A glimpse of the Peterson jurors
Updated May 28, 2004, 11:32 a.m. ET
(AP) — Profiles of the 12 jurors and six
alternates seated for the Scott Peterson double-murder
trial, as reported by the Daily News of Palo Alto, Calif:
JURORS
Juror 1
A 40-something white man who works as a head coach at a
local school. He has coached 500 youths, including the
son of a sheriff. He said everyone deserves a fair deal
in the trial. He said he would expect people accused of
a crime to defend themselves, but after the judge
explained the burden of proof was on the prosecution, he
would work to put that out of his mind, saying, "I have
to constantly remind myself."
Juror 2
A white man in his 50s who consulted his parish priest
before deciding he could vote for the death penalty
under some circumstances. He works mostly outdoors, but
did not reveal his job. He's a member of the Native Sons
of the Golden West, but said that meant only that he was
born in California. He said that although he had
previously opined that Peterson was guilty, he could put
that aside.
Juror 3
A 30-something female Hispanic county social worker with
two sisters who also work for government agencies. She
is studying at night to get her master's degree. Asked
if she could be fair, she said, "I tend to really want
to do what's in the best interest of the people I
serve."
Juror 4
A former Colma police officer, a middle-aged man who now
works as a project manager. The man said he was once
arrested for assault and battery of a police officer
during a union demonstration.
Juror 5
A husky white man in his late 20s or 30s with a crew
cut. He's on disability from his job as an airport
screener for a private firm and formerly worked as a
store security agent. He apparently raises a child as a
single parent. He said he has followed the case very
little and smiled and shook his head when defense lawyer
Mark Geragos asked if Peterson's affair would make him
think he's guilty of murder.
Juror 6
A young, white Half Moon Bay firefighter-paramedic who
agrees with his captain that there is not enough
information to say whether Scott Peterson is guilty. He
doesn't watch much television, spending as much as five
hours a day on his bicycle when he's not on duty. He
knows many police officers through his job, but said
that won't make him favor the prosecution. "I know a lot
of people with badges I'm ashamed to be associated
with," he said.
Juror 7
A retired PG&E employee, an Asian woman in her 50s or
60s. She seemed very responsive to Geragos and said she
could believe Peterson was falsely accused. "I don't see
a motive for something that heinous," she said, but
acknowledged prosecutors could be "keeping the case
close to the vest."
Juror 8
A Teamster in his late 40s or 50s who works the
graveyard shift and didn't follow the case. He was once
accused of violating a restraining order during his
divorce. He somewhat agrees police are too quick to
arrest in high-profile cases. And he says he believes
strongly in the concept of innocent until proven guilty.
Juror 9
A white woman in her late 30s or 40s whose fiance was
convicted of murdering a stranger in the early 1980s and
was later killed in prison. She apparently married him
after his trial. She said that would not affect her
views on the Peterson case. She works in packaging for a
biotech company and has been married to her second
husband since 1990.
Juror 10
A white 40ish woman who suffered a series of personal
tragedies so severe she was questioned about it in the
judge's chambers. She spends much of her time with her
husband and children. She said that because so much has
happened to her, she has learned to tell the truth and
honestly feels she can be fair. Asked about stealth
jurors, she drew a laugh when she said, "I think they
should get a life."
Juror 11
A black woman in her 40s who works as a chief
accountant. She had a close relative who was a deputy
sheriff, but said it would not affect her. She expressed
caution about accepting all kinds of evidence,
repeatedly saying, "it depends on the circumstances."
Juror 12
A white 30-something adoption worker who belongs to the
Executive Women's Golf Association. She once worked on
child abuse cases and found some police officers
difficult to work with because "they would rather go to
a 10-car pileup" but said that won't influence her
attitude toward the prosecution.
ALTERNATES
Alternate 1
A white man in his late 40s or 50s who is both an
attorney and a doctor. He works with a medical company
that makes medications for heart patients. He advises
them on legal issues, but has never practiced criminal
law.
Alternate 2
A white woman in her 30s with nine tattoos and four
sons. She is willing to quit her bank job to serve on
the jury, and told her partner he would have to support
her. Her brother was in and out of prison for drugs,
leading her mother to become a drug counselor at a
methadone clinic.
Alternate 3
A retired white man in his 50s or 60s whose future
son-in-law owns The Shack, the San Luis Obispo
restaurant once owned by Scott and Laci Peterson. The
man is an avid boater, but said he is not very familiar
with the Berkeley Marina, where prosecutors say Scott
took Laci's body to dump it. He said he had not followed
the case, and believed there was no direct evidence
against Scott.
Alternate 4
A white woman in her 40s whose husband believes Peterson
is guilty. She said she had told him that everyone
deserves his day in court. She watched some of the USA
Network movie on the Peterson case, but said she got
bored. When asked what she thought of stealth jurors,
she expressed anger, saying, "This is somebody's life.
It's not a game."
Alternate 5
A white woman in her 60s who, until her recent
retirement, worked in a human resources department. Her
duties included mediating job disputes and she says
she's accustomed to listening to both sides. She had a
grandchild taken from her by his other set of
grandparents and did not see him for almost five years,
but the situation was eventually resolved. She doesn't
know a lot about the case because she watches PBS.
Alternate 6
A white British-born professional in his 50s who works
for a city department that was involved in planning for
the Peterson trial. He deals occasionally with both
police and media, but said it wouldn't affect him. He
said he doesn't read crime news and could put aside what
little he had heard about the case to judge Peterson
fairly.