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Nov 19, 2008 8:28 pm US/Central
State Passes Law Targeting Drew Peterson Probe
Illinois Would Allow Hearsay Statements From Murdered Witnesses
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Drew Peterson outside the Will County Courthouse in Joliet.
CBS
The Illinois House on Wednesday unanimously passed a Senate-approved law to give Will County prosecutors a powerful new tool to probe the murder of one of Drew Peterson's wives and the disappearance of another.
The full legislature has now OKd legislation to allow as evidence hearsay statements from murdered witnesses.
The legislation takes effect immediately.
"This will be a powerful new tool for prosecutors throughout the state of Illinois to protect women from violence," said Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow.
It might apply to missing Bolingbrook mother Stacy Peterson, the wife of retired Bolingbrook Police Sgt. Drew Peterson.
State Police say he is a suspect in her "potential homicide." A minister has said that Stacy Peterson told him that Drew Peterson killed a previous wife, Kathleen Savio.
The law might also come into play in the Savio case. She sent a letter to a prosecutor that said, Peterson "knows how to manipulate the system, and his next step is to take my children away. Or kill me instead."
"A hearing can be held as to statements that were made to third parties, statements of physical brutality, statements, threats against the individuals life," Glasgow said.
Peterson's attorney, Joel Brodsky says he doesn't feel hearsay should be admitted in a court of law.
"It certainly is not gonna have a major impact in anything that we know about,'' he said. "I can speculate that it may, but it's not gonna have a major impact."
CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller does see a potential problem with the new law: Those charged with a crime have the right on confront their accusers. And Drew Peterson can't do that with Stacy Peterson or Savio.
Peterson appears in court on Thursday on a gun charge violation.
WBBM Newsradio 780 contributed to this report.
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