Peterson Hearing Tests Hearsay Law

State's Attorney wants to make comments admissible

On Tuesday, the family of Stacy Peterson will finally hear the first details about the investigation of her 2007 disappearance.

The pretrial hearing for former Bolingbrook police Sergeant Drew Peterson is regarding the drowning death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, but prosecutors plan to use the opportunity to discuss details about his fourth wife Stacy's disappearance, too.

Will County State's Attorney James Glascow hopes to convince Judge Stephen White that statements made by Stacy and Kathleen should be admissible in court. Under a new state law supported by Glascow, it would allow prosecutors to use hearsay comments by the two women.

According to Glascow, Savio reportedly told family and friends "Drew Peterson has told me he's going to kill me and make it look like an accident." 

Joel Brodsky, defense attorney for Peterson, has said the hearsay statements are unreliable "rumor and innuendo" and the autopsy results of Kathleen Savio show it was an accidental drowning.

The hearing, which includes hundreds of potential witnesses and pieces of evidence, is expected to last up to a month.

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