Supreme Court orders hearing that could lead to reversal of Scott Peterson’s murder conviction because of jury misconduct [Updated x2]

The Supreme Court today issued an order to show cause, returnable in the superior court, why Scott Peterson’s high-profile conviction for the 2002 killing of his pregnant wife shouldn’t be vacated.  The ruling comes in a habeas corpus proceeding started in 2015.

Two months ago, in a direct automatic appeal, the Supreme Court affirmed Peterson’s conviction but overturned his death sentence because of superior court error in the jury selection process.

The Supreme Court limited the upcoming hearing to the issue of whether one juror “committed prejudicial misconduct by not disclosing her prior involvement with other legal proceedings, including but not limited to being the victim of a crime.”  It summarily denied Peterson’s habeas petition on 18 other claims, 10 of them on the merits and the other 8 as mooted by its opinion in the direct appeal.

[Update:  Reports on the Supreme Court’s order from Maura Dolan at the Los Angeles Times and Erin Tracy at the Modesto Bee.  (I’m quoted in the Modesto Bee story.)]

[May 30 update:  “D.A. won’t pursue new death penalty trial.”]