The crux of Mark Geragos' defense of Scott Peterson is that the police rushed to judgment and decided early on Scott killed his wife and unborn child--ignoring leads that pointed elsewhere. Catherine Crier of Court TV scored an exclusive today of police reports and a transcript of a telephone conversation between Sharon Rocha, Laci's mother, and Scott, right after the police told Rocha about Scott and Amber Frey. This was on January 13, 2003, less than one month after Laci disappeared and months before her remains were recovered. Rocha, who up until that point, had supported Scott's innocence, screams at Scott and accuses him of murdering Laci--over and over. And over and over, Scott denies it.

That's same-old, same-old. I think the real "exclusive" is this:

Modesto Police decided to inform Scott and Laci Peterson's families of the fertilizer salesman's relationship with the massage therapist when they learned that the National Enquirer was going to break the news, according to a police report made available exclusively to Crier. Police informed the couple's parents on the same day, but separately. The report noted that up to that point, both families had "remained united in their confidence" that Scott Peterson was uninvolved in her disappearance.

"Not wanting the family to be caught without this knowledge, it was agreed that it would not impact negatively on the case and the potential prosecution of this case to inform them of this information," Detective Jon Buehler wrote in a police report dated Jan. 16, 2003. News of the affair triggered an emotional breakdown in Rocha, who sobbed in front of police and said, "Why did he have to kill her?" (my emphasis.)

"The potential prosecution of this case".... It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the police confirm in this report that they had decided Scott was the killer and were building a case against him.

Geragos should have a field day with this. Of course, he's had the report all along, it's only the public who is receiving notice of it today.