Joel Brodsky took his client on when no one else would.
He has represented Peterson for five years. Brodsky shopped Peterson around to the national media and stuck with the former Bolingbrook cop when Peterson was charged and convicted of his third wife's murder.
But, Tuesday, Peterson's teary-eyed lead lawyer told Judge Edward Burmila he is calling it quits.
"I made the decision in my client's best interest," Brodsky said. "That's what this is all about, my client's best interest, to step aside and have new and independent counsel come in."
Insisting he was not fired, Brodsky is handing over the lead attorney reins to Chicago lawyer David Peilet.
Peilet is known for his role representing the defendant in a high-profile child prostitution case. Peilet promises Peterson will get a unified defense team.
"The thrust of the case from here on in is gonna be this, there will be no more public finger pointing, one attorney to another, it's not going to happen on this defense team," Peilet said.
The public finger pointing was between Steve Greenberg and Brodsky. Greenberg remains on the case, as does Joe Lopez. Both lawyers are not ruling out an appeal based on ineffective counsel.
"Things are gonna to be filed that need to filed, the issues are gonna be raised that need to be raised," Greenberg said. "No one knows what issues need to be raised at this time."
Greenberg accused Brodsky of losing the case when he made the lone decision to call Kathleen Savio's divorce attorney Harry Smith as a witness. Jurors say Smith's testimony tipped the scales toward a conviction.
Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow is not worried about any motions filed for appeal.
"The evidence that came in was sufficient to win the case, and so on appeal the record is gonna be extremely clean for the appellate court," said Glasgow.
The deadline to file any post-trial motions is November 16. Glasgow does think an ineffective counsel appeal would hold water, considering Joel Brodsky did not try the case alone.
Glasgow says Peterson was represented by six lawyers, four that remain on the case.
Besides Peliet, Peterson added another new attorney Tuesday, John Heiderscheidt.
