SINCE Christmas Eve of last year, the Peterson family has been infamous through the United States. Pictures of the missing and very pregnant Laci Peterson splashed across the cover of People and Newsweek. Vigils were held in hopes both the mom and the baby would show up unscathed and thriving. Then, after months of hoping and waiting, the baby's tiny, broken body washed ashore the coast of California followed only a day later by that of his mother's.
Then, pictures of Scott Peterson, Laci's widow and the grieving father of the deceased Connor, smeared across the cover of the weekly rags, his hair a different color when the police picked him up on his way toward the Mexican border with thousands of dollars in cash. Now, months after the discovery of the bodies and the subsequent arrest of Scott, a new twist in the story has developed: Scott wants to write a book.
Allowing criminals to write books, especially those convicted of heinous crimes, is tantamount to turning homicide into Hollywood. It glorifies crime and violence, awards those who should rightly be rotting away in jail and sends a chilling message of neglect and disinterest to the families of crime victims.
Granted, Scott Peterson has not been convicted of any crime. Right now he is merely an accused man awaiting his trial with no bail. He is, beyond what the media may believe and the public promote, an innocent man in the eyes of the law.
That innocence, though, is not guaranteed and may in fact be taken away permanently in a few short months. Thus Laci's family, namely her mother Sharon Rocha, have filed for an injunction to stop Scott from receiving any profits he may garner from writing a tell-all ("Laci Peterson's mother sues to block story profits," www.CNN.com, Sept. 29).
Her request is not unreasonable, nor is out of bounds. If anything, it's too lenient. Peterson should be allowed to write a book about anything he wishes -- this is still America and he, regardless of his current criminal status, does still have protection under the Bill of Rights.
He, however, if convicted, should never see a dime of the money made from the selling of the book. In no way or form should a criminal ever earn profits off of their own misdeeds. The thought is both sickening and terrifying.
If Scott Peterson wishes to write a book whether it be to exonerate himself, explain the circumstances or even just dispute the media, all proceeds should be held in a trust until the outcome of the trial. If he's found innocent, then good for him -- he deserves the riches of his ramblings.
If he's found guilty, though -
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