It makes you wonder if they are getting rid of jurors to make sure there is a verdict . . . but that is not supposed to be a reason why jurors are eliminated.

Its going to give the defense a lot of grounds for appeal . . or so say the lawyers.

I get the feeling that's exactly what's happening.

I thought the same thing... plus he always took like 12 spiral notebooks of notes (or so CNN.com reported ;) ) with him that he took during the trial... and this person he got replaced by has reportedly hardly written a thing.

The story on CNN.com also said that the Judge is replacing jurors because he doesn't want to have to call a mistrial...at least that's their guess

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp.../laci_peterson

Verdict apparently has been reached. Should be read around 4 pm.

he is found guilty

Guilty of first degree murder in Laci's death, Guilty of second degree murder in Connor's death.

I am surprised that they reached a verdict so soon. Poor Laci and Conner.

Guilty of murder in the first degree with 'special circumstances' on Laci's death - faces life w/o parole or getting juiced at San Quentin.

Penalty phase begins November 22nd.

Does anyone know what the "special circumstances" are?

Yes, what is the special circumstances??

He has a lot of issues for appeal. The way the prosecution failed to turn over information before trial...use of wire taps...all of the jury replacement. Doesn't mean they can win, but they will definitely appeal and have grounds.

:( My tears are for the Rocha family. I hope & pray that they will find peace now & perhaps some closure. Scott is guilty as hell & deserves to fry...Sorry. I hate to go off like this b/c it's not up to me to decide his fate but I cried when the verdict was read. I cried for Laci & Connor & the life that should have been theirs.

According to this website, there are certain situations that could raise a conviction of murder to being punishable by the death penalty.

Taken from the website:
"Given a court-tested model, California and other states adopted similar "narrowing" statutes that listed rape, multiple killings and several other circumstances that could raise murder to an offense punishable by death.

But pressure to fight crime in the late 1970s led California to expand the list of death-eligible offenses once again.

A 1978 initiative sponsored by Republican state Sen. John Briggs of Orange County more than doubled the number of special circumstances to 26, including, for example, murders of firefighters or judges, murders while committing sodomy or wrecking trains, murders by poison or while lying in wait and murders that were "especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity." A ballot argument said the initiative would ensure that capital punishment applied to "every murderer."

Later bills and initiatives created more special circumstances. In 1982, the Legislature added the knowing use of armor-piercing bullets. In 1990, Proposition 115 added mayhem or rape by an instrument. In 1996, Proposition 196 added carjacking, murder of a juror and murder by shooting a gun from a car.

By 1997, any one of 32 special circumstances could make a first-degree murderer eligible for capital punishment. The California statute seemed ripe for attack."