The judge has 90 days to issue a ruling on the retrial.
Over 20 years after he was convicted of killing his pregnant wife and their unborn child, Scott Peterson appeared in court Thursday in a final effort to secure a retrial, claiming jury misconduct led to his conviction in 2004.
The 49-year-old prisoner chuckled and scribbled notes during the proceedings, which took place in California.
The juror at the center of the misconduct claims is Richelle Nice, who gained media attention during the trial for having bright red hair and wearing colorful outfits.
“We wanted to see it all the way through to the end,” Nice told reporters after the verdict.
But in a shocking twist, Nice became pen pals with the convicted killer in prison. She spoke to Inside Edition in 2006 about the puzzling relationship.
“I know it all sounds crazy, because I'm one of the ones who put him away. He wanted to know how I was doing and how the trial affected me,” Nice said.
In one of those letters, Peterson says Nice claimed she had once been beaten by a boyfriend while pregnant. Peterson's attorney says Nice failed to disclose this before the trial and claims it proves she had bias in the case — an allegation Nice denies.
Nice appeared outside court earlier this year.
The judge has 90 days to issue a ruling about whether or not Peterson will get a new trial.
