Where are they now?

There were many people who played roles big and small in the Peterson case. Here's an update on some involved with the prosecution and defense.

PROSECUTION

Rick Distaso

ROLE: Lead prosecutor with Dave Harris. Delivered shaky opening statement and, five months later, strong closing statement during trial's guilt phase.

AFTER TRIAL: Appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger to Stanislaus County Superior Court judgeship in June 2005

QUOTE (from Court Executive Officer Michael Tozzi on Distaso's behalf): "The Code of Judicial Ethics says that a sitting judge is not allowed to comment on any case that is still active in the system, and the Peterson case is on appeal and therefore is still an active case."

Dave Harris

ROLE: Lead prosecutor with Distaso. Remembered for brilliant destruction of defense doctor during questioning and for engineering the trial's death penalty phase.

AFTER TRIAL: Promoted to chief deputy district attorney in fall 2005

QUOTE: "Although I never got to meet Laci, her death has forever changed me. As part of my job, I helped prosecute her murderer. During this long and difficult process, much of it away from my family, I came to know Laci. I learned who she was from her family and friends, I learned about her love for her son, Conner, and I learned about her indomitable spirit. I also learned how much she was, and is, still missed. Her murder was a senseless tragedy that even touched me -- a hardened career prosecutor."

Birgit Fladager

ROLE: Supervised prosecutors in the background initially but took a more active role when case foundered in early summer 2004. Questioned Detective Craig Grogan, one of the prosecution's more compelling witnesses.

AFTER TRIAL: Elected Stanislaus County district attorney in June 2006, besting former Judge Mike Cummins with 54 percent of the vote. Leads office of 145 employees and manages $16 million budget.

QUOTE: "Once they (the jurors) saw the evidence we had with Laci and Conner being found, I think that brought home to them the reality that this was a murder trial -- not a circus show, not all about publicity, not about TV. This is a homicide case. There's a monster sitting in the courtroom who doesn't look like a monster, and he's responsible for these two deaths."

James Brazelton

ROLE: Stanislaus County district attorney

AFTER TRIAL: Retired July 2005 to work in the private sector; died of natural causes Sept. 10 at age 66

QUOTE: "I won't miss that at all" -- on the spotlight that comes with elected office, upon retiring in 2005

Al Brocchini and Jon Buehler

ROLES: Modesto Police Department detectives. Brocchini conducted extensive interviews with Scott Peterson. Buehler worked with Amber Frey to record the phone conversations with Scott Peterson that became vital evidence.

AFTER TRIAL: Both were promoted to sergeant, leaving investigative services for the operations division.

QUOTE: Both men declined to comment.

Craig Grogan

ROLE: Modesto police's lead detective on the Peterson case and one of the prosecution's strongest witnesses. Tied together testimony from more than three months of questioning, including memorable 41-point explanation of why he thought Laci Peterson's body would be found in San Francisco Bay.

AFTER TRIAL: Reassigned to investigate cold cases for MPD. His work led to the November arrest of Russell Jones, who is charged in the 1999 murder of Dena Raley-McCluskey.

QUOTE: He declined to comment.

DEFENSE