Scott Peterson transferred off death row ahead of murder resentencing. What’s next?

Scott Peterson on Monday was transferred from death row at San Quentin Prison to the San Mateo County jail in advance of his resentencing hearing next week.

Judge Anne-Christine Massullo signed an order Nov. 23 to have Peterson transferred as soon as possible after Peterson’s attorney Pat Harris filed papers saying he’d been having trouble communicating with his client at the prison.

Peterson, 49, is being held at the jail without bail for his 2004 convictions for the murders of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son, Conner. His case was moved from Stanislaus County to San Mateo due to pretrial publicity.

At the time, he was sentenced to death, but the California Supreme Court overturned the sentence last year, saying the trial judge erred by excluding potential jurors opposed to the death penalty.

Peterson continues to fight to have his conviction overturned based on allegations that a juror on his case was untruthful when she filled out a juror questionnaire. A hearing on the juror misconduct claim is scheduled in late February; Massullo will have 90 days after the matter is submitted to decide whether Peterson gets a new trial.

First, Peterson must be resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A hearing on that matter is set for Dec. 8.

Family and friends of Laci are expected to give victim impact statements at the hearing and face him in person for the first time since he was sentenced to death more than 17 years ago.

Massullo issued an order allotting 16 seats in the courtroom for friends and family of Laci and 16 for Peterson’s friends and family.

Harris told The Bee earlier this month that Peterson might also give a statement at the hearing.