Drew Peterson Trial: Day 16 – Judge warns of possible acquittal

As the prosecution in the Drew Peterson trial wrapped up the week’s testimony, Judge Edward Burmila warned James Glasgow and his team that they haven’t proven their case. He suggested that they have yet to prove that Peterson was in the bathroom the night of Kathleen Savio’s death or how he might have murdered her.

The prosecution explained to the Judge that they were going to introduce testimony that showed Peterson’s training in strangleholds would have been the method of choice for the former police officer. Burmila dismissed the idea immediately saying, ”You can’t be serious, you don’t even have any evidence linking him to the scene. Now you want to say this is what he did there?”

The prosecution do not expect to call any additional witnesses and will wrap up their case on Monday.

Peterson’s defense team expect a swift and decisive conclusion to their case which will start on Monday. By the end of the next week the Judge could hand off the case to the jury, if he doesn’t render a not-guilty verdict himself before it gets to that point. Often the defense will request the Judge to render a not-guilty verdict after the prosecution has rested, and while these types of motions are rarely granted, the Savio case is different from many cases, there is a real chance that such a request could be granted.

Even if the jury does get the case, the standard of proving Peterson guilty beyond a reasonable doubt could give the jury no choice but to acquit.