Charges against Drew Peterson dropped!

[daughtersrus]

chicagotribune.com
Drew Peterson gun charges are dropped
Case stemmed from the investigation into his missing wife, Stacy Peterson
By Erika Slife

Tribune reporter

November 21, 2008

Former Bolingbrook Police Sgt. Drew Peterson scored a victory Thursday after a Will County judge dismissed felony gun charges against him that had stemmed from the investigation into his missing wife, Stacy.

"It's a big relief, of course," Peterson told reporters afterward. "You know, there's potential to put me away in prison for this, and I didn't want to go. So it's a very happy day."

Circuit Judge Richard Schoenstedt dismissed two unlawful use of a weapon charges against Peterson after the state's attorney's office refused to give Peterson's legal team internal police memos, e-mails and other correspondence relating to his arrest in May.

Peterson, 54, was charged with allegedly possessing a modified assault rifle with a barrel of less than 16 inches, a violation of state law. Authorities had seized the rifle and other weapons after search warrants had been executed relating to the Oct. 28, 2007, disappearance of Stacy Peterson, who was 23 at the time.

Peterson is a suspect in the case, which police have labeled a "potential homicide."

Earlier Thursday, Schoenstedt granted a motion by Peterson's legal team to pursue a "vindictive prosecution" defense at trial and had ordered the state's attorney's office, at the request of Peterson's attorneys, to give the defense a "narrow and limited" copy of their documentation leading up to the charges against Peterson.

But Assistant State's Atty. John Connor strongly urged the judge to reconsider, arguing that the charges were not brought because of a personal vendetta against Peterson.

"It has nothing to do with personal animosity," Connor said. "It has to do with illegal weapons."

He warned that if the state's attorney's office were to comply, it would prompt defense attorneys across the state to "flood" prosecution offices with similar discovery motions.

Peterson's attorneys questioned the timing of the developments in the state's case. In February, Schoenstedt had ruled that police should return Peterson's firearms to him granted that he had a valid firearm owner's identification card.

Hours later, police revoked Peterson's FOID card.

In May, authorities arrested Peterson the day before he was to learn whether the guns could instead be given to his son Stephen, an Oak Brook police officer.

"Obviously we're very pleased," said Joel Brodsky, one of Peterson's attorneys.

The state's attorney's office will appeal, said spokesman Charles Pelkie.

eslife@tribune.com



Copyright © 2008, Chicago Tribune

 

[tiggerfan1]

I can't believe this.

 

[EveDallas]

WOW. I guess now he can go join O.J. in the "people who literally got away with murder" club. Maybe O.J. can help him find the "real killer".

 

[kirbsam]

he won the battle, but he is going to lose the war.

 

[Whiste Pig]

Maybe he has some stolen sports memorobilia to "reclaim".

 

[Michelle67]

I don't really know anything about the case, but dropped charges is not the same as being declared innocent. So he hasn't become OJ yet. It may be just that they want more time to build a solid case they can win. If they go to court with too weak a case he may be found not guilty and can never be tried again no matter what evidence turns up, or even if he dances in the streets laughing and admitting he did it. Better to bide their time. If he is guilty, I hope that they eventually are able to build a solid case and put him away.

 

[daughtersrus]

I guess that I should clarify. These were charges for possessing an illegal weapon (short barrel) and technically had nothing to do with the death of Kathleen or the disappearance of Stacy.

Still, it angers me. He is so smug and arrogant. You should have seen him strutting around the school yesterday and he went to pick his son up from school. Usually he walks along the sidewalk in front of the school talking on his cell (I'm guessing so that no one will say something to him) but yesterday he strutted through the entire parking lot, crossed the line of cars waiting to pick up their children and along the sidewalk by the park all the while trying to make eye contact with everyone he passed. It's probably the first time I've ever seen him without his sunglasses on!

 

[bicker]

Without regard to whether Drew Peterson is guilty of anything or not, I find myself unimpressed by objections to defendants defending themselves and relishing the success of their defense. If folks don't like the guy because they think he committed murder, that's fair basis for condemnation, though clearly within the context of it being their personal belief (until proven). What isn't fair is condemnation on the basis that he successfully defended himself against a charge that wasn't valid (!), and especially on the basis of the way he walked or what he wore (!!).

 

[Peter Pirate 2]

Yes, plus the fact that he's smug and unlikable isn't a crime. Obviously the public doesn't like this guy and from what I've seen of him it's certainly justified. But there is obviously NOT enough evidence to put him away and that's really the whole story isn't it?

 

[Tuffcookie]

Well, at least we can hope that with all the publicity this man has gotten, he will not be able to get a date in the future!

TC

 

[brockash]

I guess that I should clarify. These were charges for possessing an illegal weapon (short barrel) and technically had nothing to do with the death of Kathleen or the disappearance of Stacy.

Still, it angers me. He is so smug and arrogant. You should have seen him strutting around the school yesterday and he went to pick his son up from school. Usually he walks along the sidewalk in front of the school talking on his cell (I'm guessing so that no one will say something to him) but yesterday he strutted through the entire parking lot, crossed the line of cars waiting to pick up their children and along the sidewalk by the park all the while trying to make eye contact with everyone he passed. It's probably the first time I've ever seen him without his sunglasses on!

I'm so sorry you have to be around him.