Maryland Accident Law Blog
Scott Peterson, the man convicted of murdering his wife Laci Peterson and their unborn son Connor Peterson, will have to stand trial again—this time for a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by Laci’s parents.
The ruling to have the trial go forward was made by a Stanislaus County Superior Court judge who said that Peterson’s conviction and death sentence could not speak for themselves. The plaintiffs in the wrongful death case are Laci’s parents, Dennis Rocha and Sharon Rocha.
The judge has stayed his ruling until June 23 so Peterson’s lawyers can appeal. Peterson, who is in San Quentin Prison, maintains that he did not kill his pregnant wife.
Laci’s body and Connor’s fetus were found in the East Bay nearly five months after she disappeared on Christmas Eve in 2002. Her parents, who initially sued for $25 million, are now asking for unspecified damages.
Although Peterson does not have the money to pay a large lawsuit, Laci’s parents want to make sure that he doesn’t make any money if he decides to sell his story. The murder of Laci and Connor had shocked the nation and books have been written and TV movies made about their killings. Sharon Rocha’s attorney says that Peterson can end the lawsuit if he agrees to a judgment of at least $10 million.
If your husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, or father has died in Maryland or Washington DC in an accident or incident that was caused by the negligence, malicious intent, or carelessness of another party, our wrongful death law firm can determine whether you have grounds to file a wrongful death claim against the negligent party.
If your loved one died because of someone else’s criminal actions, the murderer will not only face criminal charges, but he or she can be named as a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Scott Peterson likely faces second trial in wrongful death case, MiamiHerald.com, June 6, 2008
Related Web Resource:
The Laci Peterson Case, FoxNews.com
Contact our Maryland attorneys or Washington DC wrongful death lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen today.