Judge rejects Scott Peterson new-evidence bid; appeal planned

A California judge on Monday denied convicted murderer Scott Peterson's bid to introduce new evidence in his 2004 case, rejecting a habeas corpus petition filed by the LA Innocence Project on his behalf.

The ruling is the latest defeat in a years-long effort to overturn one of California's most closely watched murder convictions and adds to debate over forensic-evidence standards in state courts — a question that has drawn attention from wrongful-conviction advocates across Southern California, including the LA Innocence Project.

San Mateo Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Hill issued an order April 28 finding the petition's claims either procedurally barred or lacking in merit, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The LA Innocence Project had filed the habeas petition in August 2025 on behalf of Peterson, now 53, who has been serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Peterson was convicted in 2004 after a six-month trial of first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Laci, and second-degree murder of their unborn son. Laci Peterson, who was eight months pregnant, vanished on Christmas Eve 2002; her remains were discovered in San Francisco Bay in April 2003. The California Supreme Court overturned Peterson's original death sentence in 2020, leading to his resentencing.

The LA Innocence Project argued that jurors never heard evidence that could have altered the verdict and that the conviction relied on flawed science. Peterson's attorneys said they had "uncovered compelling new scientific evidence showing that the jury in Mr. Peterson's case relied on unreliable scientific evidence to convict him," according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Hannah Brown, deputy director of the LA Innocence Project, sharply criticized the decision in a written statement. "We disagree with and are disappointed by the court's ruling on every level," Brown said. "The ruling demonstrates a profound misunderstanding and misapplication of the law applied to habeas corpus petitions."

This marks the second major setback at the trial-court level for Peterson's legal team. Judge Hill also denied a 2022 motion for a new trial that centered on allegations of juror misconduct. Peterson's attorneys said they intend to carry the fight to a higher court.

Peterson's case riveted the country during his 2004 trial and has continued to generate legal challenges for more than two decades. With the appeal now headed to a higher court, the next chapter in the long-running saga is yet to be written.