STATEMENT REGARDING PETERSON APPEAL

July 26

JOLIET – The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office is releasing the following statement regarding the 3rd District Appellate Court ruling in the Drew Peterson case:  

The Will County State’s Attorney’s office strongly disagrees with the majority ruling in the Drew Peterson appeal.  We believe that Justice Carter, in his dissenting opinion, correctly analyzed the legal issues in the appeal.  Specifically, Justice Carter held that our appeal was timely filed.  Furthermore, Justice Carter states:  

“The majority ruling is erroneous and irremediably flawed because it assumes a proposition that it cannot support.”  

He clearly points out the critical issue at stake here in stating:  

“I do not agree with the majority’s suggestion that the State and the court should be bound at trial by a manifestly erroneous ruling that contravenes a June 2010 decision from our supreme court.”  (People v. Hanson, 238 Ill.2d 74, 99 (2010).

The Will County State’s Attorney’s office continues to review the ruling and will make a decision about whether it will file an appeal with the Illinois Supreme Court.