Live updates: Juror Richelle Nice questioned about letters sent to Scott Peterson

An evidentiary hearing begins this morning in Scott Peterson’s case to determine if his conviction for the murders of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner, should be overturned on the grounds of juror misconduct.

The approximately weeklong hearing will focus on one of 19 claims in Peterson’s petition for habeas corpus filed by his attorneys in 2015. It alleges a biased juror lied on a jury questionnaire about being the victim of a crime and party to a lawsuit so that she could sit in judgment of Peterson.

That juror, Richelle Nice, is scheduled to take the stand first. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. Updates will be posted here.

Hearing begins

10:15 a.m. - The hearing is under way with Judge Anne-Christine Massullo setting up some scheduling. The hearing will go until noon, then start again at 1:30 p.m. and stop at 3 p.m. and then will resume Monday at 10 a.m.

Juror Richelle Nice takes the stand

10:40 a.m. - Peterson attorney Pat Harris is leading Nice through a statement she signed regarding her history. Prosecutors have conferred immunity for Nice for any perjury charge she might face. She said on the statement she didn’t consider herself a victim of a crime.

Four years before Peterson’s trial, Nice was 4 1/2 months pregnant when she obtained a restraining order against her then-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend for stalking and threatening them.

What led to restraining order

11:05 a.m. - Under questioning by Pat Harris, Nice recalled what led her to file the restraining order. In it, she described an earlier incident in which the ex-girlfriend came to her home, tried to kick in the front door and yelled at Nice to come outside.

“Had (she) not continued to bother me I would have never filed a restraining order based on these facts,” Nice said. “Since she did I did add that in since I knew it did show history of her being a little stalkerish.”

11:55 a.m. - Pat Harris took Nice through events including a fight with the father of her youngest children in which she hit him and he called police. The man ended up being arrested and ultimately pleaded guilty to criminal charges.

The court has taken a break for lunch. The hearing is set to resume at 1:30 p.m.

1:50 p.m. - Pat Harris continued to question Nice about the incidents involving her then-boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. The two women made amends while Nice was pregnant with her third child, and Nice dropped a civil action against her.

Letters to Scott Peterson

2:40 p.m. - After going over Nice’s financial situation at the time of the trial, Harris asked about her correspondence with Peterson.

Asked if she sent letters to Peterson, Nice responded: “Regrettably, yes, I did.” She said she does not recall how many letters she sent.

2:57 p.m. - Testimony has concluded. Nice is scheduled to return to the stand at 10:15 a.m. Monday.

This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 10:11 AM.