The man convicted of murdering his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson, has managed to set up a website. Why? Because he plans on going forward with his appeal. While death row inmates are forbidden from internet access, much less blogging (no, wait, he is!), Scott's family has created scottpetersonappeal.org, "where they acknowledge that part of the cost of his new appeal hearing will be picked up by California taxpayers." Oh, and they also want you to give them some money. You can donate anywhere from $5 to $50. "With your contribution to the Peterson Family fund, the investigation will be able to move forward uninterrupted, the burden to pay for it will be lifted from our parents, and we will be one step closer to the priceless freedom of our innocent brother," the Peterson family painfully explains. They need up to $95,000 for attorney fees. The Petersons are also "offering a $5000 reward for specific information leading to the recovery of Laci's missing Croton watch," which we assume is some sort of important piece of evidence. more ›

The Dhaliwal brothers, they seem like a couple of nasty little rapscallions. Ruffians, we'll go so far as to say. Why? Because after last week's Christmastime big-cat attack - a mauling that took the life of their "friend," Carlos Sousa Jr. - it seems that at the two brothers "had slingshots on them at the time" - well, at least according to "sources" at the New York Post. (Seriously, aside from aspiring serial killers, who does this? Who goes to a zoo to aggressively taunt the animals? This behavior goes well above and beyond the reliable boys-will-be-boys excuse.) more ›

And in real estate news, the Modesto bungalow-style home in which Laci Peterson was murdered by her (oddly handsome) husband Scott Peterson was sold again. Although the home sold in 2005 for $390,000 (right after Scott arrived at death row at San Quentin Prison), this time it only went for a meager $280,000 to an anonymous buyer. See where trying to profit off of murder gets you? A $110,000 deduction. Well, it had to... more ›

We know you're totally dying to find out what happened with some of the stories we told you about from San Mateo County a week or so ago. Dying! more ›

the Susan Polk trial. more ›

Man, we need some extra cash to get us through the weekend. We hate it when payday is on a Saturday! Our couch doesn't have cushions to harbor change (stupid Ikea PS), and Oprah's debt diet series has made us so afraid of check-cashing places that we cross the street to avoid them. (Tangent: Anyone else ever think that Oprah could solve all our debt problems on what she probably would have spent at Hermes?) more ›

So as it rains so hard, we stare out the window and we wonder, with a little sigh in the heart -- what is our plucky broken-hearted former first lady Kimberly Guilfoyle doing these days? Is she happy? Is she sad? Is she bundled up in a parka in the cold, cold city of New York? Well! Ask and ye shall receive. Making like a Gawker again, we turn to the Post's Page Six -- which reports that the soon-to-be-former Mrs. Newsom was making some heavy-duty eye contact and lingering into the night with a certain special someone! At a Court TV party for Catherine Crier's book about Scott Peterson, no less! So who could it be? Mayor Bloomberg? Mark Geragos? Robert Blake? Gothamist's adorable publisher Jake? No! You guessed wrong! It's MICHAEL BOLTON!!! ....maybe it's the hair? (Hey Kimberly: if he says he loves you -- he lied.) more ›

A real estate mogul in San Jose was murdered by a psychotic ex-girlfriend in Saratoga, who then unsuccessfully attempted to kill herself. The girlfriend had previously been charged with attempting to kill another ex-boyfriend, but when he left the country, the DA dropped charges. She had also previously attacked the mogul, but he had declined to pursue criminal action at that time. The latest reports have the ex-girlfriend snapping when she found the mogul with a new girl. more ›

Nothing like cashing in on the hype surrounding the murder of your adulterous lover's wife to restore your karmic balance. Of course, only the cosmos can apportion karma, and we're sure there's a big heap of it out there for Amber Frey. more ›

If you’ve already done your Christmas shopping and have a little money left over that you want to give to a cause but just not sure of which, Scott Peterson's attorney Mark Geragos has a suggestion for you. Geragos has launched a Web site asking for donations in helping find the real killers of Laci Peterson. Saying that Peterson was “unjustly convicted”, Geragos’ wants donations so he can “continue to investigate the murders of Laci and Conner Peterson so that we can free the man we know is innocent.” Maybe the real killers are hanging out with the killers of Nicole Simpson in Bermuda? Maybe Geragos will use the same investigation methods that O.J. has, mainly playing lots of golf? Regardless, the site also says that it will post updates on the ongoing investigation as well as the latest on Geragos’ attempts to get the conviction overturned. more ›

Earlier this week there were cheers and high-fives from the crowd waiting outside the Redwood City courthouse where Scott Peterson was given the death sentence. Classy! Nothing like doling out the ultimate penalty to fire up a crowd. We hope they were all excited over what this could mean for Ben Affleck's career as a dramatist, and not over the the prospect of yet more death in this tragedy. more ›

We were going to be all like, "we're sooooo above the whole Scott Peterson trial when there's a civil war in the Sudan," but okay, we'll confess, we were frantically hitting the refresh button on our sfgate.com window from 1:30 until about 1:50 p.m. today too. So yes, the Scott Peterson jury trial is over, after about six and a half months of testimony and argument, and the jury's recommended that the judge sentence Peterson to death. Chalk up another loss to Mark Geragos. (Has this guy actually won anything yet?) San Mateo County has only requested the death penalty in five cases over the last decade, including Mr. Peterson's, and this is the first time they've ever imposed it. The judge will either endorse the jury's recommendation or overrule it for a sentence of life without parole at the final sentencing hearing, scheduled for February 25. Picture of Peterson and Geragos at the reading of the verdict off courttv.com; picture of throngs of people outside the Redwood City courthouse off cnn.com more ›

The Governator's new appointment as head of the DMV, Joan Borucki, has suggested that instead of a gas tax, all cars in California be equipped with a GPS device so that they can be taxed by miles travelled on California roads instead, because more efficient cars mean less gas sold and less revenue from gasoline taxes. As Joshua Fruhlinger of Engadget points out, "Larry David would be charged as much to go 10 miles in his Prius as the Governator would in his Hummer." And just ask Scott Peterson - those GPS things make it really hard to get across the border ahead of the law. more ›

The verdict is in, and it doesn't look good for Scott Peterson. He probably should have left for Mexico while he still had a chance (granted, the cops had been tracking his car electronically, and we doubt Mexican police would have looked kindly on his crime). Reporters may now strike the 'allegedly' from their future despatches. more ›

If this wasn't the most important day for democracy in forever, you know this would be the top story. So, coming in a far distant second, we bring you... more ›

Did you feel that? At 10:15 this morning, the Paso Robles/Parkfield area, about 150 miles south of San Jose, was at the epicenter of a 5.8 quake on the San Andreas, and 4.0-5.0 aftershocks a few minutes later. more ›

summary of the Bay Area weekly papers (Guardian, SF Weekly, EBExpress and the Metro). more ›