Juror Names to Be Kept Secret

The judge presiding over the Scott Peterson murder trial said Monday that the questioning of potential jurors will be done in open court, although he ruled that jurors’ names will not be made public.

In issuing the ruling, Judge Alfred Delucchi told attorneys and members of the media at the pretrial hearing that he had nothing against the press. “I have a responsibility here to see that Mr. Peterson gets a fair trial,” he said.

Peterson, a former fertilizer salesman from Modesto, is accused of killing his wife, Laci, and unborn son. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Delucchi, a retired Alameda County Superior Court judge, also ordered that witness lists be kept confidential, although he noted that reporters will learn the names when witnesses testify.

Karl Olson, the attorney representing the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press and other media companies, argued that identifying jurors “allows the press to check juror impartiality.”

“Justice works best when exposed to the light of public scrutiny,” he said.

But the defense and prosecution opposed his efforts.

“The media has taken great steps to place themselves in the middle of the case,” said Prosecutor David Harris. “The media has a right to gain information, but they don’t have the right to interfere with a criminal trial.”

Delucchi, who said he would like to begin jury selection in two weeks, told attorneys he was “not a fan” of long jury questionnaires.

The pretrial hearing will resume Wednesday morning with expert testimony on the use of global tracking technology to monitor Peterson’s movements before he was arrested. On Monday, defense attorney Mark Geragos filed motions to exclude statements by Peterson to the media, to sequester the jury and to seat separate jury panels for the guilt and penalty phases.

Peterson’s trial was moved from Modesto, where the couple lived, after a court ruled that pretrial publicity in Modesto had damaged his right to a fair trial.