Drew Peterson trial set for July 6

<span>CHESTER -- Drew Peterson, who has been awaiting trial on murder-for-hire charges relating to an alleged scheme to kill Will County Prosecutor James Glasgow, appeared at the Randolph County Courthouse on Tuesday for a case management conference.</span>

<span>The hearing lasted a total of eight minutes, but a July 6 trial date was set. Proceedings will begin with jury selection at 9 a.m. that day.</span>

<span>"We've got a number of other cases on the July jury docket and we're going to try and get it in," said Judge Richard A. Brown during the conference, after mentioning the defense counsel's previous request for a speedy trial.</span>

<span>Brown approved a request to keep audio excerpts from taped conversations, which allegedly included Peterson, filed under seal to prevent "prejudicial pretrial publicity" that may influence potential jurors.</span>

<span>At Peterson's preliminary hearing on March 3, Walker said the State had filed a notice of use of an eavesdropping device.</span>

<span>The eavesdropping device transaction stated an application for judicial authorization of its use was approved on October 23, 2014 for a period of time between October 20, 2014 and November 23, 2014.</span>

<span>On November 20, an extension was approved to use the device until December 22.</span>

<span>During Tuesday's conference, Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker, who is prosecuting the case in conjunction with the Attorney General's Office, said the State had filed three motions.</span>

<span>The motions will be considered by Brown during a May 22 motion hearing.</span>

<span>The first motion was to permit impeachment (challenging the truthfulness of an individual testifying at trial) of Peterson about his prior first-degree murder conviction if he chooses to testify in this case. </span>

<span>"If the defendant takes the witness stand, we're asking the judge to making a ruling before the trial if we can impeach the defendant on his prior conviction," Walker said in a follow-up interview with the Herald Tribune.</span>

<span>The second motion was to admit trial evidence that Peterson previously offered a person $25,000 in 2003 to "take care of" his ex-wife, Kathleen Savio, whom he was convicted in 2012 of killing.</span>

<span>Lastly, the third motion would limit impeachment and prevent cross-examination of the prosecution's witness regarding the facts or circumstances of the crime he was convicted of.</span>

<span>"We're just asking the judge to treat the witness the same way as the defendant," Walker said.</span>

<span>During the conference, Walker said the State had tendered a lot of discovery to the defense counsel, which is led by Red Bud attorney Lucas Liefer, except for a transcript of the recordings.</span>

<span>He said the State was finalizing the transcript and had already provided the raw audio.</span>

<span>Peterson has been charged with one count of solicitation of murder for hire and one count of solicitation of murder, both Class X felonies with maximum penalties of 30 years each.</span>

<span>The former Bolingbrook police sergeant is currently serving a 38-year sentence at Menard Correctional Center in Chester for the 2004 murder of Savio.</span>

<span>He remains a suspect in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, 23-year-old Stacy Peterson. Peterson's sister, Cassandra Cales, attended Tuesday's conference.</span>

<span>Court documents allege Peterson, 61, requested "Individual A" to find a person to kill Glasgow, who prosecuted Peterson's murder trial, in exchange for payment.</span>

<span>On March 3, the State filed a discovery protective order, which prevents the defendant, defense counsel, defense personnel and the prosecution from publicly disclosing any information provided in discovery to protect the identity and safety of Individual A for the duration of the case.</span>

<span>Physically, Peterson looked much the same on Tuesday as he did during his March appearance, during which he entered a plea of not guilty and waived his right to a preliminary hearing.</span>

<span>What was missing was the media fervor that accompanied the March hearing, with only an Associated Press reporter and local media representatives in attendance. Roughly a dozen news outlets were on hand a month ago to cover the latest chapter in the Drew Peterson saga.</span>

<span id="docs-internal-guid-f115f341-bae5-6d66-4a36-d4ff6d53fc12"><span>"At this point, I don't see where we would have a hard time finding a jury," Walker said. "I think we can find 12 people who can judge on the merits of the case and not on Mr. Peterson's past or what they have seen in the newspaper."</span></span>