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Drew Peterson's Bid For New Trial Says Lying Joel Brodsky Blew Case

The lawyers still representing wife-killer Drew Peterson say former defense counsel Joel Brodsky "single-handedly deprived Drew of his right to effective assistance."

 

A devastating 32-page court filing not only blames defense attorney Joel Brodsky for single-handedly blowing Drew Peterson's murder trial, but paints the lawyer as a delusional, petty, fame-hungry liar.

"Attorney Brodsky expected that Drew Peterson would be his ticket to the legal elite," says the memorandum filed late Thursday. "Regrettably, he was poorly equipped to try a case of this magnitude, resulting in hornbook errors and a smorgasbord of ethical violations."

The memorandum says "Brodsky single-handedly deprived Drew of his right to effective assistance" and claims Brodsky "lied to Peterson, misrepresenting his qualifications, going so far as to tell Peterson that he, Brodsky had successfully tried murder cases and other serious felonies."

Brodsky's motivation for lying was to "elevate his own profile," says the filing, which was penned by defense attorney Steve Greenberg.

"Brodsky hired a publicity agent for the two of them," the filing says. "He paraded Drew across the airwaves as if Drew were a sideshow, suggesting carnival-like pranks to heighten public recognition of himself and his client, as exemplified by the infamous 'Win a Date With Drew' and a Bunny Ranch Reality Show. In the process Brodsky accumulated large bills for hotel stays, meals, and spa treatments for he and his wife, all paid for by the respective media outlets."

Greenberg does not identify any of the media outlets who supposedly paid the way for Brodsky and his wife. But his filing does take aim at Chicago Sun-Times columnist Michelle "Michael" Sneed, alleging that she had been "repeatedly endowed" by Brodsky.

Brodsky "would construct the story, write the letter or provide the leak" for Sneed, Greenberg's filing said. "In doing so, he routinely breached attorney-client privilege."

Brodsky and Sneed both failed to return calls for comment regarding Greenberg's memorandum.

Brodsky's supposed obsession on staying in the spotlight made Peterson's defense of secondary interest, according to the  filing.

"Once trial began Brodsky insisted on obtaining as much media hysteria for himself as possible," Greenberg's memorandum says. "Like a petulant child, he could not mask his discontent when others on the defense team received attention, and he had not. Throughout the trial Brodsky's tactics were focused on his own self-glorification, rather than legal acumen of the best interests of his client."

Greenberg and Brodsky have publicly feuded since Peterson was convicted in September of murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio. The squabble came to an end when Brodsky left Peterson's defense team to be replaced by attorneys David Peilet and John Heiderscheidt.

At the time, a tearful Brodsky claimed he was voluntarily quitting Peterson's defense team while also insisting he had not been crying. Greenberg's filing says Brodsky was "discharged."

While a significant portion of the memorandum is devoted to Brodsky's supposed missteps prior to Peterson's murder trial, it goes on to claim that Brodsky's decision to call Savio's divorce attorney, Harry Smith, to the witness stand was tantamount to "torpedoing" the case.

"Nobody who watched or participated in the trial, except Brodsky, thought that the idea of calling Smith was anything less than delusional," the filing says.

The memorandum accuses a "stumbling," "dithering" Brodsky of hammering home to the jury that Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, allegedly asked Smith if she "could get more money out of Drew if we tell the police how (Drew Peterson) killed Kathy."

Stacy Peterson mysteriously vanished, never to be seen again, soon after this supposed conversation.

The filing also says prosecutors took full advantage of the Smith situation.

Brodsky's "direct (examination) was the iceberg," the memorandum says, "the cross (examination) the rushing water, and the result was the Captain had sunk the ship."

Following the trial, jurors said Smith's testified clinched the guilty verdict they returned after a day and a half of deliberation.

Arguments over Brodsky's alleged ineffective counsel have been set for Jan. 10. According to the memorandum, Drew Peterson faces threats from Brodsky now that the lawyer is off the case.

"Brodsky repeatedly threatened to reveal privileged information if Peterson were to discharge him or otherwise reduce his role. Those threats have continued notwithstanding the fact that Brodsky has now been discharged," the filing says.

The memorandum even includes what it puts forth to be an excerpt from a Nov. 24 letter Brodsky sent to the jailed Peterson.

The letter "threatens to reveal confidential information," the memorandum says, and claims Brodsky told Peterson "this is of course the last thing you or I would want, but this could happen as an unintended consequence of (an) unfounded ineffective assistance accusation, which is not fully thought through."

Related Topics: Court, Drew Peterson, Jail, Joel Brodsky, Kathleen Savio, Murder, Stacy Peterson, and Trial

john bruno

6:21 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012

I don't think that the State's attorney had tried a murder case before a jury in his past, either. But he won, so no one cares.

Brodsky lost, so everyone jumps on him.

Second-guessers all. Everyone is right....after the fact.

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john bruno

6:21 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012

I don't think that the State's attorney had tried a murder case before a jury in his past, either. But he won, so no one cares.

Brodsky lost, so everyone jumps on him.

Second-guessers all. Everyone is right....after the fact.

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joliet resident

7:30 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012

The judge in this case did everything he could to assist the defense. Now, it's sour grapes and Will County should not have to pay again for the Drew Peterson circus. I doubt if there is a person in this state that doesn't know who Drew Peterson is and the verdict will be the same. Let him rot in jail and maybe someday those kids will accept what their father did to them too. Please don't let creepy Drew back on the streets, hasn't he done enough harm???

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Formereastside

8:46 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012

Peterson was loving all the attention along with Brodsky they were a team in the lime light, After Peterson loses he says he didnt like Brodsky? Peterson is just looking for attention.

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Flora Dora

8:54 pm on Thursday, December 13, 2012

They are grasping at straws. Give it up, guys. The money is not worth it.

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Anna Hultin

5:44 am on Friday, December 14, 2012

I really cannot believe that these well educated lawyers want the public to believe any of what they wrote....drew loved every minute of the attention..Brodsky was an idiot and he was drew's idiot ....drew chose him...Brodsky needs to tell where Stacy is...

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Watchful Eye

9:15 am on Friday, December 14, 2012

Ha! Much of the post-trial Memo revelations in support of Peterson's acquittal or a new trial has been common knowledge for years and years. I didn't read anything in it, not including legal case cites, that wasn't and isn't accurate. Brodsky used the convicted murderer to further his own notoriety, he paraded him around like a pony, he threatened anyone who dared to cross him or question his abilities, and he orchestrated the most unprofessional and bizarre representation of a murderer defendant there ever was.

BUT, the point is, it went on and on and the author of this enlightening Memo still jumped on board the Drew Peterson gravy train to further promote himself in the media. So did Lopez, and the other mostly obscure attorneys . Certainly, the Three Stooges video didn't hide the fact that there was giddiness galore by these idiots. It's kind of funny to read what a moron Brodsky is, being called incompetent by at least one who is no better at acting like a professional advocate of the law. I think Greenberg's Memo is disgusting, given that it slams Brodsky for publicity stunts that he is no better at shunning.

I think it's safe to assume that if Brodsky is going down, he's going to take just about anyone he can with him. He won't go quietly. He's being destroyed for the sake of getting the convicted murderer out what may be a life sentence, so he might as well air it all, and set himself up for a behind-the-scenes tell-all book to fill his coffers.

Carol Morgan

1:03 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012

Peterson just wants to drag this thing on and on and keep his name out there. Does he really think people believe anything Peterson says? I wouldn't use Brodsky if he was the last lawyer around, he's a sleezze bag if there ever was one and so is Peterson.

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tom

2:54 pm on Friday, December 14, 2012

I guess Drew found out what kind of lawyer you get when you go on GMA and Today looking for someone to defend you.

No one forced him to hire Brodskey or keep him.

Drew only has one person to blame and that's himself!

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Mayhem

2:31 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012

Drew who??? His name needs to stop cluttering up newspapers and webspace. Just as serial killers have done in the past, Drew loves seeing his name in lights. His ego being larger than life. How can anyone forget how Drew smiled and "performed" for the cameras each chance he got? Maybe this is the only way Drew can pull chicks now... who knows, but stop giving him attention so he can just go away!

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kilo charlie

12:52 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012

we all know drew is a scumbag but i didn't think he would be that stupid to hire a lawyer and not do his homework on him. drew certainly didn't look reluctant to throw himself in the limelight. he would have been better off to hire peter francis geraci.

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Bob Jamesly

3:19 pm on Saturday, December 15, 2012

Peeing on each other! Wow! How satisfying is that to witness? Had my doubts that the Drewfus would be convicted, but lo and behold his attorneys did the work of the state.
He had it all in Bolingbrook, and threw it all away. Gotta hurt!
Now he has nothing but a handful of allegations to work with. And they will fool nobody. Greenberg had a hand in the bad representation. Might as well just quit and go away. He canmake a living on DUI cases, real estate closings, wills, and divorces. Stay away from the complex stuff Steve.

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