously the jurors have other goals in mind instead of actually paying attention to the fate of a human life in Drew Petertson. Guilty or not, this is a complete sham of the justice system and more and more people are supporting this crap. If I were the judge I would have cancelled the trial today and made the jurors go change their clothes. That kind of action from jurors in a murder trial is disgusting. This case had mistrial written all over it from day one and it just keeps getting worse. Even if they do convict Drew, the appeals will be flying around like crazy and Drew will be let free. The prosecution has a very weak case and has made enough mistakes to cause a mistrial. Drew will go free. The Judge and the D.A.'s office look very silly in this trial. Now we are talking about what people are wearing in court. PEOPLE ARE TOO DUMB TODAY!! Stop letting the media, smartphones, facebook, reality shows, etc... make you stupid.
Terry Davisson
5:14 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Ballseck, actually it is pretty disgusting for YOU to insult the jurors in this case as you have.I suppose you find it funny when his lawyers wear their ridiculous sunglasses and mock this trial.I am quite sure the only goal these jurors have is to give this human? a fair trial. I also hope all the as you put it stupid people can some day become as smart as you. On second thought they are better off the way they are.
Ballseck Malone
5:26 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Terry. I could care less what the Judge, Prosecutors, Defense Lawyers, etc.... wear in the courtroom. My point is that the jurors are the ones who are deciding Drew's fate guilty or not. So when they are sitting around discussing to each other how to coordinate their clothes, I see that as them not taking the trial very seriously. Which, I can see since the Judge and Prosecution has broken rules and let it fly since day one. This case should be tossed and tried again in North Dakota or somewhere else where people don't know about it thanks to the media.
Ballseck Malone
5:33 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
And the jury is clearly showing they are biased if their reason for the clothing coordination is just a stab at the defense team's choice of clothing or glasses. They are actually giving the defense even more ammunation for a mistrial than they already have. I feel dumber every day that I am having a wardrobe discussion during a murder trial.
Clutche
8:17 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Only in Will County has a sitting jury done something as asinine as this
joliet resident
1:50 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
If there was a decent judge on the bench we would not be having this wardrobe conversation. This is not a jury but a bunch of fame seekers hand picked by the world's creepiest fame monger.....Drew Peterson.
Terry Davisson
6:22 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Jurors CAN NOT discuss the case until it is given to them by the judge. They can,t deliberate any part of the case. They are out of the court room much more than they are in it.They have to have some way to pass the time whether it be clothes or games whatever. But the case and the evidence I am sure is in their minds constantly. We can not pass judgement they have an extremely hard job and will do it to the best of their ability.
Ballseck Malone
9:15 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
OK, so the jury decided to join the circus already in place by deciding to all wear Chicago sports shirts. Next there will be a reality show about best dressed jurors and their lives outside of the court. When you are a juror in a murder case, or another other case for that matter, you don't do goofy crap like they've done. It's childish and shows that they are immature. At the same time, it helps makes a mokery of our justice system. Sorry you support that.
Pro Life Crusader +
10:14 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
There should be a dam dressed code for jurors and the court. What a circus.
Clutche
10:55 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
I agree completely
Terry Davisson
10:29 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
This is the last of me on this subject.Why are you obsessed with what these jurors wear. You must enjoy reality shows since you constantly reference them.The goofy crap is people like you going off and condeming them. The goofiest thing in all of this is named Drew Peterson.If the jurors wore suits, ties and dresses you would complain about that.What they wear will not affect their decision in any manner the evidence will.The verdict will be guilty or not guilty not what color shirt.they wear. That is what I support. I also hope they find enough to put his arrogant butt in jail till he dies.
Pro Life Crusader +
10:07 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Why don't the jurors go to court naked today ,too show their unity?
Judy Naypaver
2:13 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
He is guilty for Savio and Stacey.....and I pray he gets what he deserves.....
Ballseck Malone
11:54 pm on Thursday, August 30, 2012
Well Judy. I am glad you are not a juror on this case. Too many people base their opinions on what the media has put on TV. Yes, Drew is a funny guy. I actually liked how he made Jeraldo from FoxNews look like and asshole when Jeraldo was trying to get all dramatic and stupid like he always sounds. Drew basically told Gretta Van Suckstrom from FOXNEWS to piss off. I thought is was awesome how he showed the world how dumb the media is. Anyway, this trial is about facts and due diligence on both sides. Everyone has their opinion on Drew, BUT, opinions are not what out justice system works off of. The fact is, there is not enough proof to convict Drew, and, the Prosector and team failed and broke rules from day one in this trial. I call for a mistrial and do it again in South Dakota or somewhere else. Don't let any media around.