Laci Peterson's Family Joins Political Battle

Like the Polly Klaas case that ushered in California's 'Three Strikes' sentencing law, lawmakers in Washington are now using the murders of Laci and Connor Peterson to push legislation making the intentional killing of a fetus a federal murder charge throughout the country.

Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, cited the Peterson case among others to introduce the Unborn Victims Of Violence Act Of 2003 on the floor of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday. At the same time, Rep. Melissa A. Hart was introducing similar legislation in the House, going as far as to honor a request from Laci Peterson's family to call her bill the "Laci And Connor Bill"

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Among those supporting DeWine and Hart's efforts was Laci Peterson's family. In a letter released by Hart's office, Sharon Rocha -- Laci's mother; her father, Dennis Rocha; stepfather, Ron Grantski; brother Brent and stepsister Amy said they supported the effort that some are now calling the Laci And Connor Peterson Bill.

"As the family of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner, this bill is very close to our hearts," the family stated in the letter. "We have not only lost our future with our daughter and sister, but with our grandson and nephew as well."

The letter went on to say "knowing that the perpetrators who murder pregnant women will pay the price not only for the loss of the mother, but the baby as well, will help bring justice for these victims."

Peterson's husband, Scott, was in the Stanislaus County jail Thursday, charged with two counts of capital murder. One of charges is the result of a California law that allows prosecutors to pursue murder charges when a fetus is killed.

But California's law does not go quite as far as either measure introduced on Wednesday. The California standard protects a fetus that has passed what it terms the "embryonic stage" -- seven or eight weeks -- while the federal legislation would protect a fetus at any stage of development.

DeWine said it was time such a law existed nationwide. The senator said that in about half the states -- 26 in all -- there was already such a law on the books. The Ohio lawmaker wants to add such a charge to murder prosecutions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and to crimes committed on federal land.

"Not long ago, the bodies of Laci -- who was eight months pregnant at the time she disappeared -- and Conner were discovered on a rocky shoreline of the San Francisco Bay," the Ohio Republican said in introducing his bill. "Baby Conner was found near his mother with his umbilical cord still attached."

"Under California state law, intentionally killing a fetus is murder, and California prosecutors are seeking to bring separate murder charges in the deaths of Laci Peterson and her unborn son."

"But, I want make it very clear to my colleagues here in the Senate that the murder charge that California prosecutors will bring for the death of Laci's son would not be permitted if that crime were being prosecuted under current federal law."

Fellow Ohio Republican Steve Cabot told the Washington Times that the Peterson case gives DeWine's efforts a great deal of momentum.

"It gives impetus to a movement towards passing this type of legislation to protect unborn children," said Chabot, who chairs the House Judiciary Constitution subcommittee, which will handle Hart's bill.

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