Convicted killer Drew Peterson seeks new trial amid allegations against former attorney

Drew Peterson continues push for freedom

Drew Peterson's team of public defenders were in court Wednesday, trying to get his conviction to be overturned.

WILL COUNTY, Ill. - The Drew Peterson case was back in a Will County courtroom Wednesday, as the convicted killer is trying to get a new trial.

A judge appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether one of Peterson's former attorneys may have violated a court order by giving a recent interview.

Peterson is serving a life sentence for the 2012 conviction on charges that he murdered his third wife, Kathleen Savio, and he is the prime suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacey Peterson, whose body has never been found.

Peterson is now asking a judge to overturn that conviction, arguing incompetence by his attorney at the time, Joel Brodsky.

Peterson said Brodsky bungled the case because he wouldn't allow Peterson to testify in his own defense. But, legal analyst Karen Conti said that's a tough sell.

"I don't think he has a chance at all," Conti said. "Ineffective counsel is a really hard thing to prove. You have to prove that your lawyer is completely incompetent, but you also have to prove that had he not been incompetent, the decision would have been completely different."

Also Wednesday, a Will County judge agreed to a request by Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow and appointed a special prosecutor to investigate whether Brodsky violated a 2022 gag order preventing him from talking about his involvement in the case.

Brodsky recently spoke to News Nation as part of their jailhouse interview with Peterson and now Brodsky is being accused of committing indirect contempt of court.

"The special prosecutor was appointed to talk to Brodsky and find out whether or not he violated a gag order," said Conti. "And that is disclosing some things that Drew Peterson said. And that's necessary because Brodsky's going to be a witness in the case against Drew Peterson, and I think the judge just wanted to make sure this is all done appropriately."

In a brief phone interview, Brodsky said he did not violate attorney/client privilege.

There's a chance Peterson will be in court when the case comes back for another hearing on April 1.