Saturday, May 9, 2009

Peterson attorney Joel Brodsky’s official statement

Updated: Drew Peterson posts (5-8)

May 7, 2009

Peterson lawyer, Joel Brodsky just happened to be on his way to NY when Drew was arrested. Here is his official statement per Peterson publicist, Glenn Selig. Emphasis added.

(PRNewsChannel) / New York, N.Y. and Chicago, Ill. / The defense team representing Drew Peterson, the former Bolingbrook police sergeant arrested today for the murder of his third wife Kathleen Savio, says he will be vindicated in court.

“There is no evidence that links Drew Peterson to the death of Kathleen Savio or anyone else for that matter,” says Joel Brodsky, lead criminal defense attorney for what promises to become the newest ‘trial of the century.’ “Drew did not harm Kathleen, he has said so from day one. We’re obviously disappointed a grand jury indicted him. But an indictment does not mean guilt.”

Brodsky’s co-counsel includes his law partner Rheem Odeh and Andrew Abood from the Abood Law Firm of East Lansing, Michigan. They say they will ask the court for a speedy trial and are confident that prosecutors will fall far short of proving a homicide was committed–let alone that Drew did it.

Savio’s remains were exhumed just days after Peterson’s current wife, Stacy, disappeared and police reopened the investigation into her death. Savio was found dead in a bathtub in 2004, just days before her divorce from Drew was finalized.

Results from an independent pathologist ruled the death a homicide. Stacy is still missing. Peterson says he believes she ran off with another man and this week sought counsel from a prominent Chicago divorce attorney.

Peterson has denied any involvement in either case and has done several extensive, high-profile interviews: NBC’s ‘Today’ show, CBS’s ‘The Early Show,’ and ‘Larry King Live.’

Brodsky expressed outrage over the $20 million bond set for Peterson.

“I will work to get that reduced,” says Brodsky. “That is incredibly excessive.”

As for the formal charges against Peterson, Brodsky points out that an indictment is not evidence of guilt, and that every defendant who has ever been found not guilty was initially indicted.

“Every juror in Illinois is reminded by the court that an indictment is simply a document that constitutes a formal method of charging a defendant,” says Brodsky. “In this case, as in every case, the judge will make it clear to the jury that an indictment is ‘not evidence that a crime was committed by the defendant.’”


“Prosecutors will need to prove Drew Peterson is guilty in court, and they can’t because he didn’t do it.

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