SAN MATEO, Calif. (KRON) – It was a high profile case that led to the conviction of Scott Peterson but there is word that Peterson may soon be making a new appearance in a Bay Area courtroom.  

It is the latest chapter in a very long saga. Peterson was convicted of killing his wife Laci and son Conner, 17-years ago. 

Now, the California Supreme Court just handed down a ruling stating there could have been juror misconduct.   

Legal experts say this ruling could be a pivotal point in the case sending it back for a possible re-trial.  

“She was quite a flamboyant juror,” Paula Canny said. 

Legal analyst Paula Canny diving into the details on the California Supreme Court’s bombshell decision to grant a hearing in the Scott Peterson murder trial. 

The decision focuses on possible juror misconduct.  

Former jury member Rochelle Nice was pregnant at the time of the Peterson trial and involved in a contentious court case, her boyfriend’s ex had threatened her. 

“The process was they had to fill out juror questionnaires and one of the questions in the questionnaire was have you ever been a party in a lawsuit, have you ever been involved in any litigation, have you ever been a crime victim, and so to those things she said no. What was disclosed was she was a party to a lawsuit, she filed a request for a temporary restraining order. I mean the entire system, you know, is based on the premise that we are going, to tell the truth and so this juror flat out lied,” Canny said.

And that is not all, following Scott’s conviction, Nice sent letters to Peterson on death row — A lot of them. 

“A couple of years later, she began writing to Scott Peterson. She wrote more than 28 letters,” Canny said.

And those letters were part of the appeal to the California Supreme Court. For example, this is part of one letter from Nice to Petterson:  

“My heart aches for your son. Why couldn’t he have the same chances in life you were given? You should have been dreaming of your son being the best at whatever he did in life not planning on a way to get rid of him.”  

For what comes next, adverse publicity moved the original trial and sentencing to San Mateo so that is where this appeal process will take place.   

If it is determined there was jury misconduct a new trial could be granted. 

The Stanislaus County District Attorney issued a statement to KRON4 about this latest development: ‘The media and public is reminded that this is just one step in a very long and complicated appellate process.’

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