Police & Fire

Gearing Up For Drew Peterson's Big Week: Court Supervision

Drew Peterson is either getting a new trial or he's heading to prison.

By Joseph Hosey
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February 16, 2013

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Drew Peterson hopes to get a new murder trial. Courtesy of the Will County Sheriff's Department

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Drew Peterson hopes to get a new murder trial.

Credit Courtesy of the Will County Sheriff's Department

Dr. Rajat Prakash is facing a felony for allegedly groping a woman.

Credit Oak Lawn Police Department

Richard Harris was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Credit Courtesy of the Will County Sheriff's Department

Credit Orland Park Police Department

Credit Courtesy of the Illinois Department of Corrections

Bethany McKee's cell phone is still missing, a source said.

Credit Courtesy of the Will County Sheriff's Department

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On Tuesday, the attorneys for Drew Peterson will make a final push to keep him out of prison by securing a new murder trial.

Will County Judge Edward Burmila has set aside two days for the hearing, but some involved predict it will last much longer. If, at the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Burmila decides against calling for a new trial, he plans to head straight for sentencing.

During the week that just ended, Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow took steps to avoid having to testify at Peterson's hearing. Glasgow filed court papers claiming that, as a prosecutor, special steps must be taken to force him to testify. He maintains Peterson's attorneys have failed to take those steps.

That is just one of many issues to be addressed at the hearing. Check back Tuesday to see how things play out.

Here's what else happened in the area's courthouses last week:

In Bridgeview, Oak Lawn Doctor Rajat Prakash, 47, appeared before Judge Colleen Ann Hyland and was told she would decide on March 12 whether a pending misdemeanor battery charge can be used by prosecutors to bolster the felony sex abuse case he faces.
In Will County, Richard Harris, 35, of Joliet got 14 years in prison for beating his 2-year-old stepdaughter.
An arena football player on the team coached by Bears great and Romeoville mayoral hopeful Steve "Mongo" McMichael sued Megaplex in Homer Glen, blaming the fitness facility for a knee injury he suffered in 2011.
A young man accused of compiling a collection of Youtube videos of himself taunting the Orland Park cops while shooting around town on a dirt bike showed up at the Bridgeview courthouse and said he needs a new lawyer. The attorney who had been defending Justin Jachimiec, 22, was disqualified after it turned out he was representing one of the state’s key witnesses in an unrelated case.
A sex offender already doing 10 years in Big Muddy River Correctional Center was charged with sexually abusing a youth in 2007 in Joliet. Jerry Lockhart, 24, was arraigned before Will County Judge Robert Livas.
Prosecutors at the Joliet courthouse filed court papers in connection with last month's double murder on Hickory Street. The filing says prosecutors have video of Bethany McKee heading over to Interstate 80 to help the authorities look for her missing cell phone.

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Related Topics: Court Supervision, Drew Peterson, Murder, Prison, Sex, and dirt bike

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George Pickett

8:28 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013

Oh great! We finally don't have to listen about Blago anymore and the Jacksons soon be history and now we have to put up with Drew Peterson yet again! Just ship him to prison and throw away the key!!

laura

9:18 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013

Agreed!

Tired of the B.S.

1:45 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

Yeah, just forget about that whole innocent until proven guilty thing. He is such a jerk, he must be guilty so just skip the trial by a jury , George and laura say he is guilty so put him in jail for life!

Kimberly

2:32 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

Well Tired of the B.S., maybe you missed the fact that Drew Peterson WAS tried and found guilty by a jury. He's asking for a NEW trial. It wasn't George and Laura that said he was guilty, it was a jury of his peers.

Baba Wawa

5:08 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

Motions for new trial are S T A N D A R D procedures prior to sentencing.

And if it's denied, he gets sentenced and files a notice of appeal, which happens in about 99.99948423% of cases and virtually in 100% of murder cases.

Gaylea

2:53 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

Well said Kimberly..... move forward to the sentancing...... he was found quilty!

Nicole

4:38 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

Joe Hosey is like obsessed with Drew. He wrote a book, helped with the movie, befriended him and has made a lot of $ off of him. Seriously move on and find a new meal ticket!!

JC

2:10 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013

the book and movie was fantastic, though..

anonymous

8:33 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

Shocking-Hosey writing about Drew. Hosey will have to find some other sleazeball to hitch his star to now that Drew is locked up.

Jax

5:50 am on Monday, February 18, 2013

How about Governor Quin or Chicago mayor Rahm or the fact that weapons ban is for all except the politicians all the weapons they want to ban is the weapons they use to protect themselves and their families

Fatty Arbuckle's Champagne Bottle

11:22 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

I love his new look. Almost biblical. Fantastic my friend.

Kayla

11:38 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

This has nothing to do wit drew, but it's the list of proposed banned weapons:

Here is the list of 157 makes and models of banned guns:

RIFLES:
All AK types, including the following: AK, AK47, AK47S, AK–74, AKM, AKS, ARM, MAK90, MISR, NHM90, NHM91, Rock River Arms LAR–47, SA85, SA93, Vector Arms AK–47, VEPR, WASR–10, and WUM, IZHMASH Saiga AK, MAADI AK47 and ARM, Norinco 56S, 56S2, 84S, and 86S, Poly Technologies AK47 and AKS.
All AR types, including the following: AR–10, AR–15, Armalite M15 22LR Carbine, Armalite M15–T, Barrett REC7, Beretta AR–70, Bushmaster ACR, Bushmaster Carbon 15, Bushmaster MOE series, Bushmaster XM15, Colt Match Target Rifles, DoubleStar AR rifles, DPMS Tactical Rifles, Heckler & Koch MR556, Olympic Arms, Remington R–15 rifles, Rock River Arms LAR–15, Sig Sauer SIG516 rifles, Smith & Wesson M&P15 Rifles, Stag Arms AR rifles, Sturm, Ruger & Co. SR556 rifles; Barrett M107A1; Barrett M82A1; Beretta CX4 Storm; Calico Liberty Series; CETME Sporter; Daewoo K–1, K–2, Max 1, Max 2, AR 100, and AR 110C; Fabrique Nationale/FN Herstal FAL, LAR, 22 FNC, 308 Match, L1A1 Sporter, PS90, SCAR, and FS2000; Feather Industries AT–9; Galil Model AR and Model ARM; Hi-Point Carbine; HK–91, HK–93, HK–94, HK–PSG–1 and HK USC; Kel-Tec Sub–2000, SU–16, and RFB; SIG AMT, SIG PE–57, Sig Sauer SG 550, and Sig Sauer SG 551; Springfield Armory SAR–48; Steyr AUG; Sturm, Ruger Mini-14 Tactical Rife M–14/20CF.

Me

2:16 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013

Are you people who want Peterson in jail so badly stupid? If he is denied a retrial and is sentenced every and anyone can be tried and convicted on unfounded hearsey testimony. Yeah, he deserves to go to prison but not at the expense of future people getting locked up because of BS rumors.

Verbal Sniper

9:10 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013

I guess some people see bending The CONSTITUTION to fit one's agenda as ok.A competent states attorney wouldn't create a specific law to garner a conviction.Let's see if this comment stays.Apparently comments against Glasgow tend to disappear.

I'm Just Saying

7:36 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013

Remember,he was a Police officer and he would know the tricks and the trades. Stacy never yet came home to get her Children and Women normally Don't leave there Purse behind HUMMMM . Well,taxpayers paying for his stay hope someday soon he Gets whats coming to HIM!!!! Prays for STACY .

Jax

5:48 am on Monday, February 18, 2013

truth be told he probably did kill Kathleen and Stacy but you can't convict someone on hearsay people lie all the time and bending the constitution whether its federal or state is just wrong and should never be allowed..If the cops can't make a case they need to try harder or say there is no case but hearsay was just a lazy way of convicting this guy..

Ernie Knight

11:51 am on Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Heresay is not new. It's always been around. The new law was NOT the basis for the heresay that was allowed at trial. It was allowed under existing Illinois statute and case law. Incidentally, a dying declaration, where a murder victim names their killer, is heresay. Whay should that not be admissible?