Peterson grand jury resumes with two witnesses

[sarahhod]

Peterson grand jury resumes with two witnesses

Nephew, divorce lawyer called to testify

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1392995,4_JO22_Peterson-grand-jury-resumes-with-.article


(http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1392995,4_JO22_Peterson-grand-jury-resumes-with-.article#Comments_Container)

January 22, 2009

By JOE HOSEY (jhosey@scn1.com?Subject=Story.Response) jhosey@scn1.com
JOLIET — The parade of witnesses before the grand jury investigating the murder of Drew Peterson's third wife and the disappearance of his fourth resumed Thursday with his former divorce lawyer and an old in-law summoned to testify. The grand jury, which convened more than a year ago, last met since before Thanksgiving. On its first day back in action, Alexander Beck, who represented Peterson in his unresolved divorce from slain third wife Kathleen Savio, was called. So was Charlie Doman, Savio's nephew and a former employee of Peterson.
Doman worked in Suds Pub, a Montgomery bar Peterson had owned, as a maintenance man and disc jockey.
Doman and his attorney, Tamara Holder, declined to comment on what transpired during his grand jury appearance. Beck referred questions to his attorney, Matthew Bertani.
"Mr. Beck respects the sanctity of the grand jury and the gravity of these proceedings," Bertani said. "He will not comment on them publicly."
Beck apparently could not say much to the grand jury either.
"He will not, and cannot, according to the Supreme Court rules, reveal any confidences arising out of his representation of Mr. Peterson many years ago," Bertani said.
Homicide, disappearance
Peterson and Savio were in the midst of a contentious divorce when she was found dead in her own dry bathtub in March 2004. The state police found no sign of foul play during their investigation of Savio's death, but when Peterson's next wife, Stacy Peterson, vanished in October 2007, they reclassified Savio's death to a homicide. The state police are still trying to figure out who killed her.
State police also are trying to determine what happened to Stacy Peterson. They have labeled her disappearance a "potential homicide" and named Drew Peterson their sole suspect.
Peterson, who has since taken up with a 24-year-old mother of two, did not think he had anything to worry about regarding Beck or Doman testifying "unless they're making something up, which is always my big fear," he said.
Still investigating
While the grand jury proceedings have been dormant for weeks, the investigations of Savio's death and Stacy's disappearance have been anything but, said Charles B. Pelkie, a spokesman for the state's attorney's office.
"This by no means indicates a lack of activity in the case," Pelkie said.
"Things are moving forward. Things are full-steam right now and they have been for several months."

[sarahhod]

Grand jury resumes inquiry into Drew's former wives

http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1393453,012309drew.article


January 23, 2009

By Joe Hosey, Sun-Times News Group


The Will County grand jury investigating th e murder of Drew Peterson's third wife and the disappearance of his fourth reconvened Thursday, with his former divorce lawyer and a former employee summoned to testify.
The grand jury was impaneled more than a year ago and last met in November. Appearing before it Thursday were attorney Alexander Beck, who represented Peterson in his divorce from third wife Kathleen Savio, and Charlie Doman, Savio's nephew, who worked in a Montgomery bar Peterson owned as a maintenance man and disc jockey.
Doman and his attorney, Tamara Holder, declined to comment on what transpired during his grand jury appearance. Beck referred questions to his attorney, Matthew Bertani.
"Mr. Beck respects the sanctity of the grand jury and the gravity of these proceedings," Bertani said. "He will not comment on them publicly."
Beck apparently could not say much to the grand jury either.
"He will not and cannot, according to the (Illinois) Supreme Court rules, reveal a ny confidence s arising out of his representation of Mr. Peterson many years ago," Bertani said.
Peterson and Savio were in the midst of a contentious divorce when she was found dead in her bathtub in March 2004. Illinois State Police found no sign of foul play during their investigation of Savio's death, which originally was ruled accidental.
But when Peterson's next wife, Stacy, vanished in October 2007, the investigation into Savio's death was reopened and reclassified as a homicide. It remains under investigation.
State police also are trying to determine what happened to Stacy Peterson. They have labeled her disappearance a "potential homicide" and named Drew Peterson as the sole suspect.
Peterson, 54, a former Bolingbrook police sergeant who's now living with a 24-year-old mother of two in his Bolingbrook house, has denied involvement in either incident. He said Thursday that he has nothing to worry about regarding Beck or Doman testifying "unless they're making something up, which is always my big fear."
Charles Pelkie, spokesman for the state's attorney's office, said the grand jury's hiatus "by no means indicates a lack of activity" in the investigations.
"Things are moving forward. Things are full steam right now, and they have been for several months," he said.

[sarahhod]

DISAPPEARANCE CASE: Murder suspect Peterson at Appellate Court


01/27/2009, 10:56 pm

Dan Churney, danc@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4050

Former Bolingbrook police sergeant Drew Peterson, who is a suspect in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, was in Ottawa Tuesday regarding his third wife.

The 55-year-old Peterson, accompanied by three attorneys, was at the Third District Appellate Courthouse for his appeal of a Will County Circuit Court decision that permitted the family of his late third wife, Kathleen Savio, to reopen her estate and change the executor, with a view to filing a wrongful death lawsuit. Will County is under the jurisdiction of the Third District Appellate Court.

Two of Peterson's attorneys, Joel Brodsky and Andrew Abood, argued to Appellate Justices Daniel L. Schmidt, Robert L. Carter and Mary McDade that the estate should not have been reopened. The Savio family's attorney, Martin Glink, argued the lower court's decision should not be overturned.

Wearing a suit, Peterson sat in the middle of the back row in the courtroom. Before his court appearance, he and his attorneys dined at the Bee Hive restaurant a few blocks away.

After the hearing and in front the courthouse, Peterson and his attorneys met with about 10 reporters to answer questions, but Brodsky held up the press conference a few minutes until a WLS-TV crew arrived. A Fox News television crew was also present. Toward the end, Peterson stepped forward and was asked his thoughts about Gov. Rod Blagojevich hiring the same public relations firm he used. Peterson replied it was a good decision on Blagojevich's part.

As Peterson and Brodsky were about to enter a Mercedes in the parking lot to leave, a man drove up in a pickup truck and briefly talked with them. All three men laughed as the other man drove away.

Savio was found dead March 1, 2004 in a bathtub. The death was ruled an accidental drowning. However, after Peterson's fourth wife, 23-year-old Stacy, vanished Oct. 28, 2007, police reinvestigated Savio's death, changing the ruling on her death to homicide. Peterson has denied involvement in Savio's death and Stacy's disappearance.

http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=374161

[sarahhod]

Attys argue in estate case of Peterson's ex-wife

Associated Press - January 27, 2009 6:24 PM ET


OTTAWA, Ill. (AP) - A state appellate court will decide if the estate of a former wife of Drew Peterson should be reopened.
At a hearing Tuesday, attorneys for the family of Kathleen Savio argued that a Will County judge's determination that an autopsy showing Savio was murdered in 2004 was grounds for reopening the estate.
But Peterson's attorneys countered that the family allowed the statute of limitations to pass before filing their petition. Peterson's attorney Joel Brodsky says the court won't likely rule for months.
Peterson is at the center of 2 investigations - the death of Savio and the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy. He is a suspect in Stacy Peterson's disappearance. He's not been named a suspect in Savio's death.


http://www.wrex.com/Global/story.asp?S=9742931

[sarahhod]

Drew Peterson appeals reopening of 3rd wife's estate

Opening Kathleen Savio's estate would make it possible to file wrongful-death suit against ex-Bolingbrook cop

By Erika Slife |Tribune reporter January 28, 2009 OTTAWA, Ill. — Attorneys for former Bolingbrook Police Sgt. Drew Peterson (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/drew-peterson-PECLB004315.topic) argued before an Appellate Court Tuesday that the estate of his third wife, Kathleen Savio (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/crime-victims/kathleen-savio-PECLB203720374435.topic), never should have been reopened despite a new autopsy that indicated her 2004 death was a homicide.

"The only way an estate can be opened is a newly discovered asset," Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky, told the 3rd District Illinois Appellate Court. "There is nothing new. All we have here is a change in opinion," he said, referring to the ruling on the November 2007 autopsy.

But Savio's attorneys argued that a wrongful-death action is considered a newly discovered asset. Last February, Will County State's Atty. James Glasgow announced that the new autopsy determined Savio had been murdered. Any pain and suffering she experienced during her death should be awarded to her estate, argued attorney Martin Glink.

Savio, 40, was found dead in an empty bathtub in her Bolingbrook (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/illinois/dupage-county/bolingbrook-PLGEO100100501140000.topic) home weeks before her divorce settlement with Peterson was to be finalized. After Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy, vanished in October 2007, authorities decided to re-examine the circumstances surrounding Savio's death, which had initially been considered an accident.

Last year, a Will County judge ruled that the finding of the second autopsy was enough reason for Savio's estate to be reopened. The judge replaced Peterson's uncle, James Carroll (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/arts-culture/james-carroll-PEHST000381.topic), as executor of the estate with Savio's father, Henry, and sister, Anna Doman. The ruling gives them the power to file a wrongful-death lawsuit against Peterson, who is the suspect in Stacy's disappearance.

Peterson has not been charged in either case and maintains he is innocent.

The Appellate Court said it would have a ruling "soon."

Afterward, Peterson's legal team said they are optimistic that the court would rule in their favor. If it does not, and Savio's family files a wrongful-death lawsuit, Peterson's lawyers would be given subpoena powers to interview witnesses who have been called before the grand jury investigating the cases.

"We're going to be very aggressive," said attorney Andrew Abood.

Peterson spoke briefly outside the courthouse, making a joke about Fox News' Geraldo Rivera and commenting about embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich (http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics/government/rod-blagojevich-PEPLT007479.topic) hiring the same public relations firm he's retained.

"Probably a wise decision," Peterson said. "They've done very well for me."

Then he signed autographs for two men in a pickup truck.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-peterson-oral-arguments-28-web-jan28,0,6427427.story

[sarahhod]

Peterson legal team back in court

Fighting the re-opening of third wife's estate

January 28, 2009

By JOE HOSEY (jhosey@scn1.com?Subject=Story.Response) jhosey@scn1.com



OTTAWA — Drew Peterson's legal team argued to keep the family of his slain third wife out of her financial affairs, claiming a Will County judge goofed when she opened the woman's estate up to his former in-laws.
Peterson's attorneys made their case to a trio of appellate court judges in the state's third district court Tuesday. Lawyers for the family of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, countered that Will County Judge Carmen Goodman was correct not only in reopening the estate, but also in stripping Peterson's uncle James Carroll of his executor powers.

(javascript:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1400527,img_JO28_PETERSON_P01.fullimage',%20'fulli mage',%20'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,st atus=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,widt h=650,height=650'))
http://media1.suburbanchicagonews.com/multimedia/img_jo28_peterson_p01.jpg_20090127_21_13_28_54-242-165.imageContent (javascript:dc_popup_win('http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1400527,img_JO28_PETERSON_P01.fullimage',%20'fulli mage',%20'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,st atus=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,widt h=650,height=650')) Former Bolingbrook police Sgt. Drew Peterson (center), with his attorney Joel Brodksy (right), arrives Tuesday at Illinois Appellate Court in Ottawa, where he is appealing the reopening of the estate of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, who was found dead in an empty bathtub in 2004, weeks before her divorce from Peterson became final.
(The Associated Press)


Peterson and Savio were in the midst of a contentious divorce when she turned up drowned in a dry bathtub in March 2004. In fact, Savio and Peterson were halfway through a highly unusual divorce proceeding in which the marriage was severed but the financial affairs had yet to be settled.
Within weeks of Savio's death, Peterson happened to find a will naming his uncle as the executor. The uncle went on to award Peterson control of virtually all of Savio's assets.
"In divorce court, they call that a 'lay down,'" said Lawrence Varsek, who was representing the Savio family with attorney Martin Glink.
"He let all the assets go to his nephew, for whatever reason," Varsek said.
Lawsuit?
State police investigated Savio's death but failed to find any indication of foul play. They got another crack at checking it out after Peterson's fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, vanished in October 2007.
Savio's death was subsequently ruled a homicide. State police consider Stacy Peterson to be the victim of a "potential homicide" and have named her husband their sole suspect.
The Savio family reopened the probate case to possibly pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against Peterson, said Anna Marie Doman, the dead woman's sister, when the petition was first filed in January 2008.
The family has yet to follow through with the lawsuit, and on Tuesday, Peterson's two attorneys, Joel Brodsky and Andrew Abood, all but dared them to.
"If in fact a lawsuit is filed, we'll get subpoena power for the first time since we've been representing Drew Peterson," Abood said. "You better be careful for what you wish for, because we'll be very aggressive."
Brodsky then named the Rev. Neil Schori, a clergyman who says Stacy told him Drew confided in her that he killed Savio, as one of the potential witnesses he would like to subpoena, as well as "police officers who have not been cooperative."
'I'm safe'
As far as Peterson himself, he invoked the name of Geraldo Rivera after the hearing ended.
"As long as Geraldo thinks I did something wrong, I'm safe," Peterson said enigmatically on his way out of the courthouse.
Appellate Court Judge Mary McDade said a written opinion on the matter would be issued. Brodsky said this "usually means several months."


http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/news/1400442,JO27_Peterson-legal-team-back-in-court.article

[sarahhod]

Setback for Drew Peterson in estate battle

Former Bolingbrook police officer Drew Peterson has lost the latest round in his legal battle to keep control of the estate of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, who was murdered in March 2004.
The Illinois Appellate Court denied Peterson's request that it reverse a lower-court ruling that gave control of Savio's estate to her father and sister, who want her estate reopened and a new executor appointed. Appellate Court Justice Robert Carver wrote that Peterson isn't a suitable person to serve as executor or to choose one.
Peterson, 55, is the main suspect in the October 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy, and is under investigation regarding Savio's death, which originally was ruled an accident until the case was reopened after Stacy Peterson vanished. Savio's body was found in a drained bathtub in her home.
Peterson has denied any wrongdoing. His attorney said he might appeal the latest ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court.



http://www.southtownstar.com/news/1426933,021209localdigest.article

[sarahhod]

CASE UPDATE: Appellate court shoots down Peterson


02/12/2009, 7:14 am [/URL]

The Third District Appellate Court in Ottawa last week rejected the appeal of Drew Peterson — a former Bolingbrook police sergeant suspected in the disappearance of his fourth wife.

The 55-year-old Peterson was at the courthouse Jan. 27 to hear his attorneys argue a Will County Circuit Court judge should not have reopened the estate of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, whose 2004 death was first considered an accidental drowning, but which now is considered a homicide. Savio's family had the estate reopened with an eye to filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Peterson. Attorneys for the Savio family argued the Will County judge's decision was correct.

The appeal was heard by justices Robert L. Carter, Mary McDade and Daniel L. Schmidt.

Peterson has denied involvement in the disappearance of Stacy Peterson or Savio's death. Will County is in the jurisdiction of the Third District Appellate Court. Before the Jan. 27 hearing, Peterson and his attorneys lunched at the Bee Hive restaurant in Ottawa; after the hearing, they went to JJ's Pub in Ottawa.

[URL]http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=374986 (http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php)

[sarahhod]

Drew Peterson Appeals Ex-Wife's Estate to Illinois Supreme Court

Peterson's attorney files brief with court today.

thepublicityagency.com (http://www.thepublicityagency.com/) -
March 11, 2009

(PRNewsChannel (http://www.prnewschannel.com/)) / Chicago, Ill. / Drew Peterson is appealing to the Illinois Supreme Court two lower court rulings to reopen the estate of his late wife Kathleen Savio. Joel A. Brodsky, one of Peterson's criminal defense attorneys, filed a brief today with Illinois Supreme Court.
Peterson and his uncle James Carroll are fighting the re-opening of the Kathleen Savio estate and the appointment of Ann Mario Doman and Henry Savio, Savio's siblings, as new joint executors.
Five of Savio's relatives filed a joint petition in March, 2008 to re-open the estate to prepare for a wrongful death lawsuit against Drew Peterson, according to their lawyer. Two weeks later they filed another petition asking that Doman and Mr. Savio be named as executors.
Following a defeat last month in the Illinois Appellate Court, Brodsky says he's taking the case the state's highest court because he believes the lower courts made an error in deciding which Illinois law applies.
"We believe there are errors in the appellate court's decision to reopen the estate which we believe the supreme court can and will rectify," says Brodsky.
Savio was Peterson's third wife. Her body was found in a circular bathtub on March 1, 2004. Her death was initially ruled an accidental drowning. However after Stacy Peterson's disappearance, her body was exhumed and underwent forensic examination when it was ruled a homicide.
Drew Peterson denies any involvement in his wife Stacy's disappearance or in Savio's death. He has not been charged in connection with either crime.



http://www.prnewschannel.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=1270&z=4

[sarahhod]

Drew Peterson takes fight to regain control of third wife's estate to Illinois Supreme Court

By Associated Press
12:51 PM CDT, March 11, 2009

CHICAGO (AP) — The former Bolingbrook police sergeant suspected in the disappearance of his fourth wife is taking his fight to regain control of his third wife's estate to the Illinois Supreme Court.

The appeal filed Wednesday follows last month's appellate court ruling, which upheld a lower court's decision to take control of the estate of Kathleen Savio away from Drew Peterson and give it to Savio's father and sister.

Peterson has denied any wrongdoing in the disappearance of Stacy Peterson, and he hasn't been named a suspect in Savio's 2004 death.

But after Stacy Peterson's 2007 disappearance, Savio's body was exhumed and her death was reclassified from accidental to a homicide.

Peterson's lawyer, Joel Brodsky, says he thinks the court will agree that the appellate court made errors in reaching its decision.


http://www.wqad.com/news/sns-ap-il--policeofficerswife-appeal,0,6288429.story

[grammybears]

You know Brodsky has been saying that the lower court was wrong and it would be overturned by the appellette court. Well the appellete did not disagree with the lower court and now they are filing with the state appellete and he is sure it will be overturned. But I do not think that is the way it is going to go. The fact that Kathleen was exhumed and the cause of death was properly defined as a homicide is new evidence so that is why I believe the estate was turned over to her family.
If I didn't know better it is starting to look like Drews luck is starting to run out. I have been hoping for so long that Stacy would be found. I don't know if she will be found but I do believe the State Attorney does have enough evidence to go after him.
I have wondered about Thomas. I am glad that he is speaking out. I am sure he is really afraid of Drew. I am sure he knows more about Drew then most people would want to know. I also think that because the LE is involved with Thomas that Drew probably knows better then to go near Thomas.

jmoo