A judge must still decide on whether some key evidence will be allowed once testimony begins.
It is coming down to the wire. The judge still has to rule on a sealed motion involving a hearsay statement. He is giving both sides until Saturday to come up with some case law.
Either way, jury selection is still scheduled to begin on Monday. It is a day that Kathleen Savio's family is very much looking forward to.
Sue Savio rarely misses a court hearing. The sister of Kathleen feels as though she is the voice for Drew Peterson's third wife, who was found dead in a bathtub in 2004.
The Savio family never believed Kathleen's death was an accident as it was originally ruled. They are relieved the day is almost here where Peterson will be on trial for Savio's murder.
"There will never be closure. My sister is gone," said Sue Savio. "She's always in my heart, so I believe that justice will give me some peace."
The Savio case was reopened in 2007 after Peterson's fourth wife Stacy went missing.
The former Bolingbrook police sergeant was arrested two years later for Savio's murder. Ever since, Peterson's attorneys and the Will County state's attorney have been battling it out in court. Much of the arguments deal with motions over whether certain hearsay statements will be allowed during the trial. Despite different legal rulings on the issue, it is still unknown how many of those statements the judge will allow.
"He's gonna listen to the case. He's gonna listen to the facts," said defense attorney Steve Greenberg. "He's gonna rule. He's gonna allow in what's relevant and material. He's gonna keep out what's prejudicial and unreliable, which is exactly what he should be doing. It's gonna make sure that Drew gets a fair trial."
"We're looking forward on Monday to picking a jury," said Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow.
Despite jury selection starting Monday, the judge still has to rule on certain hearings. He is giving both sides time to come up with more case law.
Despite the publicity surrounding this case, Peterson's attorneys are confident their client will get a fair jury.
"We're gonna be able to get a pool of jurors," said defense attorney Joe Lopez. "I don't think it's gonna be a problem at all. I think we're gonna get 12 fair jurors."
Before jury selection begins on Monday morning, the judge is expected to rule on that sealed motion.
Opening statements are scheduled for the Tuesday, July 31.
Depending on the judge's Monday ruling, there may be a possibility there could be a delay in the trial.
