Lawyer Fight! Drew Peterson Attorney Draws Line in Sand

The "lead" attorney on Drew Peterson's defense team is an "obnoxious," "mumbling, fumbling and bumbling," "childish" liar who "blew the case" through "ignorance, obduracy and ineptitude," says Peterson co-counsel Steve Greenberg.

Greenberg not only blamed lead attorney Joel Brodsky for losing the Peterson case, he accused Brodsky of attacking his "family with vile and disgusting comments."

And now Greenberg wants an apology.

"I will allow you 24 hours from the time this letter is transmitted to make a full public retraction and to provide a full public apology," Greenberg wrote in a 15-page, footnoted letter sent today.

In the letter, Greenberg said Brodsky tried to make him the "fall guy" after Peterson was convicted of murder. The guilty verdict was essentially based on evidence presented by a witness Brodsky chose to call and question himself, according to the letter.

The move backfired, as the witness, Wheaton attorney Harry Smith, recalled the time Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, told him how Peterson killed his third wife, Kathleen Savio. After the trial ended, jurors said the guilty verdict hinged on Smith's testimony.

"Not only is it evident that calling Harry Smith to the stand was suicidal to the defense, but also your horrific questioning made it worse," Greenberg wrote. "Take credit, for you single handedly may have put Drew away for the rest of his life."

Brodsky failed to return calls for comment on the letter and whether he plans to apologize to Greenberg.

Brodsky also failed to comment on whether he agreed with Greenberg that it was his fault for losing the case and, if so, whether he is going to apologize to Peterson for bungling the trial.

Peterson fired Greenberg from his legal team within days of the trial's conclusion. Simultaneous to his termination, Greenberg said he received a letter from Brodsky warning him not to speak publicly about the case.

The night Greenberg received the letter, Brodsky lashed out at him on Facebook in a rambling 404-word screed.

In his letter, Greenberg accused Brodsky of repeatedly lying about him in the Facebook post. Greenberg said he confronted Brodsky about the post and Brodsky sent him and "Drew's other attorneys the most outrageous email I have ever seen."

Greenberg said the email "attacked (his) family with vile and disgusting comments" and "followed your advising reporters, in front of my son, that his mother wanted to be the first one to sleep with Drew (you used the F word) when he got out. Utterly reprehensible."

Greenberg also criticized Brodsky for the damage done by his "pre-indictment media blitz" and his relationship with Sun-Times columnist and reported Peterson pal Michele "Michael" Sneed.

"Perhaps after reviewing this letter Ms. Sneed will post a retraction of her regurgitation of your comments about me, which are contradicted by her own paper’s coverage and were irresponsibly published," Greenberg wrote in a footnote to his letter.

Sneed has failed to return calls for comment about her relationship with Peterson.

If Greenberg doesn't get his apology, he says he's sending the letter on to his own lawyer "for appropriate action."

"I do not know why you have chosen to make me the fall guy when it was apparent to everyone and anyone who witnessed the proceedings that you were not in the same league as the other attorneys," Greenberg wrote. "Perhaps Drew has a burning desire to spend the rest of his life in the penitentiary.  I am certain, having spent time with you, you can help him to fulfill that goal."