Drew Peterson Trial Set for July

July selection scheduled to begin July 23

Drew Peterson's trial on first-degree murder charges will begin in July.

Judge Edward Burmila said jury selection will begin July 23, with trial proceedings beginning a week later.

The case was supposed to go to trial two years ago, but legal wrangling over the statements from Peterson's drowned ex-wife Kathleen Savio and missing fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, postponed it.

His attorneys said last month they would not fight a recent higher court ruling allowing prosecutors to use previously excluded hearsay statements.

Still, Burmila put limitations on what the jury will hear. She said prosecutors cannot imply that Stacy Peterson is dead, believed to be dead or was killed by Peterson. Stacy Peterson disappeared in 2007.

The former Bolingbrook police sergeant and his lawyers returned to court Thursday to discuss several motions, including whether testimony from Kathleen Savio's divorce attorney violated attorney-client privilege.

Prosecutors won the right to use hearsay evidence at trial, but the defense claims Harry Smith violated his attorney-client privilege when he testified about conversations he had with Savio and Stacy Peterson.

Smith previously testified that Stacy Peterson told him that her husband was angry because he believed she had told a person named "Tom" that he killed Savio.

Drew Peterson has denied having anything to do with Savio's death or Peterson's disappearance.

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