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The California Supreme Court has overturned the 2005 death sentence for Scott Peterson in the murders of his pregnant wife and unborn son.
In the filing, the court said prosecutors can again try for the same sentence or agree to a life sentence without parole in the high-profile case. However, the court upheld his 2004 conviction of murdering Laci Peterson and their unborn son, Conner.
The court Monday said the trial judge made several significant errors in jury selection, dismissing jurors that opposed capital punishment without asking if they could set their views aside in sentencing, therefore undermining Peterson's right to an impartial jury in the penalty phase.
The 47-year-old Peterson is incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, a facility that’s been plagued with coronavirus infections over the last several weeks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom halted executions in the state in March 2019, though district attorneys across the state continue to pursue death penalty convictions because they say it remains the law, no matter the governor’s moratorium.