Trial date set for Peterson on gun charges

JOLIET — Drew Peterson’s pending trial might stretch past two weeks, a judge said Thursday, and that’s only for his gun charges.

 Judge Richard Schoenstedt set a Dec. 8 date for Peterson’s trial on felony gun charges. He scheduled a hearing on Sept. 18 for attorneys to argue pretrial motions.

State police arrested Peterson in May for allegedly possessing a rifle with a barrel shorter than the state-mandated length of 16 inches. Peterson’s attorney, Joel Brodsky contended Peterson carried the weapon as part of his duties with the Bolingbrook Police Department’s SWAT team, and had permission to possess it.

During Thursday’s hearing, Schoenstedt said he expected Peterson’s pending trial to be a lengthy one.

“I think we discussed this case could take upwards of two weeks, including jury selection,” the judge said.

Brodsky was not as sure.

“Not if they grant my motion,” he said.

“One of our motions is to limit the evidence the state is allowed to introduce,” Brodsky said. “In that case it would be a pretty short trial.”

Peterson’s legal team of Brodsky and attorney Andrew Abood has filed six motions to be argued in September. Prosecutors filed three motions, all under seal.

Among the defense motions is one to change the venue of the trial in hopes of finding an unbiased jury, Brodsky said.

“There seems to be a public opinion about Drew that’s slanted in a particular direction, thanks to you guys,” Abood said to reporters Thursday.

Abood suggested Peterson could find a less-biased jury in Cook County. Brodsky thought they might have to go further afield, perhaps to “China” or “Taiwan,” but the attorneys had not decided whether to pursue changing the trial’s venue.

Abood also said he and Brodsky were pondering putting Peterson in front of a judge in a bench trial instead of going before a jury.

“We won’t know what obstacles we face until we start questioning the jury,” Abood said.

State police have named Peterson their sole suspect in the October disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. State police have labeled the case a “potential homicide.”

State police also are investigating the March 2004 apparent bathtub drowning of Peterson’s third wife, Kathleen Savio. State police found no sign of foul play when they first probed Savio’s death, but got another crack at it following Stacy’s disappearance.

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